More web work today – it really does seem to be innordinately time consuming. The problem being that I don't do it often enough. Each time I do web work I have to look up the intricacies of the various languages involved.

I'm torn between creating a new theme by hand or splashing out on some software to help with the design process. I've come across a nice looking package called Artisteer which I'm investigating. It looks promising and may well save me some considerable programming time.

Tortoises – I've being mulling over a few different tortoise models. I like the shells, they appeal to my inner mathematician. Three possible ideas:

Two tortoises facing each other. Alternately they push their heads out of their shells to investigate the other. I have an idea for an interesting mechanism such that, on one turn of the crank one tortoise comes out of its shell, on the next turn the other.

An idea I've been thinking about for ages. A tortoise reaches out of its shell opens its mouth, grabs a lettuce leaf and munches. Sounds easy enough but there is quite a lot of mechanism to fit into a small space.

Another one I've been playing with for a while, with a slightly darker theme – actually two models with a dark theme now that I think of it. Either a tortoise spinning round on its back waving its legs in the air. (Good model for a bevel gear!) Or. A tortoise sitting on the top of a tall box, peering over the edge looking for a way down.