@lucasmz @StarkRG @cstross
Not much by way of brains either, and they get by. Especially silkies. They are deeply silly, even by chicken standards

@cstross I won't be telling my chooks this, their collective attitude is bad enough already. I get pecked around the shins if I don't get the feeder open fast enough

@bruces
Oh, and doesn't this bring back memories, the kind that startles you awake at 3 in the morning.
That's not a recent photo I hope

@cstross
I went on that bus/ ferry in 2018. I enjoyed the change from flying. Nice to hear it's the same bus...
I'm Australian and my partner comes from NI.I first went to Belfast in 1980 and wasn't that a wtaf experience. It's much better to put it mildly but the sensation of falling back a couple decades remains.

@johnquiggin
If you want a longer read on this topic, A City on Mars by Kelly and Zach Weinersmith is an excellent effort. Very heavily researched but also accessible.
They started out as enthusiasts and finished up at yeah, nah.

@SmudgeTheInsultCat
Sulphur crested cockatoos are the biggest arseholes of any creature with feathers, including cassowaries.
We all need to learn from them.

@cstross
Australia went the other way - it's illegal to fit a plug yourself, a job for an electrician. It's observed in the breach of course. Everything comes with a plug, usually moulded onto the cable, and has done so forever.
When I found out about the UK setup I was disturbed for days.

@cstross
Many long years ago I was on a bus going from Dover to London. On a very narrow road we got stuck behind an entire flock (herd, concourse, convoy?) of these. That day was a very long year as well.
They were all beautifully restored though.

@ChrisLemoine
Chris, I think it's a red flowering gum, Corymbia ficifolia, native to the south-west corner of Western Australia. San Luis Obispo must suit it because it's a gorgeous specimen.