Roll up, Ladies and Gentlecreatures, the Bluestocking has been redecorated

[DeanElderberry]

Here for your delight and delectation is the hostelry by, for, and about wise, intelligent, creative and kind women, their assorted avatars including (but not limited to) a remarkable beetle, an astute android, a wise cake, and an assembly of companion creatures and animal assistants.

Food and drink available in abundance, all with remarkable non-damaging qualities.

Males may congregate in the nearby Staunch Ally and sometimes visit the stableyard to view outdoor performances by the gerbil waitstaff (who need to be distracted after the moment after that terrible 'misunderstanding' about the meaning of safe sex).

last thread here if you need to know why the Quokkas need some extra cuddles, and why the Cabybaras are being particularly efficient just now

www.mumsnet.com/talk/womens_rights/5273255-the-bluestocking-all-gerbils-welcome-must-have-own-frou-frou-skirt?

There are squillions of puffins on the Faroe Islands, which are entirely free of rabbits. The only lagomorphs they have are mountain hares, and hares don't burrow. So the puffins have no option but to study madly for architecture degrees and do their own blueprints.

Sadly, we have no puffins around here. Perhaps, if our over-abundant seagulls and wood pigeons got together, they could produce something vaguely puffin-esque.

Rabbit burrows? Second hand, pre-loved housing? I think not. I shall do my own Puffin Towers, all fresh and lovely. Rabbits are OK, but their architectural skills leave much to be desired.

Quite right. Iirc I think it's Puffinus puffinus which are more inclined to use rabbit burrows, they're probably a bit knackered after their migration tbf.

If you become Queen of the World, @MyrtleLion, please may I be a Lady in Waiting? I can read out loud whilst the rest of your ladies are embroidering or sewing shirts for the poor, but my lute playing is abysmally bad.

Re. your throne - comfort is key, I think - maybe a nice footstool, or one of those modern, new-fangled electric recliner thrones would be good.

I'm sending good thoughts to all the Bluestockings who are having difficulties at the moment - I don't always comment, but I do always think of you all.

Congrats and good luck Myrtle. You'd make an excellent Queen of the World.

I visited Skomer once years ago, there were pairs of Manx shearwater wings everywhere. The warden said the greater black backed gulls just rip them off and swallow the rest of the poor birds. There are videos on YouTube of them swallowing rabbits whole!

I've not got a book nook yet, still thinking about it, but I found a model by a firm called Rowood that assembles into a sprig of lilac. I'd completely forgotten I'd bought it.

Congratulations @MyrtleLion . If your questionnaire includes your wishes for a sword, I think you should specify “functional rather than decorative “, though of course your teeth and claws are also a defence.

Cake, black-backed gulls are ferocious. They have a warning call of 'gukgukguk-gukgukguk' which sounds like a machine-gun limbering up for action, and are quite willing to swoop low and attempt to shit on any dog which they deem to be too close to their nest (60 feet horizontally and 20 feet vertically).

Didn't we have couple of gulls in the Bluestocking at one point? Are they still around, or did they get arrested for common assault, petty theft and larceny?

We had Steven and Kevin the gulls, and their assorted offspring. Allegedly one had an altercation with a bin lorry, but I think that was an excuse to abandon the eggs.

They may have got left behind in one of the moves.

A while ago I hear an incredible amount of 'gukgukguk-gukgukguk'ing going on outside and went out to find about ten gulls very dramatically swirling and swooping around the house next door.
Eventually I spotted the reason: a heron had perched on next-door's roof, and the gulls were not happy.
But you know what heron's are like, they just hunker down, and even the closest of swooping dives from the gulls didn't scare it, it totally ignored the attack.

It must have been sooooo irritating for the gulls
They eventually gave up.

My even-more spectacular bird story: I once saw a swan beating a gull to death with its wings.

Good point! Though I'll keep my claws sheathed.

It's been a terrific day so far.

