iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Sïmon 〓〓 @euroscanner.net · 20/09/2026

Well, the data is starting to accumulate, but I don't know yet if this is good or bad. I used to listen for pings whilst working and I am sure I heard more than one or two an hour. #MeteorRadio #UKMON

A mere four days of meteor 'ping' data collection. Not showing a pattern or a great deal of activity as yet, but early days and the whole system is a complete lashup.

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Sïmon 〓〓 @euroscanner.net · 19/09/2026

Well, the Radio Meteor detector (records reflections from the ionised trains left by meteors burning up in the atmosphere) software I've installed seems to be working. A few more things to tweak, but it's getting there. #MeteorRadio

Output of a bash script that calls a python script that produces a graphical representation of the number of meteor pings detected by my receiving system in each hour of each day. The system has only been running for a few days and still needs a bit of work, and the script has almost certainly been superseded by other functions in the software that I have yet to explore or get to work, but this modified script works fine for the time being.

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Sïmon 〓〓 @euroscanner.net · 16/09/2026

I have an enclosure just down the drive from the house with three rescue pheasants in it. And now we also have 'Sherwood'. He's a lonely wild male who'd rather like to be in the cage too, except that my Dennis isn't keen on having a rival in the cage with him. They'll fight. Male pheasants do that.

Male pheasant outside my pheasant cage. He's been arguing with the pheasant in the cage, and the female pheasants in there rather like him. I'm calling him Sherwood, because he has a green head and neck with no white ring like a hood, and Robin Hood didn't quite work as a name.

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Sïmon 〓〓 @euroscanner.net · 16/09/2026

You asked for it. This is the photo I took so I knew what was on the tape. Done on an actual typewriter, no less.

A photograph of the inside sleeve of a tape cassette from 1985 listing the songs recorded on it by a primary school choir as a Christmas tape for parents, etc.

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Sïmon 〓〓 @euroscanner.net · 09/09/2026

And what's going on in these ones? 🙃

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Sïmon 〓〓 @euroscanner.net · 09/09/2026

When it was new, my van was converted to have two rows of seats in the back. One aftermarket seatbelt anchor had been rivnutted in front of a rear shock bolt stopping it from being replaced. After 200k miles the shocks were toast. So that fitting had to go. Rusty mess. Van body underneath is fine.

Aftermarket seat belt anchor that had been fitted right in front of a rear shock absorber bolt on a T5 Transporter. This rusty mess hid a nice clean piece of paintwork and underbody.

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Sïmon 〓〓 @euroscanner.net · 03/09/2026

Who on earth would be into that? Also, this has been on my fridge door for ever.

A sheep's wool and felt cutout attached to a fridge magnet as if it's bungee jumping.

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Sïmon 〓〓 @euroscanner.net · 02/09/2026

Three identical M1911 Airsoft magazines. Two are mine, and one I found in the woods today with my metal detector. Is it mine? I'm sure I have only ever had two magazines and never went up into the woods with the pistol. Although I did once a couple of years ago to break up a bad Corvid quarrel. 🙃😬👻

Three M1911 airsoft magazines.
Two I've always had with my pistol, one I found today in the woods above the house. They're identical, barring a bit of mud and rust.
Nobody goes into the woods, let alone for a bit of airsoft. I use my M1911 to move on birds and other animals that shouldn't be there. It's more effective than killing them, which is unkind as well as usually completely unnecessary.

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Sïmon 〓〓 @euroscanner.net · 30/08/2026

This morning they're continuing the search for that vessel with 5 on board missing just south of you. The search area is bigger than yesterday. I don't know what they're looking for, but I suspect an F fishing vessel as the report says French fishing vessels make up the bulk of the search fleet.

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Sïmon 〓〓 @euroscanner.net · 27/08/2026

Probably avoiding smoke pollution over France, yes.

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Sïmon 〓〓 @euroscanner.net · 27/08/2026

Must be mad. Anyway, at least they're now heading south. Similar flight path to the only Virgin Space launch from Cornwall, actually., so probably quite normal.

