Simon Mole - Library Gnome
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discobeaver.bsky.social
Simon Mole - Library Gnome
@discobeaver.bsky.social
310 followers 88 following 72 posts
I'm 36, a library assistant in the UK. Married, with 2 teenagers, 1 cocker spaniel. Trans joy, some complaining. 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️.
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discobeaver.bsky.social
Bloody hell, I think we have a new winner ... 🤦🏻🤦🏻

Narrowly edging out that roundabout in Bloxwich with V For Vendetta vibes painted on a black tarmac background ...
A no entry sign (red background, white horizontal stripe) with a red cross crudely painted over the top. Spectacular...
October 18, 2025 at 1:57 PM
discobeaver.bsky.social
Went for a walk with the dog to clear my headache, found a ... fossil?

The rest of the park was incongruously autumnal.
The burnt out, rusted shell of a motorbike lying in dirt, surrounded by grass and leaves. A grass field surrounded by orange, autumnal trees.
October 15, 2025 at 2:18 PM
discobeaver.bsky.social
Today was a bejewelled spider web kind of day, with not a drop of colour to the sky.
A close-up of a dew covered spider web in front of a green hedge.
October 12, 2025 at 4:07 PM
discobeaver.bsky.social
Today, this was work.

The Halloween decorating is going to be exceptional this year. 🦇 We're working on a garland of various vampires as bats.

We're also expanding on last year's "work", which was the hand-drawn Batt Berry 😉

#libraryland #halloween #wwdits #whatwedointheshadows
A picture of Taika Waititi's face from What We Do in the Shadows glued onto a small, black bag. Various vampire character faces (mostly What We Do in the Shadows, also The Count from Sesame Street) glued to paper bats in a box. A crude biro hand-drawing of Matt Berry from What We Do in the Shadows glued to a paper bat, surrounded by other vampire face paper bats.
October 6, 2025 at 5:29 PM
discobeaver.bsky.social
Yesterday I finished reading this lovely book. A really peaceful way of considering death, but also life, with dogs and lesbian romance. Book 43 of 2025.

#thelighthouseattheedgeoftheworld #jrdawson
The book cover for The Lighthouse at the Edge of the World - J. R. Dawson set against Chicago's skyline with silhouettes of people and dogs overlaid.
October 2, 2025 at 7:44 PM
discobeaver.bsky.social
Last night, the egg box was mysteriously on the floor. The jury's still out on how it got there, but we do know that Molly deviously waited for us not to notice the one that had rolled and then silently chewed it up in her bed ...

Suspect #1:
A brown and white cocker spaniel sitting down and looking into the camera.
September 29, 2025 at 6:53 AM
discobeaver.bsky.social
I'm still here! We had an anniversary, the 15th one that we've had, and went to a spa, which feels like several years ago now.

My current mental health would be a slowly declining wiggly line.

I'm avoiding the other online places like the plague.
Two smiling men wearing hoodies standing in front of a spa building and a grey sky.
September 23, 2025 at 6:23 AM
discobeaver.bsky.social
Feeling a bit grey today. The sky was too, but the park was still pretty.
A view up from the ground through a pattern of tree branches with a grey sky behind them. A view into a large pond with gulls in a circle around a fallen tree branch.
August 3, 2025 at 6:13 PM
discobeaver.bsky.social
I think I have a habit of messing up my wedding rings.

Ring #1 I grew out of (hopefully a natural side-effect of getting married at 21).

Ring #2 (10 year anniversary) is made of wood and is starting to look tatty. Stu's is still going strong.

This is ring #3 (15 years in Sept). It's beautiful! 🥰
An open band silver ring with ivy leaves and vines on top of ivy leaves and a tree stump.
July 27, 2025 at 3:30 PM
discobeaver.bsky.social
Today's dog walk in textures.

I also identified 3 new birds I hadn't heard before.

#walking #uk #woodland
4 different woodland textures set together in strips: Lichen on wood Moss on a tree trunk Tree branches and ferns in woodland A white, textured mushroom in wood.
July 20, 2025 at 1:24 PM
discobeaver.bsky.social
Today in plans:

Let's finish this bitch!

Having so much fun with this one, but I have been unforgivably slow in reading it. 🌳🌳
An image of a book - Gods of the Wyrdwood by RJ Barker on a green and brown tiled wooden table next to a matcha latte in a mug.
July 19, 2025 at 11:07 AM
discobeaver.bsky.social
Excuse the crap bird photography, but ... Freaking WOODPECKER in my garden this morning.

(I dropped my whisk in the kitchen sink in excitement 😅).
A blurry photo of what looks like a sarcastic great spotted woodpecker eating from a bird feeder. There is a fence panel and some purple flowers in the background. A blurry photo of the back of a great spotted woodpecker flying away from a bird feeder.
July 14, 2025 at 7:04 AM
discobeaver.bsky.social
One of the perks of my awesome library job is that I got asked to decorate a lovely room with Jane Austen characters for tonight's event and snuck in some hidden Mr Collinses.

A colleague informs me that two have been found.

