Pigs and stargazing

 The last couple of weeks have been quite busy for me as I started a new contract working for Disability Alliance and specifically the work which Skill lead on with education and disabled people. Sadly Skill closed in April but thanks to Disability Alliance and Lord Low, the Department of Business Innovation and Skills has funded the work of Skill to continue managed by my old colleague and friend Andrea Lewis who was working at Skill when they closed in April. Andrea worked tirelessly with Lord Low and others to ensure that Skill's vital work, like their helpline continue.

I'm working on policy stuff and responses to the Government's FE consultation. It's good to be working again after all the time off in the summer.

Yesterday we went over to visit friends who have just moved down form Edinburgh to Cambridge. We went with them and their two little girls to a farm which has a selection of shops and a cafe. The picture above is of some pigs who seemed very happy to be wallowing in mud. Below is a picture of Rupert and Jen's lovely ginger cat. She decided to sleep between Jason and I on the settee with her head on my leg resting on her paw!

We stayed over in Cambridge quite late and Rupert decided to look for the new supernova which has appeared in the pin wheel galaxy just north of the plough. Rupert has a small telescope but we had some difficulty trying to find it. We may have seen it or it may just have been a very bright star. We did certainly get a good view of Jupiter though and 3 of Jupiter's 4 largest moons. I could only see 2 of the 3 but that is certainly more than I've seen before! I can't believe that it was the first time I'd actually looked through a telescope at stars and planets! We didn't get home until mid night but it was a long and enjoyable day.

Today I picked up some lovely begonias from Homebase which I've put at the front of the house as you can see in the picture above.

I have another busy week ahead with probably 2 days working in London, so I'm trying to rest this Sunday.