Taking notes.

I’ve talked before on this blog about research. I write on a computer, but I take notes with a pencil. It’s still the best technology if you want to get a great deal of information on a single page – and by far the best technology if you want to compare three bits of information from different sources.

 The drawback is having to read your handwriting, though. A scribbled note can degenerate into...well, it can be hard to say what.

 A wuveless lion?

 Wuveless? What’s that supposed to mean when it’s at home? I’ve never seen a lion with a wuve (whatever one of those might be) but ...well, is it likely to matter? Can’t I just use lion and never mind the wuves?

 Hang on, though...is that a u? Or an n? And that squiggle at the beginning...

 That might be an m.

 Muneless?

 No, no, maneless! They were maneless lions in Mica’s valley!

 Phew, it’s a good job I realised: because, let’s face it, shaking its mane is the sort of thing I could have easily imagined a bolshie Ice Age lion doing.

 Narrow escape from making a horrible mistake there.