A walk from Ranby.

With the weather being so unsettled just lately I've been a bit reluctant to stray too far from home in case I get caught out in a downpour. My walks have been closer to home. Yesterday looked promising so off I went to Ranby. 

I am having trouble in deciding what to wear. Too much clothing can be uncomfortable and slow me down, too little and I feel the cold and so I walk faster. Yesterday it became really hot so the clothing I wore had to come off and go in the backpack. I tend to take an extra layer just in case, and quite often I don't need it. 

I set off down the canal towpath. These two boats are permanently moored here. The blue one can be hired for trips of an hour, or longer. 

The Chequers Inn has it's own mooring slot. 

I passed underneath the A1 trunk road. The drone of the traffic followed me for ages. 

On the opposite bank were several Canada Geese. It was difficult to get a good photo as they hid among the grass. The baby is just visible here. 

Off the canal now and heading towards Scofton. This is actually a bridleway on the map but is tarmacked to allow the farm traffic access. The farms around here are part of an Estate. All around this area are lots of Lime Trees. The smell is gorgeous. 

There are brown fields housing cattle and sheep. 

And green fields containing crops. These look like they are going to grow into sweetcorn. 

I could see a church in the distance and zoomed in for a picture. Let's go there for a closer look. 

Come back tomorrow to see Scofton Church. It's beautiful. 

A note for the International Walking Group members. It's check in day tomorrow. You have less than 24 hours to top up your mileage. 

Thanks for popping in. Toodle pip.   ilona 

Eight miles today

Another trip down the A1 today into Nottinghamshire. I parked at Ranby, I've been there before. I started the walk along the Chesterfield Canal. It was a lovely sunny day. I had too many layers on and ended up carrying them in my backpack. Some photo's will appear tomorrow. It's late now and I am tired. Catch ya tomorrow. Toodle pip.   ilona

Pretty boy

Twas a strange thing I saw in Aldi the other day. A man wearing a backpack with a bird inside. You don't see that very often, in fact I have never seen one in my life before. I asked permission to photograph it. Please excuse my reflection. It was like a plastic bubble with airholes so the bird could breath. It had a perch fixed inside, but the bird was not sitting on it, A piece of toweling on the bottom was more appealing to it. It may have fallen off the perch, I don't know. 

The man told me that his little friend has separation anxiety, and he bought the carrier so he could take it with him when circumstances allowed. I wonder what the bird thinks of it's tour around Aldi then. I asked it but all it said was, 'who's a pretty boy then'. 

Today's plan? Not really sure yet. It rained overnight, now blue skies are beginning to appear. Maybe I should take a chance and go out. Need some shopping.

Thanks for popping in. We'll catch up soon. Toodle pip.   ilona

Nice one Russ

That was a lot of fun yesterday. Sometimes I let the odd nitpicking, sarcastic, and sometimes downright rude comment through, if it suits me. It makes for good entertainment, and shows people up for what they really are. When I answer back it really pisses them off, and they can't help themselves to come back for more.  Thank you to everyone who took part 

I've never been a fan of Russell Brands humour, far too whacky for me. He also speaks at 100mph, and coupled with his very tight editing, I find it difficult to keep up. The beauty with yoootooob is you can slow things down by clicking on the little cog at the bottom (settings), and tweak the playback speed. I choose 0.75. That allows me to digest the information presented. Choosing the subtitle option is a help as well. 

He might not be everyone's cup of tea, but he sure does hit the nail on the head with his ranting. With 5.71million subscribers, 47k likes on this video, and 12,695 comments, he has built up quite a substantial following. I'm surprised he is actually still on yoootooob, as many others speaking along similar lines have been banned. 

In this video he talks about what is really going on with gas prices. Is it the war, or a stranglehold by record profit making global corporations who have more power than the  Governments. He lists eight links in the description, to articles and documents which back up his analogy. It is worth 15 minutes of your time, then draw your own conclusions. 

The weather yesterday was very haphazard. Sunshine then black clouds, and a massive storm. It eventually brightened up at 4pm and I did a local walk. This morning it is sunny and I have a Billy dog walk later this afternoon. The garden keeps calling me, so I go out and do a bit of trimming up, just to keep things tidy. 

There will be no more verbal punch ups, let's keep this a happy place. That's until someone really annoys me, then I will answer back. I will not crawl into a hole and lick my wounds. Sometimes ignoring trolls works, sometimes you've just gotta stand your ground. 

