iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Sheila Pankhurst @profpankhurst.bsky.social · 10/04/2026

Following on from my previous post, this is a recent addition to the species list for our bird feeders …

The photograph is taken through a window, so you can see the window frame. Outside the window is a wooden stand with a number of hanging bird feeders, and perched on top of the stand is a magnificent sparrowhawk, feathers slightly ruffled in the wind. Unsurprisingly there are no small birds on the feeders.

Sheila Pankhurst @profpankhurst.bsky.social · 28/01/2025

I haven’t posted for a while as I’ve been away travelling in coastal BC in Canada. Searching for venerable trees in the old growth forests, I came across this story about the Douglas Fir, and how the tree rescued some mice from a forest fire naturekidsbc.ca/douglas-fir-... #tree #forest

A single reddish brown pine cone on a textured mat. The cone scales are slightly open, and above each woody scale is a three pointed ‘mouse tail’ - part of the cone that looks like the hind feet and long tail of a tiny mouse hiding inside the cone.

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Sheila Pankhurst @profpankhurst.bsky.social · 11/12/2024

Just finished reading this and can highly recommend. Beautifully written with an economy of words that feels exactly right for the landscape and story. We went to hear James Rebanks talk about the book, with his wife Helen (also a wonderful writer). Loved that he called the young birds duck chicks.

Photograph of the latest book by James Rebanks, A Place of Tides. The cover design by artist Jim Stoddart is simple and rather lovely, in just three colours; off white and light blue, with the author’s name and the book’s title in darker blue. The abstract pattern could be clouds against the sky, or water swirling around rocks and skerries.

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Sheila Pankhurst @profpankhurst.bsky.social · 30/11/2024

This magnificent and atmospheric painting of Birkness Combe by Bill Peascod (a renowned climber as well as a painter) was sold at auction in Cumbria this week, to raise funds for The Mountain Heritage Trust. Outside my price range, sadly. #Cumbria www.mountain-heritage.org/blog/julian-...

Painting of a majestic mountain landscape, largely in sepia tones. Grey sky over a rocky crag falling away into a steep valley below. There is just a glint of sunlight over the edge of the ridge.

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Sheila Pankhurst @profpankhurst.bsky.social · 23/11/2024

This is an old T-shirt belonging to my husband and feels pretty definitive about the correct plural in a mathematical context.

Close up photo of a dark grey T-shirt with yellow lettering on the front. At the top, there is an extended ‘Pi’ - the Greek symbol for Pi but with eight (!) ‘legs’ instead of two. Below this is the word OCTOPI.

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Sheila Pankhurst @profpankhurst.bsky.social · 13/11/2024

Our corner of Cumbria was looking particularly beautiful today. Walking is much more enjoyable after the bracken has died down a bit.

View across rough grass and bracken to a stone wall, with trees below the wall fringing a large grey-blue lake. Autumn sunlight is just catching some of the crags on the far shore.

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Sheila Pankhurst @profpankhurst.bsky.social · 31/10/2024

As it’s Halloween, here are a couple of splendid pumpkins from Yayoi Kusama.

Two large yellow and black pumpkin sculptures, each on a glossy black square plinth, in an art gallery. A queue of people at the back of the photograph, mostly (sadly) looking at their phones and not at the splendid pumpkins. Thanks to Wiki Commons for the image.

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Sheila Pankhurst @profpankhurst.bsky.social · 22/10/2024

Conservation job opportunity in my neck of the woods. It is very special to see the work being done by the Eden Rivers Trust and a dedicated band of volunteers to re establish water voles in our local waterways. www.edenriverstrust.org.uk/conservation...

A splendid close up of a captive bred water vole, just prior to release. The vole is looking into the camera, hanging on to a release tube, with a volunteer firmly holding its tail. Blunt nose, black eyes, small ears and generally rather wonderful.

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Sheila Pankhurst @profpankhurst.bsky.social · 20/10/2024

If you are driving up or down the A1 over the next few days, the two mile long avenue of lime trees at Clumber Park (National Trust) near Worksop is at its magnificent golden leaved autumn best. Well worth the short detour. Even some sunshine today too, in between the rain squalls.

A long avenue of tall mature lime trees with the leaves a beautiful golden yellow, autumn sunshine filtering through the trees, and a carpet of fallen leaves on the ground.

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Sheila Pankhurst @profpankhurst.bsky.social · 07/10/2024

Something I have always wanted to do. Made my first thrown clay pot on a wheel, and it is every bit as satisfying as I imagined it would be.

Potter’s wheel with a white splash guard, small round grey turned bowl in the centre of the wheel. Jug of water, balls of grey clay, my clay covered hands and checked apron.

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Sheila Pankhurst @profpankhurst.bsky.social · 13/09/2024

Spotted today in London. I think all diversion signs should have a cat.

Diversion road sign, black lettering on a yellow background, with the graffiti addition of a black cat’s face peeping in from the side of the sign.

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Sheila Pankhurst @profpankhurst.bsky.social · 01/09/2024

I missed this - last week, Sir David Attenborough was awarded the Rothschild medal by the UK’s Wildlife Trusts, in recognition for his support, over more than 60 years, for the Trusts’ conservation work. The splendid celebration cake, complete with sugar icing badger, deserves a special mention 🧪

Sir David Attenborough standing behind a splendid
wildlife celebration cake, complete with sugar icing badger, plants and butterflies

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Sheila Pankhurst @profpankhurst.bsky.social · 22/08/2024

A hat tip to the amazing mountain rescue teams here in Cumbria. The Wasdale team was out in these conditions in the small hours of this morning (and yes, the weather can be this bad in August in the Lake District). Walking party in trouble thankfully all found and now safe. www.wmrt.org.uk

Mountain rescue team member in a red waterproof jacket (I really hope it was waterproof), in torrential rain, at night, crossing a stream in spate.

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Sheila Pankhurst @profpankhurst.bsky.social · 19/08/2024

Rediscovered a beautiful flower today that I haven’t seen for a long time, in a boggy area of the Lakeland fells. Marsh grass of Parnassus - what a name. Allegedly the cattle on Mount Parnassus in Greece rather liked eating it. And it’s the county flower of Cumberland (the old county name).

Close up of a five petalled white flower with beautiful intricate veined markings on the petals.

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Sheila Pankhurst @profpankhurst.bsky.social · 08/05/2024

Happy 98th birthday to Sir David Attenborough, patron and passionate supporter of so many wild conservation organisations. The lovely photo here is from Butterfly Conservation UK; Sir David is their president. 🧪

A smiling Sir David Attenborough with a tropical butterfly alighted on his hand.

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