Katherine Piper

@katherinepiper

Retired Egyptologist/archaeologist now heckling. Volunteer assistant logboat conservator at Flag Fen Archaeology Park. Currently @theees.bsky.social bake sale, formerly archives and events volunteer. Dog servant. Spooky. AuDHD.

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Katherine Piper@katherinepiper· 6d

This photo was taken ten years ago today, six months after we first got her. She was very concerned about me paddling in Wastwater, and she was absolutely right, because it was bloody cold.

Photo shows Tessa, a black and white dog with a red harness, standing on a pebble beach at the edge of a lake, keeping a careful eye on me, a woman in a blue plaid shirt and grey trousers, standing ankle-deep in the water, with Scafell Pike in the background.

Katherine Piper@katherinepiper· 6d

Very sorry to say that I had to say goodbye to my darling girl Tessa yesterday evening (this was her enjoying a bit of sunshine on Monday). She lived a very long, very loved life, and had a lovely peaceful death surrounded by her family. She was the best girl.

Photo shows an elderly black and white dog lounging on some very parched grass in the sun, with her eyes closed, enjoying the warmth.

Katherine Piper@katherinepiper· 11d

Good morning.

Photo shows a large brown mug full of freshly picked blackberries being held against a background of the dust bowl that was my lawn and early morning sunshine.

Katherine Piper@katherinepiper· 24d

Not the most impressive bloom by its usual standards due to The Weather, but this rose is very much a quality over quantity kind of gal – only three or four flowers per year, but they are showstoppers. The smell is still divine, though #TinyJoys

Photo shows a dark crimson rose blosson coming into full bloom. The petals are glossy and velvety. Not pictured is the gorgeous strong scent.

Katherine Piper@katherinepiper· 28d

Courtesy of Facebook Memories, it has apparently been 11 years since I went mad and made an offering stela for the oranges we mummified as one of the activities during @theees.bsky.social Exploring Egypt pop-up exhibition. Good times!

Photo shows an ancient Egyptian style offering stela drawn on white cardboard in black Sharpie. Anubis is depicted offering white ceremonial loaves to a very large orange on a stand.

Katherine Piper@katherinepiper· Jul 11

My old girl is delighted that it’s cooled down enough this morning to be blanket weather #TinyJoys

Photo shows a black and white dog curled up in a purple fleecy blanket and a maroon and green tartan blanket on a purple sofa.

Katherine Piper@katherinepiper· Jul 9

I think the thing my dog dislikes most about the hot weather is that it’s too hot to snuggle in the duvet apart from in the cool early mornings. Unacceptable lack of cuddles due to inclement weather.

Photo shows a black and white dog lying on a folded over duvet with a white cover with black stars, with her head laid against my leg (and fluffy dark red dressing gown).

Katherine Piper@katherinepiper· Jun 20

I don’t have a #TinyJoy today because it was a big joy day, but the groom makes these absolutely kickass cheesecakes (which we always request for our annual girly holidays), and obviously it was the only choice for a cake to cut at the wedding reception. He made two due to popular demand.

Photo shows a round vanilla and raspberry cheesecake on a slice of log cake board, with a large knife wedged in it, surrounded by a decorative garland of artificial ivy, and other trays of cakes.

Katherine Piper@katherinepiper· Jun 15

I know planting a rhododendron on purpose can be considered an act of ecological vandalism, but: mine is super cute 🌺

Photo shows a close-up of a cluster of Barbie-pink rhododendron blossoms with darker pink speckles on the inner petals.

Katherine Piper@katherinepiper· Jun 13

Ooh I found one of these on my tent when I was garden camping last year. Gorgeous little critter (it sorted its wing out and flew away fine).

Photo shows a moth with midnight-blue folded wings with large irregular yellow and white spots, resting on the rolled-up door of a green tent. The left wing is slightly folded over, showing the vivid red outer wing with black patterning along the edge.

Katherine Piper@katherinepiper· Jun 12

Anyway, all hail the five-legged cow from the attraction that was somewhat undersold to me as “the magic man”.

Photo shows a large black cow (or perhaps bull) standing sideways on a stage inside a tent, with one man holding the head collar, and another man with a microphone holding out the smaller extra leg growing out from by the tail for the audience to see.

Katherine Piper@katherinepiper· Jun 12

I’m now getting gorgeously produced content of the equestrian side of the moulid held in Qurna before the start of Ramadan (which I have been to!), which I love, but I will die laughing if someone’s managed to give the funfair side of the event the aesthetic Instagram treatment.

Photo shows a sunset view looking towards the Theban mountain, with men on horseback riding around in the open space where morning hot air balloon rides are usually launched.

Katherine Piper@katherinepiper· May 31

The bramble is blossoming and full of bees #TinyJoys

Photo shows a front view of a bumblebee on one of a cluster of pale pink bramble flowers.

Katherine Piper@katherinepiper· May 24

A pearl of a water droplet perfectly cradled in a bud of unopened yarrow flowers #TinyJoys

Photo shows a closeup of a bushy yarrow plant in the sunshine, with a round water droplet sitting on top of the head of unopened flowers at the centre of a bud.

Katherine Piper@katherinepiper· May 20

It’s a cast of the skeleton of Patagotitan mayorum, which is on loan from the Natural History Museum, exhibited as Titanosaur 🦕 To be fair, you need something like a cathedral to display one of the biggest animals ever to have existed! Absolutely magnificent.

Photo shows the Titanosaur skeleton cast in the centre of the cathedral, with the body and tail in one of the side chapels, and the neck curving round to look towards the entrance.