Recruiter called about permanent role interview on Thursday and said I was a strong candidate! And witty and I had a sense of fun and enthusiasm. Not that I'm some clown, my SIL assures me I am not funny but she is married to my brother who is the funny one.

Filled in questionnaire for Queen of the World which helped me feel confident (along with all your support).

Then I had a call about another interim role. I've seen the permanent role advertised but excluded it because it's in a sector I know nothing about aside from being an occasional user (similar to FMCG Fast Moving Consumer Goods, except I hate shopping unless necessary). They need someone fast so the recruiter asked me to apply because I have senior experience. It's always worth a punt if they come looking for you. Though this recruiter may be making up the numbers again.

Booknook awaits. Yes, I ordered another one which will arrive by Monday. Just in case I run out...

Oh the violence in the bird world ... although I hear that moose can be fierce and fighty when the need arises ... <sigh>

Not puffins. We are zen birds.

Magpies, on the other hand, are both fierce and fearless!

Having watched 2 magpies kill and eat a rat, I would have to agree with you.

Myrtle you are on fire! <glances nervously towards Pedantry Corner>
Looking forward to hearing soon that the actual champagne is being uncorked Chez Madame Lionne et Monsieur Morse .

Yes, 'morse' is French for 'walrus'.. puzzlingly
<glances expectantly towards Pedantry Corner for an explanation, but they are too busy putting all the fire extinguishers back..>

Magpie, are you free this evening to come around and er.. 'deal with' the mouse in my kitchen? Bring your friend if you want to, but it's only a mouse, and you don't want to have to share it, do you?😄

There will be prosecco on Thursday evening to celebrate the interview. A final interview will be required so another bottle for getting that and another for the interview. Then the champagne.

But we take it one step at a time. Play the immediate scenario. Don't think beyond that. Complacency will lead to failure.

I did not know that about the French word for walrus. That's lovely xx

We used to have a joke about 'extinguishing' rather than merely 'putting out' the cat at night so I guess that should work for our large feline friend.

As to M. Morse, apparently old English had this too, deriving from the Lapp or Finnish - not a common source of vocabulary in the rest of Europe but makes sense for arctic creatures!

www.etymonline.com/word/walrus

I have respect for herons.
They always look so sneeringly pissed off if they are disturbed.

I was gardening once when a sparrowhawk lifted a blackbird from the lawn behind me: I heard all the little birds kicking off, and looked around just in time.

Corvids clearly get considerable pleasure from winding up bigger birds like buzzards. They hop in going 'Nyah-nyah-na-nyah-nyah!' and hop out of the way just as the buzzard swings round threatening to kill them.

'Extinguishing the cat' is the kind of joke we'd have made, had we only thought of it.

Thank you Errol for proving that somebody on here knows everything😄
I had found the 'walrus' etymology but not the Finnish/Lapp origin of 'morse'.
Kiitos, which Google translate tells me is Finnish for thank you. Or Giitu in Sami.

Now why did the French adopt that word rather than the 'walrus'-y words?
Rhetorical question, I'm quite happy to let it sit unanswered in the waiting room of my mind

It will be my pleasure, Marie. For those of a sensitive disposition, this is just me and mousey having a little fun before we go outside and I explain to him the error of his ways, whereupon he voluntarily agrees to walk two miles away and never return to bother you again.

Kindly ignore any crunching and slurping noises, that's merely vocal exercises.

I wonder if they streamed Inspector Morse in France, and if so if it caused some sniggering among the French viewers.

I think @MyrtleLion should specify a vorpal blade. I've always thought it has a nice ring to it.

I knew I could rely on you, Magpie! and what a lovely #bekind way to deal with my little visitor😄

That's very like my kitchen, spookily - the fridge and the things attached to it are almost identical!. Less fruit, no flowers, no coffee machine, but apart from that... the flooring is different but - again spookily - I'm going to get new flooring very like what's in that picture😦

@MarieDeGournay clearly Gemini has excellent taste in home decor!

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