Bundle of Holding: Dyson's Delves (from 2024)
May. 25th, 2026 02:09 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
james_davis_nicoll
Hundreds of beautiful hand-drawn labyrinths from ZERObarrier
Bundle of Holding: Dyson's Delves (from 2024)
james_davis_nicollHundreds of beautiful hand-drawn labyrinths from ZERObarrier
Bundle of Holding: Dyson's Delves (from 2024)
Suddenly it's very hot
May. 25th, 2026 05:36 pmheleninwalesWe aren't quite in heatwave temperatures here, unlike other parts of the UK, but it's hotter than I like it. The Met Office app said it was 30C/86F here this afternoon. There's no breeze either, which makes if feel hotter.
I spent some time revising Book 1 in the morning, then after lunch I went out and emptied the garden wheelie bin. I want to mow the front grass tomorrow but the wheelie bin hadn't been emptied from last time so I dealt with that today. Meanwhile, here's where we went for a walk on Saturday.
We normally avoid driving anywhere on Bank Holiday weekends, but the main road to the Coed y Brenin was fine. There's plenty of parking by the mountain bike centre and the forest is huge and can absorb a lot of people, so we had a pleasant walk and only saw a dozen or so cyclists and a handful of walkers.
G decided to add an extra bit onto one of the walks we do regularly. The basic walk is 3½ miles, the extension made it 4½.
The forecast was for bright sunshine all day. In fact in our part of Wales it started out grey and overcast. But glimpses of sunshine could be seen occasionally.
( More here... )
More mossiness.
This route also took us past some wood ant nests. As it was quite hot by now, they were very active, swarming all over their anthill and rushing about, bringing more pine needle to add to it.
We'll definitely do this version of the walk again. It's nice to have different variations so we can pick one of the right length, a shorter one if we have things to do later in the day and a longer one if we have more time.
I spent some time revising Book 1 in the morning, then after lunch I went out and emptied the garden wheelie bin. I want to mow the front grass tomorrow but the wheelie bin hadn't been emptied from last time so I dealt with that today. Meanwhile, here's where we went for a walk on Saturday.
We normally avoid driving anywhere on Bank Holiday weekends, but the main road to the Coed y Brenin was fine. There's plenty of parking by the mountain bike centre and the forest is huge and can absorb a lot of people, so we had a pleasant walk and only saw a dozen or so cyclists and a handful of walkers.
G decided to add an extra bit onto one of the walks we do regularly. The basic walk is 3½ miles, the extension made it 4½.
The forecast was for bright sunshine all day. In fact in our part of Wales it started out grey and overcast. But glimpses of sunshine could be seen occasionally.
( More here... )
More mossiness.
This route also took us past some wood ant nests. As it was quite hot by now, they were very active, swarming all over their anthill and rushing about, bringing more pine needle to add to it.
We'll definitely do this version of the walk again. It's nice to have different variations so we can pick one of the right length, a shorter one if we have things to do later in the day and a longer one if we have more time.
30 Days of Blake's 7 - Day 25
May. 25th, 2026 02:59 pmjulesjonesDay 25: Moment or episode when you knew you were caught
It's nearly fifty years, so I don't actually know which one it was, other than it was the first episode I saw. Brother and sister came running to find me to tell me there was a new science fiction show on, and I ran to the tv. They knew me well... I'd probably missed the first five or ten minutes, but by the end of the episode I was hooked, and watched every single episode after that. I'm not sure if it was The Way Back or a later episode - my first clear memory that I'm certain is from that first run is from Bounty, with Cally in the leopard skin coat giving a telepathic warning to Blake, and then jumping from the tower onto a guard. I'm fairly sure that I'd already seen several episodes, and I think my earliest memory of the "Automatic reaction. I'm as surprised as you are" scene from The Web is also from watching the first run.
"Automatic reaction" may have been one of the scenes thatwatervole recommended I look at with the sound off when trying to convince me to buy a slash zine. My reaction to it in my early thirties is not what my reaction to it would have been in my early teens. :-) I was a late developer when it came to slash...
It's nearly fifty years, so I don't actually know which one it was, other than it was the first episode I saw. Brother and sister came running to find me to tell me there was a new science fiction show on, and I ran to the tv. They knew me well... I'd probably missed the first five or ten minutes, but by the end of the episode I was hooked, and watched every single episode after that. I'm not sure if it was The Way Back or a later episode - my first clear memory that I'm certain is from that first run is from Bounty, with Cally in the leopard skin coat giving a telepathic warning to Blake, and then jumping from the tower onto a guard. I'm fairly sure that I'd already seen several episodes, and I think my earliest memory of the "Automatic reaction. I'm as surprised as you are" scene from The Web is also from watching the first run.
"Automatic reaction" may have been one of the scenes that
watervole recommended I look at with the sound off when trying to convince me to buy a slash zine. My reaction to it in my early thirties is not what my reaction to it would have been in my early teens. :-) I was a late developer when it came to slash...
30 Days of Blake's 7 - Day 24
May. 24th, 2026 05:03 pmjulesjonesDay 24: Funniest moment or character
(Again taking the alternative proposed by
vilakins .)Vila, without a doubt. Often when bouncing off the others, especially bantering/bickering with Avon, but does not need them as audience or straight man. One of my many favourite moments is when he strolls up to the guards in Seek-Locate-Destroy and gives them a speech to distract them: "Hello there. How are you? Excuse me wandering about your premises but I wonder if you can help me. I'm an escaped prisoner. I was a thief but recently I've become interested in sabotage, in a small way you understand, nothing too ambitious, I hate vulgarity, don't you? Anyway, I've come to blow something up. What do you think will be most suitable?"
Avon's regularly very funny, and it's not even always when he's sharpening his wit at someone else's expense.
Blake certainly has his moments, often when he's deflating Avon's ego/malice/sarcasm: "Now you're just being modest."
Situation not Normal . . .
May. 24th, 2026 06:06 amsartoriasSome of you might have heard about the chemical tank that is about to explode or leak gallons of toxic goo. Well, the cut-off is about four blocks from us. Some neighbors have bailed, but most of us are indoors, windows shut. We have filters going and masks at hand in case the thing blows--the air is fine otherwise, so I open up the house and stand in the doorway to air things out every so often. Being closed in, no walks, means I'm getting a lot of stuff done.
I lost my sweet little dog a few days ago. I am missing her every time I turn around and she is not a shadow at my heels, or pressing her warm little body against my side or nudging me for scratches or to fill her puzzles so she can work them.
