Zzxjoanw

Zzxjoanw n. a Maori drum

Now, a number of you are wondering what on earth this image has to do with a Maori drum, and the answer is absolutely nothing. You see, Zzxjoanw was something of a 'hoax' word, invented by a lexicographer in the dim and distant past. Presumably to see if people would believe it. And they did, to the extent that it appears in books of words for 'Superior People'.

So I felt under no obligation to provide you with a picture of a drum. Nerr!

Instead this was from the Power Plant exhibition as part of the Fringe at the Botanic Gardens in Edinburgh. What a superb exhibition - disorientating in parts; far too busy for most of it; but genuinely interesting, intriguing, and fun. Two other possible blips almost made the cut.

This was after a cheesy, but fantastically entertaining, early evening at the Moscow State Circus. No animals (yay!) and some impressive acrobatics. Smiled all the way through.

Which also helped expunge the memory of the fact that we weren't doing what had been the BIG plan for Saturday. We had supposed to be getting up at 5am to get to Dunbar, to get on a boat, to go to the Bass Rock, to actually get onto the rock, and spend three hours at the gannet colony.

There aren't many of these trips a year (most go round the rock) and we got a phonecall on Friday saying that the predicted winds were too high to go out. There's only one more trip this year, that we were offered in its place, but we can't go on. So we're on the list for next year when they start up in April/May again. Here's hoping the weather is better then!