Spoiler: there were actually four ... 😏
Wood-panelled walls featuring posters of Jane Austen TV and film characters in vintage frames, two different walls. The 3rd image is of David Bamber as Mr Collins (from the exceptional 1995 Pride and Prejudice) stuck into the corner of a panel. Four cut-out images of Mr Collins from Pride and Prejudice on a green desk. 3 are David Bamber (1995) 1 is Tom Hollander (2005)
July 10, 2025 at 8:51 PM
discobeaver.bsky.social
If I ever need a short bio:

Peach Ginger
Lightly Sparkling

would probably do it ...
The bottom of a can of Trip CBD drink in a hand with the words "Peach Ginger Lightly Sparkling" written on it.
July 9, 2025 at 5:02 PM
discobeaver.bsky.social
Not gonna lie, today's sock delivery brought me the joy I've been craving...

🧦🧦🧦🥰

(That and printing mini Mr Collinses to hide around the library for our Jane Austen event tomorrow.)
A selection of colourful socks with their packaging attached from Socktopus. Fluffy guinea pigs, donkeys and capybaras and non-fluffy capybara cowboys.
July 9, 2025 at 4:35 PM
discobeaver.bsky.social
"Attempted Spaniel Portrait" - Simon Mole 2025.

It was the goober's 6th birthday this week. She enjoyed her big walk.
A brown and white cocker spaniel jumping up with her mouth wide open at the moment of taking the photograph so that the top of her head is out of frame.
July 6, 2025 at 9:20 PM
discobeaver.bsky.social
Last night, our oldest son had his prom! He and his lovely friends had an amazing time (and Jack and Jes, first two in the middle photo, remembered to wear the matching "monkey chains" they got on a school trip to the zoo a few years ago).

We are all very, very proud of them! 🥰 You looked amazing!
Photo of a 16 year old boy with shoulder length blonde hair wearing a dark suit with white shirt and silver tie standing in front of a green fence with purple clematis flowers growing on it. Three 16 year old boys in suits posing outdoors before their prom. A close-up of a (truly fetching) "monkey chain" pendant clipped onto a silver bracelet - a brown stone encrusted monkey head. A decorated room in a hall ready for prom with white tablecloths and balloons in champagne colours.
July 5, 2025 at 10:01 AM
discobeaver.bsky.social
Yesterday, my sister and nephews took me along to the under 5s day at Himley - we rode a tiny train, made (and immediately stomped) sandcastles, Harry begged me to see Elsa, then grumped, then was great at road safety. I got waay too much sun for a ginger person...

Anyway, here's a giant tortoise!
A very large (yes, I know it's in the name) giant tortoise! Apparently this one was a touch older than I am. He's sitting on grass in a fenced area, looking vaguely unimpressed at the camera.
June 28, 2025 at 8:02 AM
discobeaver.bsky.social
The birds definitely told me that I was slow picking up more food for them. Just had a 30+ strong flock of starlings descend on the feeders 10 mins after refilling that I could hear from indoors 2 rooms away 😅.
A lot of starlings lined up along a pale green garden fence and using a bird feeder. (They'd just gone cuckoo for mealworms I guess.)
June 26, 2025 at 4:34 PM
discobeaver.bsky.social
Today's plans ...

(Oh, and worry about the oldest on his first college taster day in an unfamiliar town 😅).
The hardback book - Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by V. E. Schwab lying on a dark green patterned duvet cover with a hand holding a matcha latte in a green mug next to it.
June 24, 2025 at 8:33 AM
discobeaver.bsky.social
The family went golfing. The good kind. With dinosaurs. 🦖⛳
4 people standing in front of a waterfall with a pterodactyl above it. A dark haired man in a blue t-shirt and glasses, a teenage boy in a tye-dyed green t-shirt with glasses, an older teenage boy wearing a dark shirt and bucket hat and a red-haired man in a floral shirt and glasses.
June 21, 2025 at 3:49 PM
discobeaver.bsky.social
Yesterday I finished The Chemist by A. A. Dhand (in just over 1 day, unheard of! 😱)

This was an excellently crafted thriller with memorable characters, though dark throughout. It feels like it's setting up for more now that the characters are established.
The book cover for The Chemist by A. A. Dhand - a yellow cityscape fading up into a black background. The book is in front of a background of pharmacy shelves.
June 15, 2025 at 10:35 AM
discobeaver.bsky.social
Feeling super ill, but reading with this little goober is quite nice 😊🥰
A sleeping white and brown spaniel, lying on her back on a grey sofa, alongside a pair of bare feet and legs in brown plaid pyjamas.
June 13, 2025 at 7:55 PM
discobeaver.bsky.social
📚 Today I finished The Gentleman and His Vowsmith by Rebecca Ide (Devin Madson) - ticked a ton of boxes for me - magic, mystery, murder, historical setting, brooding, queer characters, birds, smut ... 😏

A really enjoyable read!
The cover of The Gentleman and His Vowsmith by Rebecca Ide against a red fabric background. The cover is bright red with black and gold detailing.
June 13, 2025 at 11:51 AM
discobeaver.bsky.social
This Saturday was an awesome trip to London with my little sister! It's been a long time since we did anything without all of the kids.

I'd like to say we behaved like grown-ups ... 😏

BTTF The Musical was f-ing spectacular! 🤩
A woman and a man standing in front of the big open hall in the British Museum. A woman and a man smiling in front of the blue starting screen for Back to the Future the Musical. A woman and a man standing in front of the main entrance to the British Museum and a very moody grey sky. A woman and a man wearing very fetching rain coats and pulling faces while absolutely drenched! Somewhere in London.
June 9, 2025 at 8:00 AM