Getting ready to travel east in a few days, trying to wrangle hotel res being one of my chores.
Much reading and writing.
Closing comments--send any good wishes by mental telepathy!
I lost my sweet little dog a few days ago. I am missing her every time I turn around and she is not a shadow at my heels, or pressing her warm little body against my side or nudging me for scratches or to fill her puzzles so she can work them.
Getting ready to travel east in a few days, trying to wrangle hotel res being one of my chores.
Much reading and writing.
Closing comments--send any good wishes by mental telepathy!
Spring 1980 Destinies (Destinies, volume 7) edited by Jim Baen
May. 24th, 2026 09:05 amjames_davis_nicoll
Another foray into a long cancelled, fondly remembered magazine of my teen years.
Spring 1980 Destinies (Destinies, volume 7) edited by Jim Baen
Books Received, May 16 — 22
May. 23rd, 2026 08:48 amjames_davis_nicoll
A dozen books new to me: eight fantasy, three science fiction, one historical, at least four of which are series.
Books Received, May 16 — 22
Poll #34638 Books Received, May 16 — 22
Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 45
Which of these look interesting?
View Answers
A Dance of Burning Blades by M. H. Ayinde (April 2026)
9 (20.0%)
Crimson in Quietus by Eugen Bacon (September 2026)
10 (22.2%)
To Ride a Rising Storm by Moniquill Blackgoose (January 2026)
21 (46.7%)
Blade of Two Faces by Blake Blessing (November 2026)
4 (8.9%)
The Silver Hand by Shawn Carpenter (August 2026)
7 (15.6%)
Like the Moon We Rise by Annabelle Cormack (January 2027)
3 (6.7%)
Little Necromancers by Emma Devlin (March 2027)
10 (22.2%)
Eyes of Kings by Chloe Gong (August 2026)
1 (2.2%)
What Haunts the Ice by S. Hati (January 2027)
6 (13.3%)
The Curve of the World by Vonda N. McIntyre (March 2026)
31 (68.9%)
The Unfolding: Mairee by S. Nyland (April 2026)
4 (8.9%)
Project V by Park Seolyeon (April 2026)
8 (17.8%)
Some other option (see comments)
1 (2.2%)
Cats!
28 (62.2%)
30 Days of Blake's 7 - Day 23
May. 23rd, 2026 11:29 amjulesjones Day 23: Favourite cliffhanger
Depending on how you define cliffhanger, every series ended in one. Terminal was supposed to be the final episode, but it can be seen as a cliffhanger, and certainly became one when it was announced over the closing credits that Blake's 7 would be back next year, apparently to the great surprise of all involved. Blake was written to allow the series to go out with a bang if it wasn't renewed, or to be a cliffhanger allowing them to bring back any actor who wanted to if the series was renewed. It's somewhat ironic that having specified that his character was to have an ending that meant he absolutely couldn't come back, Gareth Thomas later said that if he'd been allowed to play that version of Blake, the battered grim version he is by then, he'd have considered doing more episodes.
Of them all, my favourite is Star One. It works as a cliffhanger; it would have worked as a final episode. And it would not mean anything without the episodes before it building up a picture of this universe and the people in it, and why it matters so much that Blake abandons his political fight and Servalan acts immediately on a call for help from her enemy.
Depending on how you define cliffhanger, every series ended in one. Terminal was supposed to be the final episode, but it can be seen as a cliffhanger, and certainly became one when it was announced over the closing credits that Blake's 7 would be back next year, apparently to the great surprise of all involved. Blake was written to allow the series to go out with a bang if it wasn't renewed, or to be a cliffhanger allowing them to bring back any actor who wanted to if the series was renewed. It's somewhat ironic that having specified that his character was to have an ending that meant he absolutely couldn't come back, Gareth Thomas later said that if he'd been allowed to play that version of Blake, the battered grim version he is by then, he'd have considered doing more episodes.
Of them all, my favourite is Star One. It works as a cliffhanger; it would have worked as a final episode. And it would not mean anything without the episodes before it building up a picture of this universe and the people in it, and why it matters so much that Blake abandons his political fight and Servalan acts immediately on a call for help from her enemy.
30 Days of Blake's 7 - Day 22
May. 22nd, 2026 09:17 pmjulesjonesDay 22: Best and worst fusion with another genre
I've never listened to most of the official audio plays, so going with the alternative question fromvilakins .
Best:
I love Avon playing Miss Marple in Mission to Destiny. I'm also fairly fond of Tanith Lee's fantasy take on Blake's 7 with Sarcophagus, although a) I like Tanith Lee's writing anyway, b) I wouldn't want too much of it in B7.
And I was obsessed with Robin Hood some years before Blake's 7 appeared on our screens.
Worst:
Seriously, Darrow, we know you like Westerns, but a Liberator handgun is not a six-shooter.
I've never listened to most of the official audio plays, so going with the alternative question from
vilakins .Best:
I love Avon playing Miss Marple in Mission to Destiny. I'm also fairly fond of Tanith Lee's fantasy take on Blake's 7 with Sarcophagus, although a) I like Tanith Lee's writing anyway, b) I wouldn't want too much of it in B7.
And I was obsessed with Robin Hood some years before Blake's 7 appeared on our screens.
Worst:
Seriously, Darrow, we know you like Westerns, but a Liberator handgun is not a six-shooter.
Today's stupid idea
May. 22nd, 2026 10:25 amjames_davis_nicollA Gun For Godzilla, which is along the lines of de Camp's A Gun for Dinosaur or Drake's Time Safari, except the excessively optimistic rich people are hunting Kaiju.
The hunters have .600 Nitro Express rifles while their prey can melt steel with their body heat.
The hunters have .600 Nitro Express rifles while their prey can melt steel with their body heat.
The Republic of Memory (The Song of the Safina, volume 1) by Mahmud El Sayed
May. 22nd, 2026 09:01 amjames_davis_nicoll
Two centuries of neglect and political oppression come to a head in a generation ship half way to its destination.
The Republic of Memory (The Song of the Safina, volume 1) by El Mahmud Sayed
30 Days of Blake's 7 - Day 21
May. 21st, 2026 10:23 pmjulesjones Day 21: Favourite fanon/headcanon
Canon is canon. Anything else is AU. While I understand the concepts of fanon and headcanon (those are two different things, at least to me) it's not really something I do with regard to B7, beyond "yes, Avon did like the rest of them, even if he didn't like it". (Word Of God was that Avon's behaviour was deliberately written to be ambiguous - there was almost always potentially both a decent reason and a selfish reason for him doing something to/for other people.)
