Made with real ingredients....

or so the advert stated... which has made the Beard wonder whether there are products out there made of fake, or even worse, unreal ingredients.... but such a statement must rank with the head lice remedy that allegedly contains no chemicals.... which basically means a bottle of quite literally nothing... and brings the Beard to the question, why are so many people ignorant about science??....
Science is, after alll, a closed book to many... ome expect it to explain everything, while others believe it to be a lie... whereas those of us in the know are positive that we don't really understand all of it, but tht its the best of all the wort possible alternatives... now I'm pretty sure that I've waxed semi lyrical about the ingherent naturalness of mankind and all its doings, and possibly about global warming.... to precis, we're as natural as anything else in the universe, judaeo-Christian philosophy not withstanding, and therefore everything we do, whether nice or not, is also natural.... houses are as natural a termite hills and nests, and flushing sewage into surfer is as natural as owl pellets... and as for global warming, i think that as part of the gaia organism, our role is not that of a cancer, but of an antibody, warming the planet up for the next stage in its evolution.... true, we'll be wiped out... but think about what happens to the antibodies in your blood when their usefulness is ended....but i digress.....
I was once party to a conversation about Mr Men ice lollies, if anyone remembers them... basically, Ms a said to her friend Ms B, "they make a big thing about the added vitamin C, but they don't tell you about this ascorbic acid they shove in it...." for those who are already lost, google or wiki Vit C.... aand then there are these ad that claim "no E numbers," preying on those who are scared of siuch things, and who do not realise that all approved additives, including such nasties as strawberry juice and pepper have to have e numbers before they are used... and that all the nice no e numbers people are doing is naming the ingredients so that they don't have to quote the e number.... but again, i digress....
I thinkthe point the Beard is trying to make is that all too often it is far too easy to just swallow whtat we're told, rather than doing our own research... his leads to a whole generation who believe in chemical free food, and shampoo that can somehow feed dead tissue.... despite the obvious fallacies.....
Regardless of this, the Beard allegedly celebrated a milestone last week.... now, those who know the Beard will attest to the fact, that as a paid up grumpy sod, he sets not much store in birthdays, christmas, et al... but suffice it to say, the Beard was 40 last week, and was convinced by friends and a certain young lady to celebrate... so, the scout hut was decorated, and 50 of the beards friends and family descended for an evening of Blossom's disco and the Screaming Eagles, a local rock band who kindly provided some great music in return for a portion of fish and chips.... and for once, all the great pressies given over were actually useful..... which was great.... but it grows late, and it just remains to thank everyone who came, and all of those who didn't, and all of those who thought they did at some point... and to say that until we are all as old as we wish to be, Wisebeard salutes you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

more avocets...

Now, those of you who know the Beard (and you are few...) will know that I don't set a great deal of store in celebration... and my own birthday has always been near the bottom of the list.. to be honest, ever since i was a bout 1 I've wondered what the fuss was about.... now, I'll not go so far as the Cartholic Encyclopedia, which states that only sinners celebrate the day they were born into this world.... to be honest, its more a sense of why bother than of actual fear of sin.... and I've never felt any less happy by not making a song and dance.. in fact, a lot of people I know are not even aware when it is... I myself have forgotten about the thing on numerous occasions, only remembering when phoned by the Mother-of-Beard asking why I haven't been round to pick up my card yet.. but there we are... anyway, this year myself and others conspired to make some sort of event of the date, as a practice for next yera, when suppos3edly I hit the "Big 40".... so, on Saturday night, myself, Beardson, and two friends, with the unlikely names of Robandsonic went, along with Mrs sonic to the by now fairly well known Wing Wah all you can eat buffet in mystic Burton.. as always, the service was spot on, the food lovely and the atmosphere suitably atmospheric.... many things were eaten, many elbows nudged, and teh Beard had a much too close encounter with a distress flare and a melon... but it was an enjoyable evening.... the next day, the Natal Day itself (no no no... not the South African Province.. ) was maybe not quite so good... despite the best efforts of a certain young lady.. a nice meal at the Dog and Hedgehog, followed by an interesting dessert could not get rid of the sinking feeling and the impending doomness that settled over me.... and due to certain events, company has been parted.... we liked each other, we decided.. but not enough.... and the Beard, while grateful to her for doing her best not to spoil the birthday, reflects taht it was only her presence that made it special... as normally it would have been a day like any other.... and although certain aspects of the day had an appeal of sorts, I did miss the first half hour of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.... although, I did see all of Planet of teh Apes.. the proper one.... so, not at all a wasted day!! but in the best tradition of beardness, I wish the lady well, and hope she finds what she's after.... but it ahs left me more determined than ever not to bother with my next one.... so far both attempts to make birthdays special for me have failed.. last time I was 18, and failed to get an invite to my own party... not that i like parties much anyway.... but it is, as they say, the thought that counts... but stil, I fail to see the appeal of birthdays.. I could get all marxist, and claim that the whole day is simply a capitalist invention to increase greed and encourage spending.. but I think christmas has that all sewn up by itself.... so that got me thinking... how long ago did the celebration of getting nearer the end of life begin??? apparently it existed at the time of Nebuchadrezar.... but why did it ciome about... was it, as I suspect, a festival of gratitude that one had actualy managed to survive another year?? but why a year?? why not six months?? why not a communal feast of surviving winter?? why was it considered that anyone would be remotely interested in knowing that such and such was born on this day... it alweays possible that once governnments had decided to record the deaths and births of all, that some primeval equivalent of Clintons or hallmark suddenly had a brain wave.... but I digress... suffice it to say the Beard is young, free and single again.. or at least single... looking forward to the future, and backwards to the past, and still waiting for an update from Tent living Andy.. of which more later.. but until we all realise that days are all days, and births are births, Wisebeard salutes you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Still going ok.....

Well, we're onto day four of national poetry month, and my plan to do one a day is still going according to plan... yesterday me had "Minuteman" as our theme, and today was "Royal and Ancient." Who knows, one day you may even see them.. the birthday poem I wrote for a certain young lady was well received, although she was convinced initially that I had somehow stolen it off the internet.. a prophet is not without honour etc... they've al gone down in neat in one of my red hardback A5 notebooks, ready to sit on my shelf unread.. but in fact I have determined that this year I will be entering some competitions.. my attempt to become BBC wildlife poet of the year is progressing, with me still unsure about weasels crossing roads, or pigeons breaking windscreens... but I digress.... basically an ok day.. off to the peaks on sunday all being well.. and people keep mentioning dating agencies to me... i'm sure i'm being set up... the idea was even posited by a guide at a campfire last night.. now, where's the libre paginarum fulvarium....??? till all your pages yellow, Wisebeard salutes you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!