Transgender Kids: Who knows best?
BBC2 12.01.17
I nearly didn’t watch this documentary because I was expecting it to be a polemic about how children are too young to know their own minds or how the previous regime in a clinic in Canada were into conversion therapy.
I have spent hours this evening trying to complete my returns to maintain my licence to tickle dormice. At the end the other computer rejected them twice. As this is a priority for me, I shall have to keep trying at this when I have time so Bike is on hold until I get it right. Thanks for your patience, I'm sure you'll enjoy the next twist in Cathy's story when I get round to writing it.
I have a heavy cold with stupid hacking cough, which is really hacking me off. Going to have an early night if I can persuade Whizz to read me a bed time story.
I'm going to watch Tom Hanks' latest film, 'Sully' tonight, so I'll probably be too late to write Bike. Had a nice day for my birthday and the fresh cream sponge I ordered to take to my committee meeting was really good.
Been busy rereading Snafu over on Sapphire's Place and didn't realise the time. Not sleeping too well with pains in my shoulders and arms, so I fell asleep in the chair. I have a visitor over le weekend, it's my birthday on Saturday so I may or may not have time to do any writing - I also have a committee meeting - wonderful way to spend it.
For those who haven't read SNAFU here's a link.It's a full length novel.
Sorry folks, I ran out of time trying to verify some stuff for the latest Bike. Hopefully I'll get it sorted tomorrow.
I also ended up with a boot full of mud and dirty water when I slipped into a ditch while out doing fieldwork with the RSPB. Took me ten minutes to get my sock clean enough to wash and my boot might be dry by Christmas! Oh the joys of fieldwork.
I've posted another part of Bike which I hope will please the addicts and possibly encourage some new readers to try it insofar as the episode is in a way self contained and has a complete story in it.
It appears after the child of a divorced parent was removed from her custody because she allowed the child to dress as a girl has encouraged other separated or divorced parents to challenge the diagnoses of transgender children and the custody of the child with the sympathetic parent.
(Photo: The Aberfan memorial at Bryntaf Cemetery by Stephen McKay courtesy of wikipedia).
1966 was not a good year for me, despite England winning the World Cup, it saw the Aberfan disaster happen and about two weeks later my father died, both were total surprises to the thirteen year old child that I was.
Oh well, all good things must come to an end so it's back to the grind and colder weather. I can't believe that two days ago I was struggling with the heat as I tramped around El Hondo, a nature reserve outside Elche near Alicante. Now it's catch up time, do washing and other chores ready for work tomorrow. The latter is becoming increasingly difficult to psyche myself up to do, especially when there are things I'd prefer doing like chasing dormice or watching birds. However, going on holiday is definitely a luxury that my working pays for.
It is still quite warm here on the Costa Blanca. Yesterday was a bit of bummer as we had to wait in for the wi-fi connection to arrive via Spanish Postal services, so practically lost a whole day just kicking our heels. I did some university work and also read my book, Farewell to Ice by Peter Wadhams a scientist from Cambridge. I admit it felt quite weird reading about ice formation when the temperature outside was in the low thirties Centigrade. I explored the garden and found a couple of butterflies and the remains of a tiger butterfly, one of the Danaidae or milk weed butterflies.
None of those I'm pleased to say, but two twelve hour days have pretty well wiped me out and I can't settle down to write this evening. Hopefully will finish earlier tomorrow and have enough energy to scribble.
On Saturday my course begins and I'm going on on holiday the next day - clever planning that - c'est la vie. The thing is, I've invested quite a bit of money in the course, a degree in Environmental Science, which is going to keep me a bit busy for the next six years. I'm hoping I'll still be able to write some Bikesodes, but obviously nowhere near as many as you have had in the past. I'm still working part time and that has got very busy as well, so life isn't easy at present - and the dormouse stuff I do in real life is also quite busy.
I shall be out with the bat group until quite late so won't have time to write, I'm afraid. This being a part time ecologist is hard work and we only had one dormouse yesterday, which ran up the tree, so we didn't get to sex it or weigh it. Thankfully, it wasn't me who let it escape. We did have a couple or more nests in the boxes but that was it.
As it's a fairly quiet night, windwise, we might get some bats. I'll let you know.
Sorry folks I have a visitor and we were out walking this evening, so it's too late to write this evening. I'll try and do one tomorrow.
I'm giving a bit of advance notice that my course begins on October 1st (I'm going away for a week the next day, my timing is always impeccable) and it looks as if I have to supply a written assignment about every three weeks, so I may not be able to write Bike as frequently as you've been used to seeing it.
Interesting article in the Guardian which is about a transgender woman who stayed married and thus never got female legal status and so missed out on the right to a pension. It has been referred to the European Court for an opinion.
After six years and two months, I've got my registration for a WML-CL10a user status. (For those not in the know a licence to survey Hazel Dormice in England). In other words I'm now licensed to handle dormice (Muscardinus avellanarius) in my own right, not under someone else's licence. I'm so pleased I can't describe it.
Checks can be made out & sent to:
Joyce Melton
1001 Third St.
Space 80
Calimesa, CA 92320
USA
Note: $6000 is the operating, maintenance and upgrade budget. Amounts received in excess of the $6000 will be applied to long term debt accrued over the last 19 years.