Canon is canon. Anything else is AU. While I understand the concepts of fanon and headcanon (those are two different things, at least to me) it's not really something I do with regard to B7, beyond "yes, Avon did like the rest of them, even if he didn't like it". (Word Of God was that Avon's behaviour was deliberately written to be ambiguous - there was almost always potentially both a decent reason and a selfish reason for him doing something to/for other people.)
RIP Michael Keating 1947-2026
May. 21st, 2026 10:09 pmjulesjones Sad news today with the death of Michael Keating, known and loved by Blake's 7 fans as Vila. As kalypso notes, we have been watching the Blu-ray box sets saying "I hope they get a new interview with Michael Keating". With any luck they did.
We'd got to the end of series B last week and were contemplating rewatching Gambit to do a bit of research for a possible story. It will be no hardship to watch it again just to say farewell to the actor - it was a superb and very funny performance.
kalypso notes, we have been watching the Blu-ray box sets saying "I hope they get a new interview with Michael Keating". With any luck they did.We'd got to the end of series B last week and were contemplating rewatching Gambit to do a bit of research for a possible story. It will be no hardship to watch it again just to say farewell to the actor - it was a superb and very funny performance.
Tomatoes
May. 21st, 2026 04:31 pmheleninwales20/52 for the group 2026 Weekly Alphabet Challenge
This week's theme was: T is for Tomato
Another straightforward theme this week. I needed more tomatoes, so once I got these home, I quickly photographed them before putting them away in the fridge.
In other news, the hay fever is troublesome at the moment. There are obviously yet more trees flowering out in the woods beyond the bottom of our back garden.
This week's theme was: T is for Tomato
Another straightforward theme this week. I needed more tomatoes, so once I got these home, I quickly photographed them before putting them away in the fridge.
In other news, the hay fever is troublesome at the moment. There are obviously yet more trees flowering out in the woods beyond the bottom of our back garden.
Hyperion (Hyperion Cantos, volume 1) by Dan Simmons
May. 21st, 2026 09:05 amjames_davis_nicoll
Pilgrims on their way to a mysterious artifact fill the time by recounting their personal backstories.
Hyperion (Hyperion Cantos, volume 1) by Dan Simmons
Broken Arms are Boring
May. 20th, 2026 04:48 pmhrjI'm getting a little computer work done, but mostly I'm sitting in the recliner with my cast elevated and ice-packed, binging Britbox mysteries and playing one-handed computer games.
That's in between laboriously doing one-handed household things. I've developed procedures for opening catfood cans and cleaning litter boxes. I'm exploring cooking techniques and have done some strategic shopping for easier approaches. (Prepared salad greens. K-cups for coffee. But I also happen to have a significant inventory of prepared meals in the freezer.)
After considering simply putting the podcast on hiatus for the duration, I've decided to do re-runs. (Minimal typing required.) Based on healing time estimates, I should be back in action by the podcast's 10th anniversary show (which will be an interview, so no extensive typing required). The most annoying part of working at my desk is that the strap of the sling tends to cause my shoulder to spasm. I need to work up some way to support the cast without the sling when sitting there.
Very few things that require driving in the next two months. I can manage driving but I'd prefer to minimize it. We'll see how I'm feeling when Baycon gets closer. I'd been planning to commute (gas is still cheaper than the hotel), but now I'm not sure.
But no bicycling, no gym, no tai chi, and no reason to do my coffee shop work sessions. No serious yard work, no crafts requiring two hands. (My knitted socks had just gotten to the bind-off stage and are now stuck there.) I need to see if I can do my article write-ups for the blog by dictation. I could definitely get a lot of reading done once my brain feels up to it.
That's in between laboriously doing one-handed household things. I've developed procedures for opening catfood cans and cleaning litter boxes. I'm exploring cooking techniques and have done some strategic shopping for easier approaches. (Prepared salad greens. K-cups for coffee. But I also happen to have a significant inventory of prepared meals in the freezer.)
After considering simply putting the podcast on hiatus for the duration, I've decided to do re-runs. (Minimal typing required.) Based on healing time estimates, I should be back in action by the podcast's 10th anniversary show (which will be an interview, so no extensive typing required). The most annoying part of working at my desk is that the strap of the sling tends to cause my shoulder to spasm. I need to work up some way to support the cast without the sling when sitting there.
Very few things that require driving in the next two months. I can manage driving but I'd prefer to minimize it. We'll see how I'm feeling when Baycon gets closer. I'd been planning to commute (gas is still cheaper than the hotel), but now I'm not sure.
But no bicycling, no gym, no tai chi, and no reason to do my coffee shop work sessions. No serious yard work, no crafts requiring two hands. (My knitted socks had just gotten to the bind-off stage and are now stuck there.) I need to see if I can do my article write-ups for the blog by dictation. I could definitely get a lot of reading done once my brain feels up to it.
30 Days of Blake's 7 - Days 19 and 20
May. 20th, 2026 11:46 pmjulesjonesDay 19: Worst outfits
Day 20: Favourite outfitsGoing with the alternative question from
vilakins for 19, and doing 20 at the same time.( Read more... )
Bundle of Holding: GM's Apprentice Decks (from 2023)
May. 20th, 2026 02:04 pmjames_davis_nicoll
Hundreds of digital cards for fantasy, sf, horror, and steampunk stories
Bundle of Holding: GM's Apprentice Decks (from 2023)
Exciting Adventures in Strawberry Picking
May. 18th, 2026 07:20 pmhrjI've been posting about this on most of my social media, so probably a lot of you know about it already.
So there I was yesterday, after finishing the late afternoon chores, out picking strawberries in the back yard. (I get a good bowlful every week currently, plus another bowlful of blueberries.) And I stepped wrong, tripped over my own feet, and fell on the concrete walkway, catching myself with my left hand and spilling the berries all over.
Well, you may be guessing where this is heading. I looked down at my arm, thought, "That's not what a wrist is supposed to look like," and my vision started going gray. I pulled out my phone, called Denise, and said, "I just fell and broke my arm." Before I got another word out, she said she was on her way. I carefully got myself up, grabbed my purse, let myself out through the garage (so I could use the phone app for the garage door and not bother with keys), and leaned against the fence, contemplating whether it would be a good idea to sit down, but not sure I could do so safely.
Anyway, got down to Kaiser ER and got taken care of. As expected, I didn't get released until midnight, at which point the friend-transport network had changed shifts, with a third party on standby. (The ER staff were a bit surprised that I had friends stepping up like that--evidently it's not typical?)
