On this day 34 years ago, my Dad died suddenly. I had forgotten that this was his anniversary until Jane, my step-mum, reminded me. Coincidentally, while doing a bit of a tidy in our converted attic this morning, I came across a few photos of him from around 1981. So, I thought about him today. He was a good man who loved and supported me unconditionally. He and Jane had an exceptionally warm and loving relationship which was cruelly cut short by his death a few days after he retired. I’m dedicating this post to him.

So, on with the show.

There were a few things I said I’d do, and I’ve done them

I hung those painted bamboo sticks …

I painted the snow scene on the inside of an egg shell …

And then I tied some knots. I love knots. It’s presumably a hang-over from my scouting days and, in particular, my early experiences as a sea scout in 41st Dublin, Dalkey scouts. Something put me in mind of a Carrick Bend yesterday. A bend is a knot that joins two pieces of string/ rope together and I think the Carrick Bend is a particularly elegant knot.

This year, the second scout troop I was in, 31st Dublin, Rathfarnham scouts, celebrated its centenary. A special scout scarf was commissioned and I insisted that the badge on it contained a Carrick Bend rather than the simpler reef knot. Here’s the scarf with the Carrick Bend on the right …

And here’s a Carrick Bend I tied. First, loose …

And tightened …

Then I tied a few in sequence, as a decorative key fob …

I think my Dad might have liked this stuff.