HEY say people choose pets that are like them or that pets become more like their owners (seldom vice versa). Maybe there is some “natural selection” in the mix (like selective breeding for a process favouring “domesticated” traits).

In the case of Bot and Bot’s Friend (our birds of choice), it seems like they’re very much like me and Rianne. Their character (low temper, polite) seems similar. As for “Sleepy”, she needs more training. Maybe she’ll get there eventually.

This afternoon we plan to go feed about 100 birds. There is a terrible drought and it affects them.

T seems like “Sleepy” the bird is improving at keeping good balance on the doorknobs and eating the seeds without jumping on the jar and flapping her wings like mad. Unlike “Bot” (Bottle) and her friend, “Sleepy” is a reasonably recent recruit and she doesn’t have good table manners. Sometimes she climbs on the doors, she is fearless about it, and this used to result in a mess (spillages). We began calling her “Sweepy” because she was sweeping the seeds aside instead of eating them properly.

Progress is being made by discouraging bad habits.

think yesterday was the second time we came back home with apples from the local park. This time they literally fell off the apple tree, which was unexpected.

We went to the park to feed about 70 birds, which seemed to be hiding in the shade from the sun. The grass was yellowing due to the drought and the birds all seemed hungry. We’ll go back there (again) on Thursday.

If this kind of weather (and climate) becomes more routine, we’ll i deep trouble.

oday the heatwave has begun, so we plan to go to the nearby park and feed the birds. It is not a good day to stay indoors and it’s also a chance to meet the birds we’ve not seen in 2-3 months (we focus on Mayfield these days).

Sleepy has begun moulting, as it is late summer. She is sitting next to me at the door right now.

If only I realise how fan birding can be… decades ago. At least I didn’t wait ’til 70.

think it won’t be long until the snails/shells exceed 200 (in number). It all started with only one (a single living thing), just about a year ago. 1 to 200 in just over a year is impressive, all one needs to do is feed them.

Nature’s ability to replicate, given the right conditions, is quite amazing.

began ‘breeding’ shells or snails last year. There are now well over 100 of them. They seem happy. I need to feed them more and more over time because their total number continues to increase. To me, they’re nature near the desk. They have their little colony and they don’t interfere with anything. I’ve never seen even one that is dead… so far.

How could I have missed this hobby of adorable pets (creatures) all those years?

he UK has a large airborne fleet which is hardly being used except for unnecessary wars and air shows. Now that Portugal, a fellow EU member state, is burning we have the moral obligation to save not only houses but also people and livestock (we don’t know yet how far the fires would reach if not extinguished quickly enough). Any procrastination isn’t excusable here, especially if these military facilities are primarily intended to guard life. Political points too can be scored through such an operation, so I hope to see my government doing the right thing this morning. The people of Portugal would be grateful and the cost to British taxpayers isn’t of utmost interest at this stage (few would object to such an operation).

Portugal is my father’s favourite country, it’s one of my own favourites (I first visited at age 8), I have some friends from Portugal and some of my favourite music is Portuguese, so I feel like I should do everything possible; praying isn’t helping (let’s face it, fire won’t be affected by prayer) and I cannot physically go to Portugal. All I can do it compel my government to send helicopters there, maybe planes too (if they’re equipped for carrying water and fire deterrents/retardants).