Today I'm having "fun" figuring out how to do things one-handed. (Opening pull-top cat food cans has been the hardest so far. Typing one-handed is tedious but not difficult.)
They expect to pull me in again in the next day or so for surgery to stabilize the bones since the break (radius and ulna both) is so close to the wrist.
During the traction to set the bones the doctor told me I was very brave, but honestly it was mostly the Fentanyl.
So there I was yesterday, after finishing the late afternoon chores, out picking strawberries in the back yard. (I get a good bowlful every week currently, plus another bowlful of blueberries.) And I stepped wrong, tripped over my own feet, and fell on the concrete walkway, catching myself with my left hand and spilling the berries all over.
Well, you may be guessing where this is heading. I looked down at my arm, thought, "That's not what a wrist is supposed to look like," and my vision started going gray. I pulled out my phone, called Denise, and said, "I just fell and broke my arm." Before I got another word out, she said she was on her way. I carefully got myself up, grabbed my purse, let myself out through the garage (so I could use the phone app for the garage door and not bother with keys), and leaned against the fence, contemplating whether it would be a good idea to sit down, but not sure I could do so safely.
Anyway, got down to Kaiser ER and got taken care of. As expected, I didn't get released until midnight, at which point the friend-transport network had changed shifts, with a third party on standby. (The ER staff were a bit surprised that I had friends stepping up like that--evidently it's not typical?)
Today I'm having "fun" figuring out how to do things one-handed. (Opening pull-top cat food cans has been the hardest so far. Typing one-handed is tedious but not difficult.)
They expect to pull me in again in the next day or so for surgery to stabilize the bones since the break (radius and ulna both) is so close to the wrist.
During the traction to set the bones the doctor told me I was very brave, but honestly it was mostly the Fentanyl.
30 Days of Blake's 7 - Day 18
May. 18th, 2026 09:16 pmjulesjonesDay 18: Ideas that should have been used more
So. Many. Options for the original question. And they don't even all involve Avon and/or Blake. I'm going to answer the new version fromvilakins instead.
So. Many. Options for the original question. And they don't even all involve Avon and/or Blake. I'm going to answer the new version from
vilakins instead.One thing I would really like to have seen more of was Cally's telepathy as something other than "taken over by alien of the week". It's used occasionally in situations where it's obvious just how useful it is as a way to give a silent warning to the others. In Bounty:
CALLY [V.O., telepathing] Guards! Don't speak or make a sound. [Blake quietly crouches beside her, and they watch as the guards confer and then depart.]
CALLY My reflexes are dull. They almost fell over me before I heard them.
BLAKE I've forgotten how useful telepathy is.
CALLY Oh, I must practice that, too.
Yes, Cally, you must. Presumably you did, given that in Star One a telepathic warning stops Avon getting caught by a horde of not-hairy aliens and he manages to catch Travis instead. It isn't the only other example of telepathy being useful, but there seems to be a lot more screen time devoted to "Cally is taken over by aliens because she is a telepath".
Bundle of Holding: Runehammer EZD6
May. 18th, 2026 02:05 pmjames_davis_nicoll
This all-new Runehammer EZD6 Bundle presents EZD6, the tabletop roleplaying game of fast-moving mayhem from "DM Scotty" McFarland (TheDMsCraft on YouTube) and Runehammer Games (Index Card RPG).
Bundle of Holding: Runehammer EZD6
Exploring a new walk
May. 18th, 2026 03:41 pmheleninwalesYesterday (Sunday) I had a Zoom meeting in the afternoon. It was a Quaker Area Meeting for business. These can drag on, but in fact we got through the agenda promptly for a change and there was nothing controversial, so it only lasted 1.5 hours.
Anyway, knowing that I'd be sitting in front of the computer for a large part of the afternoon, we went for a shortish walk in the morning while it was fine.
There are a number of walks we do regularly, but we're always looking for new ones. One problem is that all our walks have to be circular. We're either starting from our front door, or we've driven somewhere and have to come back to the car. We thought it might be a change to do some A to B walks, and that's what we explored yesterday.
The idea would be to get a bus to a nearby village and then walk back home. It's safer to get the bus out, rather than walk out and hope to get a bus back, because the most frequent routes are only once an hour and some are only every 2 hours. Getting the timing right to catch a bus back might be tricky. If the walk took longer than expected, then we'd miss it and have a very long wait for the next one. If we arrived early, we could have a long wait with no shops or anything around to do.
We are also aware that route finding across country can be tricky. When we were doing the research for G's geology book, there were many public footpaths that existed on the map but, in practice, were impassable. So it would be foolish to travel out and hope to make our way home at the first attempt.
Our plan, therefore, is to walk out to the halfway point and then walk back the same way. We'll then drive to the furthest point of the walk and again walk half way before returning to the car. With luck, if we start to feel a bit lost in the middle (which is always where things get confusing), we'll recognise the place and hence the next time can try the whole walk.
Because of needing to be back in time for the Zoom meeting, we didn't get quite half way, but we did reach a good viewpoint. Some photos...
( More here... )
This was as far as we had time to go that day. The sun was popping in and out behind clouds, but for a moment the valley was beautifully lit and we got a splendid view of Cader Idris.
Here you can see the narrow path we were walking along, plus the view of the mountain.
I'm not sure where we'll walk this week. There's a newly created (or restored?) path in the Abergwynant woods, or a longer version of the walk we did last week. We'll have to see.
Anyway, knowing that I'd be sitting in front of the computer for a large part of the afternoon, we went for a shortish walk in the morning while it was fine.
There are a number of walks we do regularly, but we're always looking for new ones. One problem is that all our walks have to be circular. We're either starting from our front door, or we've driven somewhere and have to come back to the car. We thought it might be a change to do some A to B walks, and that's what we explored yesterday.
The idea would be to get a bus to a nearby village and then walk back home. It's safer to get the bus out, rather than walk out and hope to get a bus back, because the most frequent routes are only once an hour and some are only every 2 hours. Getting the timing right to catch a bus back might be tricky. If the walk took longer than expected, then we'd miss it and have a very long wait for the next one. If we arrived early, we could have a long wait with no shops or anything around to do.
We are also aware that route finding across country can be tricky. When we were doing the research for G's geology book, there were many public footpaths that existed on the map but, in practice, were impassable. So it would be foolish to travel out and hope to make our way home at the first attempt.