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Sïmon 〓〓 @euroscanner.net · 27/08/2026

Jet2 Flight from Bristol to Tenerife at the moment. Unsure why they went so far out to sea, and it could be normal behaviour. I thought maybe they were avoiding storms, but then they flew straight into one. 🙃 "There's a sick bag in the back of the seat in front of you..."

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Sïmon 〓〓 @euroscanner.net · 13/08/2026

Live, as it happens... :-D

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Sïmon 〓〓 @euroscanner.net · 13/08/2026

I've been playing with the recycling bin since using some to make a simple aurora viewer. This is my new plant pot watering system. Some pots spill water everywhere no matter how slowly I try to water them. These bottle bombs (info in the ALT text) fix that nicely.

Drill three small (about 2mm across) holes equally spaced around the very rim of the bottle. This allows water or air to come out of at least one hole no matter which way the bottle is tipped into the plant pot. It should gently drip away for about 20-30 minutes. You can see the water is coming out by watching the air bubbles going into the bottle.

This is how you would deploy the bottle. It's best to have it at an angle so the water can get out of one or two of the holes and air into another.

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Sïmon 〓〓 @euroscanner.net · 12/08/2026

It got dark enough here for the outside lights to switch on if you walked about. All the birds went to bed. And here's my photo using a yoghurt pot lid and a piece of paper from the recycling bins, with a hole made in the lid with a blackthorn thorn from the hedge.

The eclipse in Cornwall. No expense spared, using a yoghurt pot lid, a thorn from the hedge to make the hole and some paper from the recycling bin. On the paper is a clear crescent shape caused by the moon crossing the sun.

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Sïmon 〓〓 @euroscanner.net · 12/08/2026

My ring broke. Stop sniggering, this is the pedal sensor to my #SwytchBike kit. They didn't have any in stock, so Amazon cheapie to the rescue. It actually works out as a more robust install. Quality? Who knows.

Cracked and damaged plastic disc with small magnets embedded in it. It is used to detect pedal motion in an electric bicycle kit

Updated pedal sensor. A bit smaller, but with a repositioned pickup and some fettling, it seems to work well and doesn't flop about like the old one. On an off road bike, that's a good thing.

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Sïmon 〓〓 @euroscanner.net · 03/08/2026

You are my go-to expert on type! I always assumed that as the spacing is actually part of the movable type letter, or kept in the tray, they were part of the font. In the 1970s I got a retired dymo-labelled type tray, but not the type. It's still on the wall full of small bits and bobs. Very dusty!

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Sïmon 〓〓 @euroscanner.net · 29/07/2026

It's a bit late, but maybe, just maybe, we finally have a pair of Swallows looking at the nest in the garage. There's been a single one roosting on a wire next to the nest all season, I assume waiting for its partner to turn up.

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Sïmon 〓〓 @euroscanner.net · 21/07/2026

I'm still seeing Pips, Noctules and Long-eared bats on the bat detector. I know there's a good 24 or more of horseshoes roosting, and that's an all-time record for here. In this photo I can see 2-3 pups with their mum wrapping them up in her wings - maybe more. Quite encouraging!

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Sïmon 〓〓 @euroscanner.net · 18/07/2026

I was always terrified the spoon would get dropped, so that always stayed in the desk drawer, and I used a stainless one. Also, quite a narrow base on the mug. I used it for coffee, but it's not for coffee. I eventually went over to this mug, and that takes us back to @tarquinfauntleroy.bsky.social

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Sïmon 〓〓 @euroscanner.net · 18/07/2026

Hang on... I've seen that style before. This is my old office mug.

A German Heiße Schokolade mug with ceramic cream spoon.
This one came from the ITU in Switzerland (A UN Agency)

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Sïmon 〓〓 @euroscanner.net · 09/07/2026

Up close with a #housemartin although not in a nice way. This dead youngster was found under our apple tree this morning. I don't know what happened, but it's obviously a fledgling from our nests here. Most likely a flying accident rather than predation.

A dead fledgling House Martin. Cause unknown, but could simply have flown into a branch. We have seven nests here, all producing several broods and at least two broods for each nest so far, so about 21 new birds so far this year. Still, it's a shame to lose one so early in its life.