Photo shows a close-up of the tail and rear view of the body.

Photo shows a close-up of one of the Titanosaur’s back feet.

Photo shows a close-up of the skull, with the view of the cathedral’s high altar and beautifully decorated ceiling in the background.

Katherine Piper@katherinepiper· May 20

Who’s this peeking around the corner at visitors to Peterborough Cathedral …

Photo shows the view looking down the nave of Peterborough Cathedral, with the long neck and head of a large dinosaur skeleton sticking out from the left under the central tower.

Katherine Piper@katherinepiper· May 18

Anyway, it’s been ten years since my granny, who absolutely loved flowers (the bigger and brighter, the better) died, and her coffin spray was the florist’s last job before she retired, so please enjoy the masterpiece we got when we asked the florist to go all out. It was epic.

Photo shows a long floral arrangement sitting on grass, made up of many brightly coloured flowers including roses, chrysanthemums, sunflowers, snapdragons, lilies, ranunculus, nigella, peonies, and more.

Photo shows a close-up of a section of the arrangement containing roses, carnations, peonies, chrysanthemums, nigellas, irises, snapdragons, and other flowers.

Photo shows another close-up with a variety of brightly coloured flowers.

Photo shows another close-up of bright mixed flowers.

Katherine Piper@katherinepiper· May 7

And by about half past one, including a break for tea and biscuits (and an emergency extra batch of daub), we’d managed to get the whole thing done. So now that can cure for a while, before we get to decorate it, which will hopefully involve fewer splinters than daubing. We’re thinking dark red.

Photo shows the rear view of the fully daubed roundhouse in all its muddy glory.

Katherine Piper@katherinepiper· May 7

So we started off today with about four-fifths of the exterior of the house daubed, two aggregate bags of daub pre-made by David Freeman, several wheelbarrows, and eight daubers. (The house is 8 metres in diameter, based on one excavated at Fengate on the Peterborough side of the basin.)

Photo shows a vertical section of daub applied to a wattle wall.

Photo shows people scooping daub out of a wheelbarrow while others look on, with the roundhouse in the background.

Photo shows four empty wheelbarrows lined up in line with the curvature of the roundhouse, the edge of which is visible on the left.

Katherine Piper@katherinepiper· May 7

There may be other things happening today*, but the Flag Fen gang will be attempting to finish daubing the new Iron Age house this morning, so that it will be all ready for decorating in a few weeks, so stay tuned for a load of old filth. *exercise your democratic right, folks

Photo shows the new Iron Age roundhouse at Flag Fen Archaeology Park, with a very neatly thatched roof, with the double doors open, in the sunshine.

Katherine Piper@katherinepiper· May 5

Without downloading anything new, where are you, mentally?

Screenshot of a tumblr post showing a screaming cat next to pasted images of a roll of paper kitchen towel, a sponge, a spray bottle of Clorox, a vacuum cleaner, and the text, “WHY IS IT SO SISYPHEAN”

Katherine Piper@katherinepiper· May 3

As far as I’m concerned, the star of the Flag Fen Viking festival is Peanut the Viking dog, who travels with her very own dog-sized Viking tent, and gives excellent snuggles.

Photo shows a brindled brown bull terrier standing on a sheepskin in front of a small version of a white canvas Viking A-frame tent.

Katherine Piper@katherinepiper· Apr 30

They don’t know it yet, but very soon they’re going to be in jail for the weekend as the Vikings descend on Flag Fen for the annual extravaganza.

Photo shows the Flag Fen flock of Soay sheep grazing on a sunny expanse of grass surrounded by trees and hedges.

Katherine Piper@katherinepiper· Apr 30

Criminals.

Photo shows the Flag Fen flock of Soay sheep, grazing in a neighbouring field which they have once again broken into. (The land is wild and undeveloped and owned by a property company somewhere very far away.)

Katherine Piper@katherinepiper· Apr 23

Nice to get a good look at the new Iron Age house too now that it’s nearly finished.

Photo shows the front view of a thatched roundhouse with closed wooden double doors.

View looking out of the front door into the sunlight.

View looking at the underside of the thatch and the internal support ring.

Katherine Piper@katherinepiper· Apr 23

Lawn games for everyone at Flag Fen this summer.

Photo shows a few of the flock of Soay sheep at Flag Fen grazing among some large hula hoops laid out on the grass.

Katherine Piper@katherinepiper· Apr 18

If you have the opportunity to get the fancy tulips, always get the fancy tulips.

Photo shows a many-petalled tulip, pale peach with darker pink striping. The variety is called Wymondham.

Photo shows a many-petalled tulip in a rich wine purple colour, the outermost petals being green with purple striping. The variety is called Mystery Dream.

Katherine Piper@katherinepiper· Apr 6

Bank holiday photosynthesis gang 🪴

Photo shows a black and white dog lying on a large dark grey dog bed on a patio in the bright sunshine, with potted plants in the background and a large clump of pink hellebore in the foreground.

Katherine Piper@katherinepiper· Apr 4

Age verification required to pet Frank the Tesco cat today for #Caturday

A fluffy grey cat sitting on top of a large stack of boxes of Budweiser beer, by the entrance of a Tesco supermarket. The magazines section is visible in the background.

Katherine Piper@katherinepiper· Mar 31

Oh absolutely, it must be such a great place for dogs whose natural habitat is not sofas! Forgot to pay the dog tax, so here is the most deprived dog who ever visited an open-air museum.