Our plan, therefore, is to walk out to the halfway point and then walk back the same way. We'll then drive to the furthest point of the walk and again walk half way before returning to the car. With luck, if we start to feel a bit lost in the middle (which is always where things get confusing), we'll recognise the place and hence the next time can try the whole walk.
Because of needing to be back in time for the Zoom meeting, we didn't get quite half way, but we did reach a good viewpoint. Some photos...
( More here... )
This was as far as we had time to go that day. The sun was popping in and out behind clouds, but for a moment the valley was beautifully lit and we got a splendid view of Cader Idris.
Here you can see the narrow path we were walking along, plus the view of the mountain.
I'm not sure where we'll walk this week. There's a newly created (or restored?) path in the Abergwynant woods, or a longer version of the walk we did last week. We'll have to see.
Let’s Talk About Our Favorite Used Bookstores
May. 18th, 2026 10:04 amjames_davis_nicoll
Here's to digging for treasure in the endless shelves of bookstores past and present…
Let’s Talk About Our Favorite Used Bookstores
Stitches
May. 18th, 2026 02:31 pmheleninwalesBack on topic this week for the alphabet challenge.
19/52 for the group 2026 Weekly Alphabet Challenge
This week's theme was: S is for Stitch
This was an easy one, so I'm not sure why I left it to the very last day of the week.
I've knitted most of a fingerless glove, and here I'm just picking up the stitches to knit the thumb.
Well, when I say "knit the thumb", I haven't knitted for ages. I've done my usual thing of getting a project 95% done and then procrastinating badly over the final 5%.
19/52 for the group 2026 Weekly Alphabet Challenge
This week's theme was: S is for Stitch
This was an easy one, so I'm not sure why I left it to the very last day of the week.
I've knitted most of a fingerless glove, and here I'm just picking up the stitches to knit the thumb.
Well, when I say "knit the thumb", I haven't knitted for ages. I've done my usual thing of getting a project 95% done and then procrastinating badly over the final 5%.
30 Days of Blake's 7 - Day 17
May. 17th, 2026 09:51 pmjulesjones Day 17: Two characters you wanted to get together that never did
To a first approximation, "nobody". This was not something I was particularly interested in when I first saw the series, at least not strongly enough to remember 45 years later. Possibly Avon and Cally, since the friendship with a hint of more was canonical.
In spite of the hundreds of thousands of words of fanfic I have since written, my answer for actual canon hasn't really changed. It would not be the show it was if you had any of the main characters pairing up - no matter which pairing you had, it would throw off the dynamics of the group. This is actually lampshaded in Voice From the Past, when a remote-controlled Blake convinces Vila that the others are plotting against Blake by telling him that Avon and Cally have paired up on the sly. Avon and Servalan might have a Masochism Tango thing going on in series C and D, but it only works because they both know it would never work and don't actually do anything about it.
This might be (almost) the last one I do for the original list of questions, because most of the remaining ones are either "how am I supposed to choose amongst so many" or "does not compute". (It doesn't help that much of C and D I haven't watched for years, only selected episodes.)vilakins apparently has a similar problem and is thinking of coming up with some new ones, so I may follow along with those.
To a first approximation, "nobody". This was not something I was particularly interested in when I first saw the series, at least not strongly enough to remember 45 years later. Possibly Avon and Cally, since the friendship with a hint of more was canonical.
In spite of the hundreds of thousands of words of fanfic I have since written, my answer for actual canon hasn't really changed. It would not be the show it was if you had any of the main characters pairing up - no matter which pairing you had, it would throw off the dynamics of the group. This is actually lampshaded in Voice From the Past, when a remote-controlled Blake convinces Vila that the others are plotting against Blake by telling him that Avon and Cally have paired up on the sly. Avon and Servalan might have a Masochism Tango thing going on in series C and D, but it only works because they both know it would never work and don't actually do anything about it.
This might be (almost) the last one I do for the original list of questions, because most of the remaining ones are either "how am I supposed to choose amongst so many" or "does not compute". (It doesn't help that much of C and D I haven't watched for years, only selected episodes.)
vilakins apparently has a similar problem and is thinking of coming up with some new ones, so I may follow along with those.30 Days of Blake's 7 - Day 16
May. 17th, 2026 09:35 pmjulesjones Day 16: Best use of a hoary old trope
The entire concept of the show is "Robin Hood leading the Dirty Dozen in space", and I think it does it very well. There are many reworkings of Robin Hood out there, but I think this is one of the best. Blending it with 1984 as Robin's motivation makes it even better.
The entire concept of the show is "Robin Hood leading the Dirty Dozen in space", and I think it does it very well. There are many reworkings of Robin Hood out there, but I think this is one of the best. Blending it with 1984 as Robin's motivation makes it even better.
Non-Stop by Brian W. Aldiss
May. 17th, 2026 08:56 amjames_davis_nicoll
Believing the Ship is the whole universe is just common sense. So believe the people in it, but they are not the orphans of the sky they believe themselves to be.
Non-Stop by Brian W. Aldiss
30 Days of Blake's 7 - Day 15
May. 16th, 2026 11:46 amjulesjones Day 15: Character who didn’t get enough screen time
A day late again, for the same reason - Eurovision semi finals. Anyway...
Gan, of course. With that many main characters and only 50 minutes per episode, something had to give, and that something was Gan. His primary role is as muscle, and he's not as smart/obnoxious as the others so presumably less interesting to write - although he's perfectly capable of giving as good as he gets from Avon. "For a clever man you're not very bright". :-> In some ways he serves the same function as the Doctor's companion, being the one who tends to ground the others when they get a bit too carried away with whatever shiny thing has caught their attention/obsession/ego. Also the one who's frequently lectured at for "as you know, Bob" purposes. Even Avon manages to forget his own ego long enough to genuinely enjoy teaching Gan about some of the ship systems, minus the usual snark once he has a genuinely interested student. (And I do find that scene very believable.)
Some people see him as a violent thug only restrained by the limiter. But what he claims to have been sentenced for doesn't match that. Obviously, the word there is "claims", but it's all too plausible in the what we see of the Federation. He enjoys fighting the primitives in Deliverance, but doesn't give the impression that he'd kill them without the limiter inhibiting him. It reads much more as enjoying a wrestling match, one that he's only engaged in as self-defence. The truly chilling scene is on the London, when he points out to the guard that they only need the hand. (Seriously, who came up with that idea of security in a barracks cell with a bunch of potentially dangerous people who really don't want to be there?) With that he doesn't need to be actually capable of carrying through the threat, whether emotionally or through the limiter's control; he just needs to convince the guard that he is. And very convincing he is.
