iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Chris Brooking @chris108.mastodonapp.uk.ap.brid.gy · 9h

@DavidTanner If you found the philosophy in Ursula Le Guin's later scifi works a bit heavy, she did write one book that explains a lot. The catch is that this book is even heavier on the philosophy, so my guess is you'll give it a miss! #UrsulaKLeGuin #TaoTeChing #DaoDeJing

Book cover of Ursula Le Guin's Tao Te Ching. Cover has a mountainous forest disappearing into the mist, withe the wording:

Ursula K. Le Guin
LAO TZU
TAO TE CHING;
A Book about the Way and the Power of the Way

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Chris Brooking @chris108.mastodonapp.uk.ap.brid.gy · 14/10/2026

I had a hearing test in Morpeth today and took a walk along the river afterwards Here's Cormorant on the Wansbeck. They didn't turn round to look at me, but it's quite a nice rear view. #Cormorant #Wansbeck #Morpeth #Northumberland #UK

A cormorant (large black bird with a fan tail and orange/grey beak) spreads its wings while standing on a wooden plank in shallow water.

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Chris Brooking @chris108.mastodonapp.uk.ap.brid.gy · 09/10/2026

I've been seeing a lot of horses acting cutely over the last few days! #Horses #Rothbury #Northumberland #UK

Two horses enjoying themselves at a ford at The Lee, just outside Rothbury, one being ridden and the other led.

Horses appearing for form an orderly line. Four are standing but a fifth at the 'back of the queue' is sitting down. This is in Rothbury.

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Chris Brooking @chris108.mastodonapp.uk.ap.brid.gy · 09/10/2026

Have Vibram soles reduced in quality drastically recently, or have I been sold counterfeit Scarpa boots? They used to last for years, not start to disintegrate after two. #vibram #scarpa #counterfeit #hiking

Scarpa boots with Vibram soles coming apart at the heel.

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Chris Brooking @chris108.mastodonapp.uk.ap.brid.gy · 04/10/2026

Wow. This stuff does what it says on the .. bottle! Much hotter than I expected, with a nice taste of chilli and ginger. #hotsauce

A bottle of East End "very hot green chilli sauce".

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Chris Brooking @chris108.mastodonapp.uk.ap.brid.gy · 29/09/2026

A misty start to the day. This is probably why I could get closer than usual to these deer without them running off. A nice surprise for my morning walk #deer #northumberland

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Chris Brooking @chris108.mastodonapp.uk.ap.brid.gy · 28/09/2026

Recceing a walk for next Friday. It is quite scenic including Bowden Doors, Colour Heigh and Cuddy's (St Cuthbert's) Cave. #walking #northumberland #CuddysCave

Bowden Doors, grey sandstone emerging for on grass.

A view of Colour Heugh from Dancing Green Hill. Despite the name it is mostly grey sandstone.

Selfie, old man with a hat standing in a huge split in a boulder near Cuddy's Cave

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Chris Brooking @chris108.mastodonapp.uk.ap.brid.gy · 25/09/2026

It's that time of year when the sky looks pretty when I take my evening walk. #rothbury #northumberland #uk

The sky above Addycombe ridge showing a pink tinge.

The sky above the stone bridge at Rothbury now showing an orange red

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Chris Brooking @chris108.mastodonapp.uk.ap.brid.gy · 20/09/2026

I love these ceramic sculptures in the Crown Studio Gallery. #ceramics #sculpture #rothbury

Sign in window reads

AMBIGUITY-
CERAMIC SCULPTURES
BY LYNDA TAYLOR
Inspired by the grandeur of Classical
architecture and its later Victorian revival, these
ceramic sculptures combine a sense of history
with contemporary questions.
Designed as both striking decorative objects and
pieces to provoke thought, they explore the
ambiguities that shape our lives. Every decision
we make is influenced by personal experience,
circumstance and the information available to us
at that particular moment.
Ideas of good and bad, right and wrong, certainty
and doubt can become surprisingly fluid when
circumstances change.
These sculptures invite the viewer to look agai
and question first impressions. Beautiful, |
intriguing and just a little unsettling, than ae
pieces with a story to tell and should make
wonderful conversation starters in the home.