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Sïmon 〓〓 @euroscanner.net · 01/07/2026

I have no idea what you mean. 🙃

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Sïmon 〓〓 @euroscanner.net · 22/06/2026

But that's not one I've ever used. And certainly NOT TODAY, except maybe in a drink.

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Sïmon 〓〓 @euroscanner.net · 27/05/2026

I came here to say that. Lost in translation, probably. We all know who created those ads.

Russian translation of 'kettle' sowing that the advert talking about 'banning tea kettles' was probably a direct mistranslation of "they're going to ban kettles" by someone who's first language was Russian. :-D

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Sïmon 〓〓 @euroscanner.net · 25/05/2026

Relaxation time. This is one minute of my big pond. You can only see about 1/3 of it from this camera. There's nothing actually happening, but it's still very, very, noisy!!!

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Sïmon 〓〓 @euroscanner.net · 25/05/2026

It's hot. 44C down here out of the wind. The Tree Bumblebees (all very melanistic, with only the odd one wearing the usual light brown waistcoat) in the roof of the guest annex have the air-conditioning on full blast. They're using their most henchiest bees to do it, too. 🙃 #bees

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Sïmon 〓〓 @euroscanner.net · 24/05/2026

Well, the bar's filling up. 🤣

Inverted photo of a number of Lesser Horseshoe bats roosting.

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Sïmon 〓〓 @euroscanner.net · 24/05/2026

It's a nice warm day, and Auntie Phez is supervising the chicks as they have a dust bath and use the water bowl as a paddling pool. It's like any back garden right now. #birds

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Sïmon 〓〓 @euroscanner.net · 24/05/2026

It's so warm they're now down at head height in the garage. Actual colour footage with sound. Noisy lot! Watching them walk about on the roosting mat is more fun if you turn your phone upside down. #bats

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Sïmon 〓〓 @euroscanner.net · 23/05/2026

Well, once the roof warmed up and they came out of their huddle: 19 Lesser Horseshoe #bats warming up in the garage roof, although those were only the ones I could see with the camera (two more behind it). I expect I missed a few! This is a pan/tilt camera installed specifically to count bats.

Lesser Horseshoe Bats warming up on the sunny side of the inside of a garage roof. Seventeen in frame and a further two more visible when the camera is panned around. The camera doesn't cover all the roof, so there may be more in there. The maximum count from last year was 19 including four pups, which is quite encouraging if they've all come back!

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Sïmon 〓〓 @euroscanner.net · 20/05/2026

Yes, I know. I picked the wrong photo where the wire was in focus. Here's a better view from yesterday. As an aside, that cage was constructed out of scraps in about an hour directly on my workshop worksurface. Oh, only half the length is visible here. Camera: uk.store.tapo.com/products/sma...

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Sïmon 〓〓 @euroscanner.net · 20/05/2026

The Phez and the rescue chicks are enjoying a mealworm brunch. #wildlife

An adult female and two Pheasant chicks enjoying a scatter of mealworms as a mid morning snack. They're not related, but have come together in adversity as she needed company and they needed a mum having been rescued from a drain, so would have grown up with an adult pheasant to look after them.

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Sïmon 〓〓 @euroscanner.net · 19/05/2026

A Whitebell!! Quite rare among the bluebell population. They do actually seem to maintain whiteness, as our house has a lot of them planted around it - for luck, etc. It's sometimes a way of finding the location of demolished old houses - look for white bluebells.

A white bluebell. A natural mutation, about 1:10,000 will be white, and surprisingly, they tend to breed true and bloom earlier (except this one), so there must be some other reason why they haven't taken over.

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Sïmon 〓〓 @euroscanner.net · 18/05/2026

Some kind of bracket fungus growing on an Oak tree in the woods here. I have no idea what type, but I'm not planning on trying to eat it, so it makes little difference. Looks brighter than the photo shows.

Some kind of orange bracket fungus growing on a declining oak tree.

