in a busy life, I need all the incidental exercise I can get. last night's mission: rescue mis-returned video from Shop A, return to Shop B, and be home in time for Dr Who @ 7.30. Shop A is near the busy Westgarth cinema. you just can't park there in the evenings. so despite already having clocked up 2 hours and 15 minutes of cycling, I dragged the bike out. elapsed time: 25 minutes. probably about the same as in the car.

this morning: noisy native parrots perched on grey dead branches on the hill at Fairfield. it's breeding season still; their heads are a violent purple, their chests Rothko-like panels of orange and yellow. their wings are the green of new foliage.