Sculpture, a stylised woman in a doorway with a man sitting on the roof

A number of ceramic sculptures, glazed mostly in a blur-green colour

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Chris Brooking @chris108.mastodonapp.uk.ap.brid.gy · 17/09/2026

The path behind Wetherby services. This makes it my favourite on the A1, because you can stretch your legs without feeling that you're walking round a car park. Today an interesting cloudy sky #Wetherby #WetherbyServices #sky

A field with a dirt track along one side. This is a public footpath. The sky is mostly grey cloud with some blue patches

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Chris Brooking @chris108.mastodonapp.uk.ap.brid.gy · 10/09/2026

I walked out my route for a u3a walk I'll be leading if the weather's OK. It took me 4 hours 20 minutes with tests, 3 hours 25 minutes moving time. Im wondering if 15:34 km is too long. I think I'll say "go for it", there are a number of escape routes to […] [Original post on mastodonapp.uk]

A cairn on Hard Nab, near Thrunton Woods. The outline of Simonside is in the distance.

Long crag and Coe Crags in front — the rout ascends on the right then walks the length of these.

Map of the circuit which goes in a roughly rectangular path through Thrunton Woods

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Chris Brooking @chris108.mastodonapp.uk.ap.brid.gy · 06/09/2026

It's the time of year for great sunsets again. #sunset

Clouds lit with the red light from the setting sun.

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Chris Brooking @chris108.mastodonapp.uk.ap.brid.gy · 04/09/2026

No!!!! Too soon I had an advert for this in my email today. #TooSoonForChristmas #Cragside #Crimbo

An image of a child reaching for a Christmas decoration on a tree with the text:

Christmas at Cragside: A Journey Through Fairyland

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Chris Brooking @chris108.mastodonapp.uk.ap.brid.gy · 02/09/2026

I had a nice walk around the carriageway and Primrose Woods. It started raining about three quarters of the way round. I made the mistake of delaying putting my waterproof on until my fleece was wet — I thought it would stop soon. Unfortunately in this weather […] [Original post on mastodonapp.uk]

Long cut tree trunks propped in a ring around a tree

I guess the loggers were having a bit of fun. Either that or a giant made an impromptu shelter.

A wide track (The Carriageway) winds round a heather- covered bank. The distinctive silhouette of Simonside is in the background.

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Chris Brooking @chris108.mastodonapp.uk.ap.brid.gy · 30/08/2026

Semi-weird thoughts time. I'm so glad they demolished the old disused public conveniences on the Rothbury riverside path. They reveal the base of this lovely beech tree, part of the Rothbury Tree Trail www.rothburytrees.uk/tree-trail #Rothbury #Tree #RothburyTrees #Northumberland #uk

A lovely Beech Tree with spreading roots and canopy. The sort of place where Buddha or Shiva might choose to meditate.

Closeup or the spreading roots at the base of the trunk

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Chris Brooking @chris108.mastodonapp.uk.ap.brid.gy · 29/08/2026

It's alright, I identify as a sheep! As I approached the field I thought I saw a black ewe with a lamb. As I got closer I thought "there's something odd about that ewe". It turned out to be a little black calf, obviously very at home with the sheep. I'm not […] [Original post on mastodonapp.uk]

Small black calf, or young bullock in field of sheep

The coo is obviously very much at home in the flock.

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Chris Brooking @chris108.mastodonapp.uk.ap.brid.gy · 24/08/2026

After showing someone simple website editing this morning there was time for a short walk this afternoon. I went to Branton Lakes, one of my favourite nearby places. The bullrushes seem to be growing like mad this year. #BrantonLakes #Northumberland #UK

At this point you can see over the bulrushes to the lake

The river Beamish, at this time of year a narrow flow in a wide sandy riverbed.

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Chris Brooking @chris108.mastodonapp.uk.ap.brid.gy · 18/08/2026

I was quite sad to see this tree gone on my usual morning walk. I can see why though. It used to make ominous creaking sounds in windy weather and it was obviously rotten inside. #trees #treesofmastodon #treesofrothbury #rothbury #northumberland #uk

Distance view showing the branches spread out along the side of the lane

Where the tree was cut, the inside totally rotten.

