I asked my readers if they wanted to me to continue writing and posting Bike. The response was unanimous, they did, so I have obliged them.

It was on this date in 1986 that I went to work as me for the first time, goodness it was nerve-racking and looking back on it, it only seems a short while ago, but with a stroke and ageing plus diabetes, I have slowed up considerably, but I am still going and hope to be for a few more years yet.

There is at least one balanced view on the recent hysteria of transwomen invading women-only spaces, this is well written article quoting evidence to support her view that trans women are likely to be more vulnerable and to have received more abuse than cis gendered women and that instead of being exclusive we should all be supporting each other to protect ourselves from predatory men, which isn't a diatribe against men, just those who abuse and murder all types of women and vulnerable groups.

Do read it, it's really good stuff.

This is the last novel in the Gaby Dorset Trilogy, I think there is something like thirty chapters and like the other two novels, I'll try to post one a week. It gets off to a burning start, so enjoy there will be racing and Gaby's crime-fighting involved. So will she finally deal with Meadows or will he get her? You'll have to read it to see.

So while life is going to be tough for a month or so, I shall endeavour to post if I can. There is a new Bike tonight and I received a lot of support from different readers and one or two who weren't so supportive, but I don't expect everyone to agree with me, if they did I'd have to admit they were perfect too.

I was particularly boosted by other writers who supported my grumble including some very popular ones and also for whom I have great respect and I got some extra comments so I felt happy enough to return.

I wrote about bees as possibly having self-awareness, now these tiny marvels, featured in research by an American scientist, seem to show this in spades leading them to reconsider how the laws in America don't protect these intelligent insects (they don't protect mammals much either compared to the UK) and how they need changing. I read Chittka's book last year, it was fascinating and now this American scientist, Stephen Bucchman, feels the same towards them. The article is interesting and easy to read.

Finally, someone does a survey that iterates what we have been saying for years,

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2023/mar/24/majority-tra...

as long as you don't want to be an athlete:

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2023/mar/23/world-athletic...

Both from the Guardian

That the teenage girl stabbed to death on Saturday in Culcheth, Cheshire, was transgender though they don't believe it was hate crime. Brianna Ghey, aged 16 was found in a park on Saturday afternoon, a boy and a girl both aged 15 have been arrested on suspicion of murder. So if they are guilty, three children's lives have been messed up. It's a sad fact knives are too accessible and a significant number of people seem too quick to use them, like guns in America. Is this a reflection of our times with politicians ignoring the law of the land, so ordinary people copy them?

I have succumbed to a virus, I don't know if it's Covid, but I have a stupid tickly cough that has kept me awake for two nights and prevented me from attending a geology workshop that I have wanted to go to for a year. I am so fed up with life at present I'd like to disappear to a tropical island and never come back.

'At least 32 transgender and non-binary people have been killed in the US this year, the Human Rights Campaign said yesterday in its annual report.

America's largest LGBT political lobbying organisation found that transgender people of colour made up 81% of known victims, with more than half (59%) of victims being black. Trans women accounted for 81% of the deaths.

The report said the number of fatalities was likely to be an underestimate because deaths of trans people often go unreported or victims are misgendered.' (Associated Press)

According to the Guardian, these fish along with another species of wrasse start off as female but become male as they age, becoming more colourful as they do so. Nature seems to have it the wrong way round to my thinking but they are beautiful fish.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/oct/19/discover...

It's about a boy who can't get into boys' summer camp to play baseball but eventually persuades his father to let him go to girls' baseball camp where he learns something about himself and wins the tournament for them. It's in several parts I remember that. Any ideas?

I'm sorry folks, But I was out dormousing most of the day and I didn't sleep that well, I haven't for a number of days, so I'm too tired to do much at all. I'll post something as soon as I can but not tonight.

Thanks for your patience.

Angharad.

The first is my anniversary of a change of lifestyle which occurred on July 14 1986 when I went into my office in a skirt for the first time.
I am still amazed that there weren't more challenges and now 36 years later no one seems to care.

Second, it is 7 or 8 years since my son took his own life. I try not to despise my daughter-in-law, but it's hard.

Sorry about last night's Zoom get-together, I messed up on the settings and tried to correct that which made things worse. I now have it under control and if Wendy is not available to host it, I shall. I will wait and see if Wendy is home if not will post an invite here on the blogs. My apologies for last night.