Thanks for popping in. We'll catch up soon. Toodle pip.   ilona

Sharing the garden with nature

I have a wild flower meadow in my garden. I stopped mowing there to let it go back to nature. Mostly yellow flowers, but I like to see them waft about in the breeze. I trim the tops of the surrounding bushes keeping the height down, but allow them to grow sideways creating the backdrop for the flowers. I will probably mow it just once towards the end of summer. I am not a fan of immaculate picture perfect gardens. a little bit of messiness is ok with me. 

Every morning the birds are waiting for me to appear at the back door. As soon as their breakfast is deposited they tweet like crazy as they dive down and tuck in. The bowls of water are very popular, for drinking and bathing. 

The hedgehogs come for food every night. I keep an eye on them before I go to bed. I can tell they have been overnight by the amount of poo I pick up in the morning, and the empty saucers are stripped bare of their contents. Best get them plumped up ready for their winter sleep. 

This morning it looks a bit dull outside, I will give it an hour to decided whether to go a walk or not. Last few days of the month to pull in a few more miles. 

Someone sent me a comment saying I post crap. I published it here. My question to them is why are they reading my crap? Some folks are not very bright. 

Thanks for popping in. We'll catch up soon. Toodle pip.   ilona

Rather worrying

There have been several reports on our village facebook page over the last few months about robbers breaking into backyards, sheds, and outhouses, and even into the house itself. These incidents usually happen overnight, although some suspicious activity of strangers trying gates and doors during daylight hours have also been reported. 

This popped up on or village page this morning. 

I would just like to make people aware. at 3:20 this morning my brother was cycling to work, he spotted two lads with balaclavas trying to break into a house. The circle on the map is where he saw them. My brother shouted what are you two doing? They then ran and got into a black car and sped off. Please check your property and stay vigilant. Maybe someone may have CCTV that may have caught something.

Rural crime around here is gaining momentum, with batteries used for electric fencing  being stolen, more than once on the same site. Sheds broken into and farm equipment are stolen. And the two dead sheep carcasses I found dumped in the woods. All rather worrying to think that people are coming from outside the area to rob us. 

There are a lot of people in the village with security cameras fixed to their properties. This I hope deters the robbers, but the pictures are poor quality and the culprits are not always identifiable. A blurry picture of someone wearing dark clothing with a hood pulled over their head, does not give many clues. 

To be honest, we shouldn't be surprised that this is happening. People are going to become more desperate as time goes on to make money which ever way they can. I can only see this escalating. Rob a few things to sell on to make money for what they need, either food or drugs, or both. Check your security measures. Make a note of any suspicious activity. Take down car and van registration numbers. Lock everything up. 

I did a double walk for Billy dog yesterday. His mummy was out for the day, she gave me a key to get him out. We had a lovely time walking around the pond, then later a village walk. 

I had a natter and a catch up over a glass of sherry with a friend last night. 

It is sunny and windy outside. Enjoy your Sunday. Thanks for popping in. 

Toodle pip.   ilona

Over the bridge to Hessle

I had an early lunch today and went off to Barton for the afternoon. 

I parked at the Ropewalk, they have an Open Exhibition there. Here is a pic for Briony. She commented on a needle felted model I posted from the Scunthorpe exhibition.  

This boat is made from scrap wood. 

Love this painting of Bridlington. The detail is amazing.  

I left the car there and went a walk over the Humber Bridge. 

When I came off the bridge I went down the steps and through the Country Park to the Foreshore. I came across a Traffic Patrol car and stopped to ask if they could change the footpath to the other side of the bridge. It gets a bit boring always walking along the same side. It would be nice to have a different view. There are paths on both sides but it is always the same one which is open. I had a nice chat with Adele, she explained that all the equipment which the engineers use for maintaining the bridge is stored on the one side. It has to remain closed so they can get access to it.  

I took this photo because I thought of an idea for when I returned over the bridge. These big cast iron objects are all along the bridge. They are at the bottom of the long strands of heavy wire which join the top rail to the bottom. To give myself a bit of interest on the return walk I would count them. Most of them are in pairs, but some of the centre ones are single. If anyone can tell me how many there are along one side of the bridge, counted singly, I will send a surprise package to the nearest guess. Sorry, UK only. A clue, there are between 200 and 300. 