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Chris Brooking @chris108.mastodonapp.uk.ap.brid.gy · 17/08/2026

The great tapestry of Scotland's great but after a few hours it's time for a wander. #Scotland #thegreattapestryofscotland #Galashiels

First tapestry of the great tapestry of Scotland

The river Tweed runs through Galashiels, shops on one side, trees on the other

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Chris Brooking @chris108.mastodonapp.uk.ap.brid.gy · 16/08/2026

A wet walk this morning, but lovely up on the carriageway. #rothbury #northumberland #uk #heather

Selfie with an orange waterproof and purple heather in the background

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Chris Brooking @chris108.mastodonapp.uk.ap.brid.gy · 16/08/2026

How embarrassing for Bluesky and the AT protocol. It's not just Bluesky, mu.social is also down. I think this means it's an issue with the relay network — the one they said made the AT protocol resistant to failures as clients would simply switch to an […] [Original post on mastodonapp.uk]

Downdetector showing multiple errors from 15:00

A confusing contradictory Bluesky status page says "all systems operational" and "we've been experiencing problems since 14:58

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Chris Brooking @chris108.mastodonapp.uk.ap.brid.gy · 10/08/2026

I took a trip to Longhoghton and Sugar Sands. The sea always looks so blue there. #SugarSands #Longhoughton #Northumberland #uk

Al dandy beach on front of a blue sea. In the foreground grey rocks and

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Chris Brooking @chris108.mastodonapp.uk.ap.brid.gy · 03/08/2026

Isn't this exactly what North Yorkshire wanted when the aim is to improve housing opportunities for locals? Sounds fine to me. "Chris Hall, who organised the petition, said: "Its effects have been disastrous - without any tangible benefits to local housing […] [Original post on mastodonapp.uk]

Headline: Second homeowners demand halt to double tax policy.

Tagline:
Campaigners have handed in a petition signed by 1,000 people calling for the premium to be suspended

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Chris Brooking @chris108.mastodonapp.uk.ap.brid.gy · 30/07/2026

The "Dragon's head", in the grounds of Cragside, Northumberland, UK. I'm lucky enough to be able to walk here from home, which I did today. #dragon #cragside #northumberland #rothbury #UK

A picture of a natural rock arch over a footpath. It looks a bit like dragon's head resting it's chon on a boulder. There's a crack looking like a closed mouth and an indentation that's vaguely eye-like.

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Chris Brooking @chris108.mastodonapp.uk.ap.brid.gy · 27/07/2026

In what world can an AI generated image be seen as more historically accurate than casting any human of any race to play a human part? #ai #aislop #elonmusk #odyssey

News headine:
Elon Musk says Grok Imagine will make 'historically accurate' AI adaptation of Homer's Odyssey

The billionaire says the AI-generated film will stay true to Homer's original, after repeatedly criticising Christopher Nolan's blockbuster over its casting choices

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Chris Brooking @chris108.mastodonapp.uk.ap.brid.gy · 20/07/2026

@novelwriter Working on Chromebook plus. I used the Appimage. There were a couple of workarounds. 1) it doesn't work with ChromeOS Wayland, so I have to run as "QT_QPA_PLATFORM=xcb NovelWriter.AppImage" I symlink the current version to NovelWriter.AppImage so […] [Original post on mastodonapp.uk]

NovelWriter start page running on an Asus Chromebook Plus

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Chris Brooking @chris108.mastodonapp.uk.ap.brid.gy · 20/07/2026

An interesting talk today by Northumberland Wildlife Trusts on their potential estate purchase. Their slideshow included an old map of the Simonside and Lordenshaw area. It included a marking for a "Selbus Cave", which is a bit of a mystery. It doesn't appear […] [Original post on mastodonapp.uk]

Old map showing "Selbus Cave" somewhere to the south of Simonside.

