... on how to smooth a Rough Patch.

It has occurred to me that this Rough Patch came as the result of a disappointment. The disappointment, I now realise, was the last in what had been a string of disappointments, knitted together into something full of holes and dropped stitches. That could be the end of it: I've grown out of this particular garment.

These files were my grandfather's, and they're what I use to smooth the edges of my Beasties once I've cut them out of corrugated iron. Useful for taking the edges off Rough Patches, too.

... on graphic representations of a Rough Patch.

Here are three ways of looking at this rough patch business. Arrows indicate direction of travel.
In all cases it is advisable to wear a stout pair of boots to combat stubbed toes, twisted ankles and burning feet. In the case of the third, the use of a gas mask will help protect against further perils associated with the rough patch, and once the patch is safely traversed normal travel can continue.

... on a Rough Patch.

I wish the durability and consistency of a Rough Patch could be accurately predicted. Will the Rough Patch change in texture along the way? Is it solid, will it start out very lumpy and chunky, and gradually decrease in grain? Is it more like gravel, in that it's generally all-over gravelly but sometimes when you're walking through it you'll hit a larger stone that may turn your ankle, and even if you don't do that you're still likely to find little rocks in your shoes afterwards? Is the best solution, when experiencing a Rough Patch, to let the roughness cause a callous, or it is better to get rubbed raw so a scar can form? Will the Rough Patch be smoothed by external forces, or do I have to get at it with the sandpaper myself? Will it erode naturally, or will it erupt again and spew layers of new hard roughness over the surface of the old?

If only I could tell.

... on buying in bulk.

There's something reassuring about having a LOT of something. This box of PostPaks, these business cards, even my 100 scalpel blades, they all speak of possibility, of the promising notion that one day they might be all used up and I'll be needing to buy some more!

... on reading.

This is what I saw and what I thought I saw while I was in the shower this morning. Gah!

... on a school of fish.

I've been making these little Fishy Beasties when I've got an offcut the right size. I'm not sure what I'm going to do with them yet - maybe a Fishy Beastie Wall Hanging?