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Sïmon 〓〓 @euroscanner.net · 16/05/2026

Here we go again. Two rescue Pheasant chicks found sans-mum in a ditch, or drain, not sure exactly. They're getting used to their new enclosure, and have 'met' Phez, who sleeps in the next-door cage. They're cheeping and she's reacting, which is encouraging. More detail in the ALT text.

A ring necked pheasant chick (maybe a female) stands in a Pets at Home Number 2 Rabbit cage converted for pheasant use. Her companion (maybe a male) is hiding under a bright yellow plate brooder, which keeps them warm from above in a similar way to being sat on by mum.
The floor is covered in commercial carpet tiles, which give them a good high-friction surface to walk on (they must never be left to walk on a slippery bare plastic surface). The carpet tile can be pressure washed clean, is cheap and I have a stack of them. I was intending to put sand on top, but as I started placing the sharp sand in a pile at the far end of the cage the chicks started playing King of the Castle on it, so I left it as a pile. Last year's pheasant chick's night roost is next to this cage, and she's very interested in them. They can't meet yet as I need to know that everyone is going to remain healthy first.

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Sïmon 〓〓 @euroscanner.net · 12/05/2026

This is what I hate about #LinkedIn. I need to find out which of my 'network' is also following this fecker so I can block them. 🤬

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Sïmon 〓〓 @euroscanner.net · 12/05/2026

Bad sleep last night here as well. Not for the same reasons, unless Bulbo crows all night... 🙃

BirdNet report of bird song since midnight, showing number of detections. By far the greatest noise was from Tawny Owls, emitting a massive 867 calls overnight. The next greatest is the Jackdaws (noisy) at 59 calls.

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Sïmon 〓〓 @euroscanner.net · 10/05/2026

15 Lesser Horseshoe #bats in the garage today. Early days, but so long as the weather stays acceptable, let's hope we get plenty of pups this year. #myPoorMower

A rather grainy pet surveillance camera screenshot of about 15 Lesser Horseshoe bats huddling together to keep warm. As the day progressed, it got warmer in there and they spread out, so I could count 15 of them. That is close to the maximum 19 I counted in August last year. Normally, at this point there's about nine up there.

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Sïmon 〓〓 @euroscanner.net · 08/05/2026

The Phez is broody. Egg on the way. Is NOT keen on going out to the run. Wants to stay in her roost on my workshop worksurface. Fun fact: Pheasants do the same slow blinky eyes thing that cats do, and it seems to mean the same thing.

Female ring-necked pheasant sitting in a deep pile of dried grass in an overnight 'roost' on a workshop worksurface, and not particularly happy to be photographed, because she's in the process of laying an egg.

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Sïmon 〓〓 @euroscanner.net · 03/05/2026

I spent part of the afternoon sitting under one of my oaks watching three young squirrels practice their tree craft, and eating buds,.by the look of it!

Sitting in a zero gravity chair under a spreading fern draped oak tree watching squirrel antics and keeping an eye on the pond.

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Sïmon 〓〓 @euroscanner.net · 03/05/2026

Of 9 House Martin nests all in use plus two feeble attempts to make new mud ones. Phez is enjoying the greenhouse as usual, no Canada Goose hatchings yet. Not seen ducklings for a while and Swallows not nesting yet, but swing by now and then to check the nest.

A female pheasant in a greenhouse enjoying not being rained on.

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Sïmon 〓〓 @euroscanner.net · 30/04/2026

Hmm. Old Mapping shows a building close to where I'm finding the pottery. It's long gone: early C19 census does mention a woodcutter living in a cottage that we've not identified, so I think we may have accidentally found it, or the rubbish tip (downhill of the likely platform - very convenient).

Early 18th Century map showing two cottages/buildings centre-right and a manor house and buildings centre left. The uppermost of the two cottages centre-right is my house, and the other cottage/building no-longer exists, but would be in the area where I'm digging.

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Sïmon 〓〓 @euroscanner.net · 29/04/2026

My Pheasant's New terraced Hoop Coop is beginning to look like Trench 1.

Sievings. Normally, I hate sieving, but when everyone looks like slate....

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