A day late again, for the same reason - Eurovision semi finals. Anyway...
Gan, of course. With that many main characters and only 50 minutes per episode, something had to give, and that something was Gan. His primary role is as muscle, and he's not as smart/obnoxious as the others so presumably less interesting to write - although he's perfectly capable of giving as good as he gets from Avon. "For a clever man you're not very bright". :-> In some ways he serves the same function as the Doctor's companion, being the one who tends to ground the others when they get a bit too carried away with whatever shiny thing has caught their attention/obsession/ego. Also the one who's frequently lectured at for "as you know, Bob" purposes. Even Avon manages to forget his own ego long enough to genuinely enjoy teaching Gan about some of the ship systems, minus the usual snark once he has a genuinely interested student. (And I do find that scene very believable.)
Some people see him as a violent thug only restrained by the limiter. But what he claims to have been sentenced for doesn't match that. Obviously, the word there is "claims", but it's all too plausible in the what we see of the Federation. He enjoys fighting the primitives in Deliverance, but doesn't give the impression that he'd kill them without the limiter inhibiting him. It reads much more as enjoying a wrestling match, one that he's only engaged in as self-defence. The truly chilling scene is on the London, when he points out to the guard that they only need the hand. (Seriously, who came up with that idea of security in a barracks cell with a bunch of potentially dangerous people who really don't want to be there?) With that he doesn't need to be actually capable of carrying through the threat, whether emotionally or through the limiter's control; he just needs to convince the guard that he is. And very convincing he is.
30 Days of Blake's 7 - Day 14
May. 15th, 2026 10:22 pmjulesjones Day 14: Character you relate to the most
I don't, really. Some overlap with Avon simply from being a scientist, but he is not someone I would want to live with, let alone be.
I don't, really. Some overlap with Avon simply from being a scientist, but he is not someone I would want to live with, let alone be.
The Last Contract of Isako by Fonda Lee
May. 15th, 2026 08:59 amjames_davis_nicoll
All that stands between Isako and the satisfactory end of her career is one last job. How hard could it possibly be to accomplish one final task?
The Last Contract of Isako by Fonda Lee
This and that - and bread
May. 15th, 2026 11:46 amwatervoleFriday is Theo day. We have our toddler grandson every Friday and hand him back Saturday morning.
This is a good arrangement for all parties. He's at the age where he loves having books read to him and is starting to point to dogs and cats and say 'doh' and 'ca'.
He likes going for walks- we took him over the heath today, partly in a pushchair and partly toddling along on his own feet. He loves picking up sticks and playing with them, the occasional fir cone also provides entertainment. He's pleasingly interested when I show him buttercups and ferns, etc. and tell him their names. Today, we went over the board walk on our local mini-bog- stamping on the boards makes an interesting sound that he loves to test out. Fluffy caterpillars of fallen willow seed heads were duly played with and interesting grass stems.
We got back at just the right time to take his morning sleep (often quite a long one).
Granny and grandad are settling down to catch up on computer stuff while he's asleep.
So, I'm posting here, then catch up on a couple of morris-related emails, and then grab a snack. One of the annoying side effects of the kind of diabetes I have is that I've lost too much weight due to poor absorption of carbs. So small meals between meals become necessary.
The catch is that it can be hard to find things I want to eat. A simple sandwich is easiest, but modern bread tastes of nothing at all and has no texture. I don't look forward to eating it...
I've just persuaded my nearest and dearest that we should try Riverford's wholemeal loaf (when did you last see a 'wholemeal' loaf as opposed to a 'brown' loaf - which is every bit as bad as white bread).
They're not cheap compared to a supermarket loaf, but how does it taste?
Very good! I just tied a bit with nothing on it at all. Tasty and far more texture than supermarket bread. But as you chew it, more and more flavour comes through. Yum. Not only that, but being Riverford, it's also organic and made by a family bakery.
Even at £4 per loaf, it's something I'm definitely buying again. I can look forward to eating this - on it's own, with a little butter/vegan spread, or whatever I fancy.
This is what I want from bread. A texture that means it bounces back when you press it, that runny toppings like tahini will soak in rather then run off, and actual flavour!
This and that
May. 15th, 2026 11:28 amwatervoleFriday is Theo day. We have our toddler grandson every Friday and hand him back Saturday morning.
This is a good arrangement for all parties. He's at the age where he loves having books read to him and is starting to point to dogs and cats and say 'doh' and 'ca'.
He likes going for walks- we took him over the heath today, partly in a pushchair and partly toddling along on his own feet. He loves picking up sticks and playing with them, the occasional fir cone also provides entertainment. He's pleasingly interested when I show him buttercups and ferns, etc. and tell him their names. Today, we went over the board walk on our local mini-bog- stamping on the boards makes an interesting sound that he loves to test out. Fluffy caterpillars of fallen willow seed heads were duly played with and interesting grass stems.
We got back at just the right time to take his morning sleep (often quite a long one).
Granny and grandad are settling down to catch up on computer stuff while he's asleep.
So, I'm posting here, then catch up on a couple of morris-related emails, and then grab a snack. One of the annoying side effects of the kind of diabetes I have is that I've lost too much weight due to poor absorption of carbs. So small meals between meals become necessary.
The catch is that it can be hard to find things I want to eat.
I have been reading as well as writing
May. 14th, 2026 04:22 pmheleninwalesI'm currently rereading Terry Pratchett's Guards series. I have all the books, bought as they came out, but I'm actually borrowing the ebooks from the library because ebooks are just more convenient to read, especially if I wake early before the alarm and want to read in bed before getting up. Putting on a light would disturb G. I can read the tablet without any other light.
So... I've just finished Jingo and started reading The Fifth Element. I've not enjoyed them as much as when I first read them. I'm not sure why. Despite being fantasy, I think there was more topical stuff than I realised at the time and some of the humour has dated. Having said that, I think I'll like The Fifth Elephant more, just based on the first few pages.
Meanwhile, on the Kindle app I'm reading The Golden Crucifix by Joyce Lionarans, a self-published author I follow on Mastodon. It's a historical murder mystery, set in medieval York. I'm enjoying it, even though it's not my usual choice of genre.
In addition, I'm listening to The Pied Piper by Nevile Shute. During WWII an elderly Englishman finds himself trying to escape from occupied France along with a growing collection of children. Shute seems to be the master of writing about quiet desperation.
