natjtan Happy October!
Weekend Friday Favourites is back! Hopefully for longer this time!
How’s your weekend? I’m bitter sweet sad autumn fall’s here and it’s temperature early. The care free summer days are over until next year. This year mid autumn temps have hit 20/22C early. 20C’s chilly! You can keep your pumpkin spice, cosy knits and crock pots. This girl doesn’t do layers. She likes summer warmth and the wardrobe that comes with it. The sweet part, I get more stuff done I’m not tempted by the heat, beach, sea.
Anyways Weekend Friday Favourites, things that have made me smile or caught my eye the past few months.
Snorkelling
I mentioned in Summer I started snorkelling on holiday. I really thought that was it until next summer. Taking a dip at the beach I go to, I saw flash of silver. The next day I took my snorkel and couldn’t believe how many fish have been beneath me just off the shoreline. P recommended a beach he sometimes swims at, however after seeing that flash, I put everything together with the rocky bit just out at ‘my’ beach. It’s teaming with life!
As often as I can I’ve been snorkelling. I could go to other beaches, but this one I know, it’s safe and much quieter compared to other Barcelona beaches. I’m getting much better with my swimming and even now have a rashie (partly due to I spent too much time in the water and at the beach that day and burnt my back. Bonus of one, it keeps me warmer!)! P’s kindly lent me his Go Pro as I don’t think me believed me when I reported back what I’ve seen. It’s tricky trying to indentiy online, however I’m sure I’ve seen small mullets, for sure sea breams, flanders to name a few. My favourites are saddled sea breams. Always curious and say hi. The highlights: a cormorant diving and hunting. All the fish kept clearing fast. Out the corner of my eye I saw what I though first was a big fish or turtle (I know, how?) and then webbed feet. I thought maybe a duck as I tried to keep out of its way. When it surfaced I realised it was a cormorant. I felt so lucky to see it hunt and sorry for the fish. Another highlight an octopus! All this metres from shore! I ordered an Olympus Tough 6 which has only just arrived and sadly I’m not sure how I’m going to go when it gets colder. A wetsuit for sure, but it’s the logistics of belongings, people around if I get in trouble. I’m already convinced that the sea level is starting it’s winter level as the beach seems bigger if that makes sense. This girl might have to read weather and tides to go midday.
Aloha Collection Big Island Flower Collection
I’ve mentioned before my love for Aloha Collection pouches. On holiday I used them a lot and was surprised how much they pack. I wasn’t going to get any more. I had my eye on a few but said no. You have enough. That was until they released Hibiscus from their Big Island collection. My excuse I used them a lot travel and everyday, plus hibiscuses are one on my favourite flowers. My Aloha Collection pouches has grown and I’ve banned myself from the site 🙊 I can look but not buy.
Seriously the pouches are great. The only cons are they’re not 100% waterproof instead being splash proof and there is some colour fading if in constant use on lighter prints. Wet bikini’s are fine, my rashie no matter how much I squeeze out the water if it’s too water sodden water will get through the seams and zipper. For this I use an old fashioned pouch: a plastic bag. I like that the material being Tyvek® (sadly owned by DuPont. Animal testing. Maybe they’ve shared the formula and those who also make it now aren’t) is flexible so it moulds with other items in your bag or suitcase rather than being a stiff fabric. I’m no joking when I say you can pack a lot in one. The small pouches I can happily fit leggings, t-shirt, change of knickers and bra at the gym.
Patangonia’s Fishpeople is a free documentary on YouTube taking a look into people who’ve dedicated their lives to the oceans and seas. From surfers, photographers, teachers who teach at risk kids who wouldn’t get to see the ocean to surf to spearfish hunters. The cinematoolgy is amazing and also go me wanting to be in the water more. Salt water cures everything right? Or 99.999999% of everything.
First Aid Box
Browsing in Mumuso I can across first aid boxes similar to what I’ve seen in a few Kdramas. Only €4 I was okay in the basket! It’s way better than the previous box I was using. More organised, you can see where things are. I need to put a note in the inside lid saying please put items back nicely. I liked it so much I went back and go the smaller version for my sewing kit I bust out maybe twice a year.
Geese
A late trip to the park, Parc de la Ciutadella early September, the boating lake was noisy with geese wondering why humans at the snack spots weren’t giving them anything. They were so cute in asking and bitching moving on.
Google is the main search engine which has the monopoly for links in emails, messages etc and the default search engine for most mobiles. Ecosia is the eco friendly search engine. For about every 45 searches you do they plant a tree. It’s free to download from apps stores and is now my go to on my phone unless directed search engine or when I’m looking for some thing specific. While I like trees being planted and the window tabs grid layout, the cons are that unlike Apple’s Safari which uses it by default there’s no most visited sites to click on or when you when entering a previous visited site, you’re not taken to that site straight away, instead to a usual search page then selecting which site. It’s extra steps. It also doesn’t feature as many search results as Google. I don’t mind because after watching Connected on Netflix I’m happy a tree’s planted as search internet search (the show used Google as an example), uses energy equivalent to 3 minutes of an LED light being on.
I took a break from Kdramas on Netflix! It took me a few days to finish Connected an amazing show about how nature’s connected to look after Earth. From poop to dust. It looks at how scientists look to nature for inspiration to help it and for technology, how clouds are related to internet clouds, how weather can be used to predict certain disease flare ups. How if Earth has no clouds, we’re doomed and clouds are disappearing. How one tiny bird can predict how bad the Atlantic hurricane season will be. How fossil dust in the Sahara can calm hurricanes and fertilise the Amazon. And Benford’s Law which I just get the basics of. The first episode is about surveillance which is quite scary. If you like science, nature, how things work, I recommended it!
Internet Finds. Mostly BBC again. I like them for nature, culture and travel. News. Just the headlines.
Wildlife in ‘catastrophic decline’ due to human destruction, scientists warn. BBC News
Brazil’s Pantanal fires: Animals ‘dying of hunger and thirst’. BBC News
The ancient trade holding back the Sahara Desert. BBC Future Planet. AKA a tree. Acacia tree.
Two-fifths of plants at risk of extinction, says report. BBC News
The Return of Europe’s largest beasts. BBC Future Planet. BISON and WOLVES!!!
Photography award winners show the fragility and beauty of mangrove forests. BBC News. Surprise! BBC again!
The cat who hitched a ride on a worldwide tour. BBC News
Searching for the lost dogs of Beirut blast. BBC News.
Medal for hero dog Kuno who saved soldiers’ lives in Afghanistan. BBC News. Why am I bothering to write BBC News when all this weeks finds are from there.
The difference between organic and certified organic. Kora Organics Blog. What?! Not the BBC!
The penguin watching Pingu so he doesn’t get lonely. BBC News. Again.
What’s been making you smile recently or caught your eye? Please share in the comments below!