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Chris Brooking @chris108.mastodonapp.uk.ap.brid.gy · 16/07/2026

Should this footbridge be repainted to ensure a long life, or is it purely cosmetic? The Haugh bridge, Rothbury, I only noticed today! #bridge #corrosion #maintainance

Bridge with iron beam showing flaking paint and a lot of rust

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Chris Brooking @chris108.mastodonapp.uk.ap.brid.gy · 14/07/2026

Auton invasion starts in rural Northumbrian industrial estate. #joke #drwho

An old shop dummy leans against a builders' merchant's shed.

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Chris Brooking @chris108.mastodonapp.uk.ap.brid.gy · 11/07/2026

"He said the trip had been covered by the Musk Foundation, a private philanthropic organisation" I think they spelt fascist wrong. #FuckFascism #tommyTenNames www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/ju…

Headline: Elon Musk’s family foundation took Tommy Robinson to Russia, says Musk’s father.

Tagline: Errol Musk says far-right activist is ‘a fine young man’ and held meetings with Russian business figures

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Chris Brooking @chris108.mastodonapp.uk.ap.brid.gy · 11/07/2026

The prices would be the least surprising thing about it. We haven't had a station for sixty years. 🤣 #joke #northumberland

Advert saying "Travelling from Rothbury to Italy by rail - Prices might surprise you.

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Chris Brooking @chris108.mastodonapp.uk.ap.brid.gy · 03/07/2026

I took our local walking group to Dove Crag. I thought it was a good choice because it's easy walking but surprisingly difficult to find. They seemed to like it. #Walking #Northumberland #UK

A group of walkers near a sandstone crag. They are standing in a grassy clearing with trees in the background.

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Chris Brooking @chris108.mastodonapp.uk.ap.brid.gy · 30/06/2026

Common blue butterfly. They're common but it's the first time I've managed to photograph one before it flew away!

A bright blue butterfly, the Common Blue

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Chris Brooking @chris108.mastodonapp.uk.ap.brid.gy · 30/06/2026

Thanks for the suggestion, WhatsApp 🤣🤣🤣! #AI #funny

Message reading "I'm so used to tagging <redacted> in this type of message, I almost forgot she's no longer chair!". WhatsApp suggests changing to "...no longer a chair".

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Chris Brooking @chris108.mastodonapp.uk.ap.brid.gy · 29/06/2026

I repeated the walk in going to lead later in the year, which incorporates Bowden Doors and St Cuthbert's (Cuddy's) cave. The first time I walked it out was fine, then I went with my daughter and somehow took a wrong turning, so I had to repeat it again to […] [Original post on mastodonapp.uk]

St Cuthbert's cave, one of two caves with that name in Northumberland

Weathered sandstone looking like a pile of laundry at Bowden Doors.

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Chris Brooking @chris108.mastodonapp.uk.ap.brid.gy · 24/06/2026

I decided to miss today's u3a walk. After last week, which had an event every day, I just wanted to do a familiar walk alone, one that I don't need to look at maps for. So I've come to Simonside via Garleigh hill and Whitton. Surprisingly it's really quiet […] [Original post on mastodonapp.uk]

The view from the summit, across woods to green fields and taller hills in the distance.

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Chris Brooking @chris108.mastodonapp.uk.ap.brid.gy · 23/06/2026

Hulne park. It's nice, but a bit obscene that one family owns so much land. #Alnwick. #Northumberland #uk

Hulne Priory, a large ruined tower within stone walls

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Chris Brooking @chris108.mastodonapp.uk.ap.brid.gy · 22/06/2026

In the Mahabharata, Yudhishthira, the exiled heir to the throne, camped in a forest. He, and his large party, stayed there for a year and eight months. In a dream, a group of deer came to him, trembling. They said, "You are such great hunters and you've been […] [Original post on mastodonapp.uk]

Picture of deer and elephant from https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/4348052012/gond-art-forest-print-tribal-indian-folk

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Chris Brooking @chris108.mastodonapp.uk.ap.brid.gy · 21/06/2026

There are a lot of interesting cars in the Beggar's Rigg car park, Rothbury, today. I was just taking recycling to the bottle bank, but I had to stop and take a look. Seeing how clean the engine was, I think these are in show condition. I don't really know […] [Original post on mastodonapp.uk]

Big American sports car with the bonnet open, showing a large, clean engine.

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