So... I've just finished Jingo and started reading The Fifth Element. I've not enjoyed them as much as when I first read them. I'm not sure why. Despite being fantasy, I think there was more topical stuff than I realised at the time and some of the humour has dated. Having said that, I think I'll like The Fifth Elephant more, just based on the first few pages.
Meanwhile, on the Kindle app I'm reading The Golden Crucifix by Joyce Lionarans, a self-published author I follow on Mastodon. It's a historical murder mystery, set in medieval York. I'm enjoying it, even though it's not my usual choice of genre.
In addition, I'm listening to The Pied Piper by Nevile Shute. During WWII an elderly Englishman finds himself trying to escape from occupied France along with a growing collection of children. Shute seems to be the master of writing about quiet desperation.
I aten't dead
May. 14th, 2026 03:46 pmheleninwalesIt's occurred to me that as far as most of you are concerned, I haven't posted for a while. I have, however, been posting every day on my new writing journals (LJ and DW). I've been writing new words for my novel each day, but other than that I haven't been doing anything interesting enough to post about. We did go for a walk last Saturday, but it was one of the forest walks I've done many times before and therefore only took a couple of photos.
Everything is new and green in the forest, including the conifers. The pale tips are the new growth.
It's less obvious on this tree. This isn't a fern, it's branch of a conifer, though what species, I don't know.
I haven't take the weekly photo yet, though this week's theme is an easy one, namely "stitch". I have quite a few options and hope to take a suitable photo tomorrow. I have knitting and crochet on the go. I may be doing some sewing, but more about that when it actually happens.
Everything is new and green in the forest, including the conifers. The pale tips are the new growth.
It's less obvious on this tree. This isn't a fern, it's branch of a conifer, though what species, I don't know.
I haven't take the weekly photo yet, though this week's theme is an easy one, namely "stitch". I have quite a few options and hope to take a suitable photo tomorrow. I have knitting and crochet on the go. I may be doing some sewing, but more about that when it actually happens.
Unquenchable Fire (Unquenchable Fire, volume 1) by Rachel Pollack
May. 14th, 2026 09:01 amjames_davis_nicoll
Chosen One Jennifer Mazdan would prefer to let destiny's call go through to voice mail.
Unquenchable Fire (Unquenchable Fire, volume 1) by Rachel Pollack
30 Days of Blake's 7 - Day 13
May. 13th, 2026 09:12 pmjulesjones Day 13: Favourite guest character
So many to choose from in series 1 and 2, fewer but not non-existent in series 3 and 4. I'm going to go with the first choice asvilakins and for the same reason. Bellfriar and Gambrill from Killer are well-developed characters, who show that there are still decent people in the Federation. They're so well written and played that it hurts to see their fate.
So many to choose from in series 1 and 2, fewer but not non-existent in series 3 and 4. I'm going to go with the first choice as
vilakins and for the same reason. Bellfriar and Gambrill from Killer are well-developed characters, who show that there are still decent people in the Federation. They're so well written and played that it hurts to see their fate.30 Days of Blake's 7 - Day 12
May. 13th, 2026 07:25 pmjulesjones Day 12: Favourite villain
Missed posting yesterday, so you'll get two today. Favourite villain is Servalan of course, although her Sleer incarnation managed to be both over and under-written as a result of Surprise! Fourth Series! Honorable mention to both editions of Travis.
Does Carnell qualify as a villain? I'm not entirely sure he's unambiguously one - he strikes me as closer to a neutral for hire, even if he's officially a Federation employee.
Single episode villain is actually a duo, in the form of Krantor/Toise. And yes, I typed it that way very deliberately. :-> And honourable mentions to Vargas, superbly played by Large Ham BRIAN BLESSED, and Bayban the Butcher, played by Colin Baker in Large Ham mode. Apparently I like Large Ham villains...
Missed posting yesterday, so you'll get two today. Favourite villain is Servalan of course, although her Sleer incarnation managed to be both over and under-written as a result of Surprise! Fourth Series! Honorable mention to both editions of Travis.
Does Carnell qualify as a villain? I'm not entirely sure he's unambiguously one - he strikes me as closer to a neutral for hire, even if he's officially a Federation employee.
Single episode villain is actually a duo, in the form of Krantor/Toise. And yes, I typed it that way very deliberately. :-> And honourable mentions to Vargas, superbly played by Large Ham BRIAN BLESSED, and Bayban the Butcher, played by Colin Baker in Large Ham mode. Apparently I like Large Ham villains...
Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation, volume 1 by Rifujin Na Magonote
May. 13th, 2026 08:56 amjames_davis_nicoll
A selfless act of heroism costs a homeless NEET his life. Waking in an unfamiliar world, he resolves to do better in his next incarnation.
Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation, volume 1 by Rifujin Na Magonote
Random natterings
May. 12th, 2026 12:58 pmhrjIt's my birthday today -- the first time in quite a while when I'm not going to Kalamazoo for my birthday. (The Medieval Congress) As a result, I don't really have standard practices for what to do to commemorate the day. There will be a family dinner on the weekend, but today it's just me.
So I started with a fancy-breakfast-in-the-garden, which I don't do as often as I could. (I prefer to start the day with my bike ride, which practice is incompatible with a leisurely breakfast.) Other plans involved a movie and going out for sushi. I half-heartedly dropped my movie plans (Sheep Detective) on facebook with a solicitation for company, but facebook is facebook, the day is a weekday, and unsurprisingly no one took me up on it.
In the past week I've moved into the next stage of learning skills for self-publishing by working on formatting The Theory of Related-ivity in Vellum. So far Vellum is user-friendly, in that every time I've had a question about how to do something, it's either easy to figure out, easy to find in the help files, or easy to determine that you just can't do the thing I'm trying to do. As one review of the program noted, it isn't really designed for complicated non-fiction books, but there are only a few places that's been frustrating.
I solved one issue not related to Vellum when I figured out how to get better resolution jpegs of my Excel graphs. (Something that was a bit of a "Doh!" moment once I'd solved it.) But it wasn't until I did a test-export of the project into ebook and pdf versions that I was reminded that the lovely multi-colored graphs that are so easy to publish online and in ebooks also need to work in black-and-white for the hard copy. (It isn't that I expect to sell all that many hardcopy versions, but I want to have the option.) So now I need to go back through a couple dozen graphs and select color sets that will provide good B&W contrast. (Tricky for the percentage bar graphs with 13 variables! But there are only two of those.)
