Firebelly newt

At least I think it is, not being that 'up' on my coldwater newts. He/she is one of my bro-in-laws, one of a few that he keeps in a heavily planted coldwater tank in his bedroom. They're cute little things and they eat from his fingers now, happy as larry to chomp on the cooked prawn offerings every other day. He did have them in a bigger tank but that bigger tank has now become home to a highly predatory dwarf Snakehead - a Channa Pulchra to be exact, which is a newly discovered species and a rather beautiful one at that. I've never been into the piscivore thing nor did I have any clue about Snakeheads until a few weeks ago when he told me he was thinking of getting one of those (which he chose not to get after finding out they grow a big too big) but now I do I think that next to an Arowana getting a dwarf Channa would be top of my list if ever I got a bigger fancier tank. I did take umpteen shots of it but I'm waiting for a better one to grace my memory card because, well, it just demands a better photo than the ones I got today really. I also snapped a few other pics of by bro-in-law doing his stuff with wooden kung foo sticks in the garden but again wasn't happy with those either so decided to pack the camera away and eat a thai green curry instead.

Other highlights of the day included Wales winning the triple crown (GET IN), england losing to Scotland (nice one) and me getting off my fat arse and back into the saddle for the first time since november for an easyish 12 mile peddle up and around Llandegla's red route. What an amazing ride it was too, the wind and rain lashing at us whenever the trees opened out to heather and the mud flicking all over our leggings. God I've missed it.