Thanks to Walter for his comment on this post which included this translation of the quote by Hippocrates, the Greek Father of Medicine:

Ars longa,
vita brevis,
occasio praeceps,
experimentum periculosum,
iudicium difficile

Usually translated as:

[The] art is long,
life is short,
opportunity fleeting,
experiment dangerous,
judgment difficult.

A pause now, for thought.....

See also here for more on the Oath.

Also Jacks comment (and Angie's) on the The Other Side Of Medicine - Easing Death.

This post has been modified on 3rd August. The Hippocratic Oath and the quote above, while related, are not the same thing. It would seem....

Simon after grooming session
He appears in the kitchen at just before four in the afternoon. It's clear that now is an OK to get out the FURminator and have at it. This little gadget is so good at getting out the undercoat of cats and dogs that shed I just have to give it a mention.

Long time readers may remember the post Cat and Moose in which Simon featured. He is still the happy cat he was two years ago, and remarkably non-vocal too.

Photo note: To get a sharp image of a cat after, or during, a grooming session is almost impossible. This is the best I could do.

Fungi is the taxonomic kingdom including yeast, moulds, smuts, mushrooms, and toadstools; distinct from the green plants. From WordWeb.

Captured during the canal boat trip back in August.

Held by the chap who I became difficult with...on the canal boat, on the boat trip, in August.

Found by a follow monastic at the bottom of a garden he tends. They just popped up this morning, he said.

I like to think my interest in yeasts, moulds, smuts, mushrooms and toadstools are part of what helps us keep connected, Jade readers connected anyway. Certainly these photographs, the stories behind them, trace connections with a whole bunch of people, most read here. And if I were to go into the learned department, which I'm not, I suspect fungi is responsible for keeping the earth habitable.

Perhaps Walter in Singapore has something to say on the matter.

Look what I found in the walk-in fridge the other day. Read about this amazing vegetable and find out how to grow it.

Achocha of the Cucurbitaceae family.
Please correct me if I am wrong however I believe these specimens are Fat Baby (Cyclanthera brachystachya) noted for their soft fleshy spines. Achocha is one of the lost crops of the Incas.

This post is for Julie. Thought these little critters might fit into your gardening plans. At home or abroad...

Unlikely friends in Southern California.

Thanks to the Reverend who pointed me to this delightful animal rescue story.

Back in the nineteen seventies I'd be getting ready for work when Thought for the Day would come on the radio. The program is still running but I doubt if it starts with words In this morning light.... Back then I must have been ripe for a reflective moment because almost without fail I'd pop a few tears as the program began. It then went on to reflect on something topical from a religious perspective. Mostly a Christian perspective but not exclusively so. Perhaps we could have our own thought for the day here, or volunteer...for Thought For The Day. Just a thought.

This picture was taken this morning's morning light. The sun glanced over the hill just as I was about to press the shutter. New to me is the concept of the Golden Hour, the first hour or so after the sun rises and before it sets in the evening when the light is soft, the edges less defined, the colours warmer in tone. (Thanks to Maria for that information)

These are mature Shaggy Ink Caps. After a night of rain they are not at their best. Soggy Ink Caps I'd call 'em.

...and at the other end of the day, the golden light of evening here at the monastery. Photograph by Maria - thanks so much.

More fungus later....