I've also decided to put out my translation and commentary of the 18th century French appeal record of Anne Grandjean (gender and sexuality issues) as a published book. That one has me thinking about the complexities of designing layout for both ebook and print. For print, it might be nice to do facing-page text with the commentary at the bottom of the pages, but that's impossible for the ebook. (Also, I'm not sure it would be possible in Vellum, though I know exactly how I'd do it in InDesign.) I'm also thinking ahead to the LHMP book and some fun layout ideas that wouldn't work for both. I should probably take a look at some examples of print/ebook pairs that have complex layouts in print.
By "complex" I mean things like separate text boxes for sidebars. (One idea I'm toying with would be rather than having all my mini-biographies in a single section, inserting them as sidebars in the topical chapters that they're most closely relevant to.)
One of the secondary functions for publishing low-impact smaller projects is to explore these sorts of questions. But compared to the non-fiction projects, novels will be easy!
When I think about my writing catalog, it always brings me back to that ill-fitting advice that a writer should stick to focused "branding" even if it means having multiple pen names. But my writing projects don't separate out neatly that way. the Grandjean translation is directly related to the LHMP book. But the LHMP book is directly related to my lesbian historical fiction. And the historical fiction is closely connected to my lesbian historical fantasy. And there would be no point to distinguishing that from any of the other types of fantasy I write. I still have a twinge of regret for using a pen name for Baby Names for Dummies, because it, too, connects up with my historical research. And what would be the point in using anything other than my real name for the Related-ivity book, since my identity is solidly connected to the reason I was interested in the topic.
I am me. I contain multitudes. I refuse to be fragmented.
So I started with a fancy-breakfast-in-the-garden, which I don't do as often as I could. (I prefer to start the day with my bike ride, which practice is incompatible with a leisurely breakfast.) Other plans involved a movie and going out for sushi. I half-heartedly dropped my movie plans (Sheep Detective) on facebook with a solicitation for company, but facebook is facebook, the day is a weekday, and unsurprisingly no one took me up on it.
In the past week I've moved into the next stage of learning skills for self-publishing by working on formatting The Theory of Related-ivity in Vellum. So far Vellum is user-friendly, in that every time I've had a question about how to do something, it's either easy to figure out, easy to find in the help files, or easy to determine that you just can't do the thing I'm trying to do. As one review of the program noted, it isn't really designed for complicated non-fiction books, but there are only a few places that's been frustrating.
I solved one issue not related to Vellum when I figured out how to get better resolution jpegs of my Excel graphs. (Something that was a bit of a "Doh!" moment once I'd solved it.) But it wasn't until I did a test-export of the project into ebook and pdf versions that I was reminded that the lovely multi-colored graphs that are so easy to publish online and in ebooks also need to work in black-and-white for the hard copy. (It isn't that I expect to sell all that many hardcopy versions, but I want to have the option.) So now I need to go back through a couple dozen graphs and select color sets that will provide good B&W contrast. (Tricky for the percentage bar graphs with 13 variables! But there are only two of those.)
I've also decided to put out my translation and commentary of the 18th century French appeal record of Anne Grandjean (gender and sexuality issues) as a published book. That one has me thinking about the complexities of designing layout for both ebook and print. For print, it might be nice to do facing-page text with the commentary at the bottom of the pages, but that's impossible for the ebook. (Also, I'm not sure it would be possible in Vellum, though I know exactly how I'd do it in InDesign.) I'm also thinking ahead to the LHMP book and some fun layout ideas that wouldn't work for both. I should probably take a look at some examples of print/ebook pairs that have complex layouts in print.
By "complex" I mean things like separate text boxes for sidebars. (One idea I'm toying with would be rather than having all my mini-biographies in a single section, inserting them as sidebars in the topical chapters that they're most closely relevant to.)
One of the secondary functions for publishing low-impact smaller projects is to explore these sorts of questions. But compared to the non-fiction projects, novels will be easy!
When I think about my writing catalog, it always brings me back to that ill-fitting advice that a writer should stick to focused "branding" even if it means having multiple pen names. But my writing projects don't separate out neatly that way. the Grandjean translation is directly related to the LHMP book. But the LHMP book is directly related to my lesbian historical fiction. And the historical fiction is closely connected to my lesbian historical fantasy. And there would be no point to distinguishing that from any of the other types of fantasy I write. I still have a twinge of regret for using a pen name for Baby Names for Dummies, because it, too, connects up with my historical research. And what would be the point in using anything other than my real name for the Related-ivity book, since my identity is solidly connected to the reason I was interested in the topic.
I am me. I contain multitudes. I refuse to be fragmented.
Bones of the Earth by Michael Swanwick
May. 12th, 2026 09:38 amjames_davis_nicoll
Human paleontologists have the professional opportunity of a lifetime... but there's a catch.
Bones of the Earth by Michael Swanwick
The Law of Unintended Consequences
May. 12th, 2026 10:57 amwatervoleThose who love 'The Good Place' as much as I do will probably recognise the quote.
'The Law of Unintended Consequences' says that it's not possible to live a perfect life in modern society. Everything we do impacts negatively on the environment or involves low-paid labour, unethical working practices, etc.
But there are some things we can do.
We can't win, but we can nibble at the edges.
Shampoo
Advertisers work hard to convince us that we need to wash our hair ever single day to keep it perfect, but our ancestors didn't have shampoo. Shampoo didn't reach the UK until the eighteenth century.
I used to suffer from regular problems with my ears. I thought it was earwax build up, until the lady syringing my ears said it was thin slivers of skin.
I wondered what was triggering it, and considered that shampoo might be a possible cause.
Taking a deep breath, I began cutting out shampoo at a week long folk festival - where so many people were camping that no one would notice if I was looking a mess.
My hair got greasy, but not as badly as I'd expected. I carried on with the experiment...
After two months of not stripping all the natural oils in my hair and scalp, my body stopped over-producing them in an effort to replace them.
Over 30 years later, I still haven't gone back to using shampoo, and my hair isn't greasy. I wash it with water, and that's all. Brushing distributes the oils evenly and keeps it silky, but not greasy.
Another member of my family who went the same way, briefly tried shampoo recently, and promptly got dandruff (which they'd never had before).
Not saying this will work for everyone, but you can save a LOT of money, and reduce your environmental impact as well. (detergent kills fish). If you do go for it, cut down gradually. Reduce the amount of shampoo you use, and reduced the frequency of washes. If you cut down gradually, then you'll avoid the greasy phase. Maybe use some sort of tiny measuring cup to measure the amount you use?