Where some wild things were.

In the Wilderness.

"Wild" swimming.

Happy wild flags.

The all-seeing wooden eye. (Probably saw quite a lot of wildness over the weekend.)

Thank you organizers and merry goers.

Though whether now there truly be wilderness is debatable.
I do hope the wild things are still there though. I think they are.

Drafty

Having admitted to knowing a few names of GB athletes, and knowledge enough to voice an opinion on the Olympics, when I usually have no idea about what's going on in the world outside the Bubble, I thought I say that I haven't spent all of the last 12 days watching The Games....just quite a bit of the last 12 days....whilst also working simultaneously on my peat book.

And I have made progress. I now have, in no particular order of importance:
- two thesis examiners,
- a rough viva date,
- permission (almost) to structure my doctorate as I have structured it (into papers not one vast monotomb)
- a hand-in date
- worsening eye sight
- and 55-odd-000 words bundled into the creature that is known as Drafty (named by a dearest comrade).

Whether Drafty is any good is unknown, and will remain so for a few weeks, until my supervisor returns from her and her laptop's much-deserved holidays. Meanwhile, the weeks pass by, we win more medals, and more cookies are eaten. And Drafty's many gaps shall be filled in.

Whatever sorry state Drafty might be in right now, I'm just grateful he's come into my life at this point, and will now try my best to nurture him into adulthood....before the wind changes. I think I'm on the home-straight.

The Limpets.

I felt inspired to write a quick post about the strong, steadfast, hard-shelled beasts that are as firm as rocks and persist, through storms and trials of us trying to pull them off their course; (a little tangential perhaps but) a dedication to all our wonderful athletes of this here Olympic games.

Obviously Heroes are obvious and abound: Vicky of Bicycle-ton, Sir Chris Joy, Jessica Genesis, the four beautiful Merman of the Men's 4, and many more incredibly fit stallions and duchesses of Sport....but there are many that are also Heroes, but didn't get one of those heavy shiny disks to decorate their bodies of steel. As smiley Becky Paddle-ington said, there's so much pressure on these chosen few, on their minds and bodies, and the Olympics takes no prisoners (or something like that). Watching has made me realize how brutal competing at this, or any level is, and as well as it being inspiring to watch a win (e.g. I now want to be a gymnast, a marathon runner, a diver, a cyclist and a beach volleyball player, to name but a few disciplines), it's inspiring to see how those that don't "win" deal with their immense disappointment. Like Vicky in the big sweaty bike hut, Mark Cavendish's smiley appearance after his loss (albeit after such a superb win dans le Paris), and my personal fave, Tom Delicious Daley, after losing out (relatively) on the 10m synchronised diving. (Incase you've not seen it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bws52wtv6Ts.) Life must always go on, somehow....and I feel that we, as a nation (via the sometimes unnecessarily probing BBC reporters) could be more supportive and less emotion-seeking. But praps that's just the way of things.

Anyway, thank you ALL you amazing athletes, and everyone behind you that's helped to make a lot of people smile during these last few weeks on this here medal-mad island. May the flame burn on! (but perhaps using wind power, or pedal-power maybe?)

(Clause: I realize limpets aren't perfect, and may hide blemishes, but I hope in general they can be a lasting positive mark on our rocks.)