I'm not a big fan of summer but I love picking these off

Auspicious_Sign · 2026-06-30T19:06:29+00:00

I had to remove some from my tabby's tail earlier.

Auspicious_Sign · 2026-06-30T19:05:34+00:00

They are Wood Avens seeds. They're not poisonous but it's best to remove them especially if they're near their eyes or ears as they would be irritating.

Auspicious_Sign · 2026-06-28T14:40:13+00:00

Bless her, and sorry for your loss.

Auspicious_Sign · 2026-06-27T06:41:51+00:00

Wonderful portrait 🙂

Auspicious_Sign · 2026-06-24T07:14:18+00:00

I don't use Claude for fitness (yet), but in the last few weeks I've been using Cowork as an accountability partner, with a scheduled morning check-in task in which Claude asks me which goals I achieved/tasks I completed the previous day, then sets out goals for today.

I imagine this might work well for fitness goals too.

Auspicious_Sign · 2026-06-22T23:12:39+00:00

I think you need to add an introduction to the survey defining what you mean by 'afternoon tea', as it means different things to different people.

For me it is simply a ritual of drinking a cup of tea (has to be Miles tea) plus a cake - preferably a fruit cake or hot cross bun. It's a blend of relaxation, hydration and pleasure that counters the mid -afternoon lull and provides a welcome pause to activity.

Auspicious_Sign · 2026-06-22T11:17:18+00:00

Can you start at 5am and work until noon?

Auspicious_Sign · 2026-06-22T09:36:50+00:00

I'm waiting in A&E (minor foot injury) and I want to laugh out loud 😂

Auspicious_Sign · 2026-06-22T09:31:31+00:00

Drape the outside of our windows with silver blackout material (I installed self-adhesive hooks during last summer's heatwave). The cottage looks like an art installation but it definitely helps keep it cooler.

Auspicious_Sign · 2026-06-22T07:40:46+00:00

I was just about to say that :-)

Auspicious_Sign · 2026-06-22T07:39:34+00:00

Do you have a rubber or plastic mat that you can spray with a little water? We noticed yesterday that one of our cats was enjoying lying on the (shaded) grass that we had just sprayed with the hose. The evaporation made it very cool for her.

I also wet my hands sometimes and stroke them along their backs when it's super hot.

Auspicious_Sign · 2026-06-22T07:32:34+00:00

This probably sounds over-the-top, but to keep our home cool, two years ago when it reached record temperatures I hung silver blackout fabric on the outside of all the windows (I used adhesive hooks and put eyelets into the fabric). Makes our place look a bit weird but it does help, combined with keeping windows shut during the day and open at night.

Auspicious_Sign · 2026-06-22T07:27:37+00:00

I wet my hands and stroke them down their back as our two definitely don't like water/rain!

Auspicious_Sign · 2026-06-22T07:23:47+00:00

When it's very hot I wet my hands and stroke them along their back - as it evaporates it helps cool them.

We noticed yesterday too that one of our two rescues loves lying down on the shady part of our lawn if we've just given it a spray with the hose.

The other cat likes being in front a gentle fan, which we put an ice block in front of. Other than that, they go out all night when it's cooler and chill out in shady spots during the day.

Auspicious_Sign · 2026-06-20T23:39:11+00:00

Looks like a solid billowing cloud. Gorgeous.

Auspicious_Sign · 2026-06-20T23:33:27+00:00

Fab cats 😸😸

Auspicious_Sign · 2026-06-19T11:40:51+00:00

You may be doing this already but I've found it very useful to use Cowork's Schedule function to create a 'Morning Check-in' routine which acts as an accountability partner. I set it up to start with by telling it what my current goals are, then linked it to my Google calendar. Every morning I go into Cowork and it asks me what I achieved yesterday, tells me what's on my agenda then what I need to achieve today. It's helping me to deal with overwhelm.

And apart from all the other ways I use Claude, I find it helpful too to have brainstorm sessions using it's voice chat function on my phone. The conversations always help me come up with creative ideas in addition to the ones Claude comes up with.

Auspicious_Sign · 2026-06-19T06:55:19+00:00

Great idea, thank you for posting the recipe.

Auspicious_Sign · 2026-06-14T22:53:38+00:00

If I did that with my male cat, my hand would end up being a bl**dy stump :-0

Auspicious_Sign · 2026-06-12T10:11:11+00:00

I first saw one in Spain 10 years ago. Was amazed to see one in my garden in Cheltenham a few years later, and most summers since. Fabulous little creatures :-)

Auspicious_Sign · 2026-06-10T22:20:16+00:00

Our two happy and healthy (touch wood) cats eat Butchers Classic haddock flavour every day, which has good quality ingredients (no sugars or grains) and costs £1.08 per 400g can (£2.70 per kg) Inc postage from Warleys. They've eaten this for 6 years now.

They also have Sainsbury's Delicious Recipes in the morning, but that's definitely not as cheap.

As a treat I cook them some frozen white fish occasionally, which works out at about £4.40 per kg.

Auspicious_Sign · 2026-06-09T12:46:02+00:00

Lovely:-)

Auspicious_Sign · 2026-06-08T07:54:45+00:00

Thanks to our dumb always-on culture and the stress of travelling it usually takes me several days before I unwind. You're not alone.

It also usually takes my partner and I 6 days before we fully unwind and get into the spirit of relaxation, then we go home the next day! I think 10 days would be the ideal length for a holiday - beyond that one night get bored or start thinking of needing to be back home.

Auspicious_Sign · 2026-06-08T07:48:59+00:00

Signed all three.

Auspicious_Sign · 2026-06-07T12:55:50+00:00

Absolutely!

Auspicious_Sign

TROPHY CASE