If you’d told me five years ago I’d be spending the last day of planet earth in Gosport I’d have laughed in your face. I’d planned to play it safe and ride out 21st Dec 2012 somewhere up a mountain with a hunting rifle, caring Scandinavian wife and waterfall caves of tinned food. I came to my senses; but when 11.11am passed without global incident I shrugged like everybody else.
Still, there’s always the Rapture to look forward to. That and any number of asteroids. And the whole global warming thing. Another end of the world is always just around the corner, friend.
Anyway; Gosport – a town that looks like it suffered Armageddon in the 1960s and only recently decided a fresh coat of paint wouldn’t hurt. I had to check the news to check we weren’t in the ruins of judgement day after all. Thank god for my wonderful mother’s whiskey collection.
Back in Edinburgh, laughing in the face of the apocalypse, I’d been taking pictures of squirrels. Those adorable rodents know how to prepare for a changing environment – mystery exo-planet or no mystery exo-planet. To celebrate the beginning of the 14th b’ak’tun of the Maya Long Count calendar, may I present them to you here; one talisman of furry cuteness for each b’ak’tun seen so far.
CHRIS PARLETT 
That’s one fat squirrel