Oh, be still my beating heart! What a day. Adders are gorgeous snakes. Unbelievably pretty and exotic looking for what is the most northerly distributed member of the viper family. They are a short, stout snake, maximum length here in the UK is around 80cm (slow worms can be longer!) with a weight of upContinue reading “The Adder (Or European viper) – Vipera berus”
Author Archives: Karl Anthony Mercer
Théoden of Rohan On Curiosity
“We cared little for what lay beyond the borders of our land. Songs we have that tell of these things, but we are forgetting them, teaching them only to children, as a careless custom.” We Lack Discipline look at this quote from Théoden, King of Rohan, in JRR Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings and how meaningful it is for human lives, curiosity and advancement.
Where Have I Been? – A Catch Up
A short explanation as to why WLD has been so sporadic the last few months with pretty photos of some March, early spring, scenery and insects.
Caturday Special: The Pampas Cat (Leopardus colocola)
A look at the little known, beautiful and elusive South American small cat, the Pampas Cat (Leopardus colocola). Particularly a discussion on taxonomy and evidence for evolution and speciation in action.
John’s Place: The Incredible Story Behind Hastings Museum and Art Gallery
An incredible tale of the family behind the building of John’s Place, once a house of the ‘Kidd’ family and now home to the Hastings Museum and Art Gallery.
In Remembrance
A sobre and sombre look at remembrance.
Top 5 Saints #1: Saint Francis of Assisi
Widely revered, always respected, but with lessons all too seldom heeded. We look at the Patron Saint of Animals, Saint Francis of Assisi.
Top 5 Saints #2: Saint Michael the Archangel
Not a true Saint, but an archangel – we look at Michael, the sword and shield of God and the judge of our souls at Judgement Day.
Top 5 Saints #3: Saint Julian of Norwich
A lesser known Saint is our #3 – Saint Julian of Norwich. She was an anchoress, a woman whose religious devotion was shown through isolation to a small cell.
Top 5 Saints #4: Saint Sebastian
Our #4 Saint is Saint Sebastian, a harrowing image of martyrdom when done right and an absolute beast of a man immune to pain in the depictions I prefer because they’re hilarious.
We Lack Discipline 