The last time I went across the bridge there was a lot of building work going on. It is all finished now. There is a new care home, and all along the Foreshore they have built flood defences to protect nearby homes if the water levels rise too high. There are low walls with thick glass panels. Already there are two smashed panels. They must be very expensive to replace. 

I really fancied an ice cream, and had to walk to the end of the Foreshore to the ice cream van parked there. Not a Magnum, something similar, but not as good.  

When I got back to the car I popped in Tesco to pick up a few things that I was running out of. Aldi didn't have any mayo, and I needed some more garlic granules. Also I have not been able to get any Lor coffee, Tesco have it in stock. 

It was a nice afternoon out. I have walked over the bridge many times before. It's good to get a fast stride going, and feel those leg muscles getting a workout. Another few days and we will be at the end of the month, and the halfway point of the walking challenge. I am on 499 miles, so I will do a few extra this month to give me a good start for July. 

Thanks for popping in. Have a nice weekend. Toodle pip.   ilona

Robin Hood and his Merry Men

I loved Robin Hood. Remember the programme? Richard Green played Robin. Remember the song? Remember what he did? He robbed the rich and gave it to the poor. I think we need Robin Hood to come back. We need to reverse the current trend of the rich robbing the poor. Robin Hood where are you? 

Gardening today. Warm, but not as hot as yesterday. Toodle Pip.   ilona

Let's be clear.

 After a two year experiment more questions need to be asked to move it on to the next stage. There are an awful lot of sudden deaths (SADS) occurring in younger fit and healthy people throughout the world. Athletes are collapsing on the pitch, or while they are competing, or dying in their sleep. To push this under the carpet and claim that this is nothing unusual, would be folly. The experiment will never come to it's conclusion if this is not followed up. 

I always thought that any sudden death is followed by a post-mortem examination, to produce an autopsy which establishes the cause of that person dying. 

Peter McCollough is calling for all sudden deaths to undergo an autopsy. He advises that for each case where there has been an exposure to the treatment, the study needs the dates, brands, lot numbers, history of cardiac or thrombembolic disease, hospital records if any, and autopsy findings. It is important to keep all original records. 

In the meantime they push ahead with the programme, before all the essential data is recorded. Only then at the end of the experimental period can they claim that the product is safe. Anyone with any doubts would do well to hold back until they are clear in their own mind that they are taking the best course of action for themselves. 

Catch ya later.  ilona

Holbeck Church. Welbeck Estate

I left Creswell Crags at the opposite end of the pond that I arrived at. The path goes over a stile and climbs uphill along the edge of a field. A group of slumbering brown cows  ignored me. This is part of the Robin Hood Way. Nice views over Creswell. 

The path over several fields took me into Holbeck. I entered the village opposite the phone box. A break on a bench was very welcome. The day was hot, and several drinks were needed to stay hydrated. Carrying on, taking the path next to the phone box, put me on an amazing avenue of pollarded trees. There must have possibly been a hundred. All perfectly lined up, the grass mowed to perfection, and the lower branches removed so that each one was identical to all the rest. I believe this procedure is done every three years. We have some trees like this in our churchyard. 

Halfway along the Avenue is a church, St Wilfreds. It stands back off the track. The grounds around it are immaculate. All the bushes have been trimmed to perfection. 

The sun was in the wrong place and was bouncing off the lens. This pic looks a bit hazy. 

Sadly the church was locked so I couldn't go inside. This is part of the Welbeck Estate. 

The church of St Winifred is Grade II listed and was built between 1913 and 1916. It was originally a private chapel in the Church of England and was the traditional burial place for the dukes of Portland at Welbeck Abbey. The building is unusual in that it was erected entirely by labour from the estate.

More information can be found here. 

Join me for a stroll around the grounds. 

On leaving the church I checked the time. I needed to be back at the car park before the place closed at 5pm. I carried on to Holbeck Woodhouse and crossed the main A60 road into Tile Kiln Wood, then it was time to head back. 

I arrived at the car park at 4.30pm, and set out my picnic at the back of the car. I wished I could have stayed there longer but just after 5 all the staff were leaving. The last person had the key to lock the barrier, and I just got out in time. 

I hadn't got a definite plan for camping. I had already had a smashing walk, and I didn't fancy hanging around for four hours until bedtime. The easiest thing to do was to drive home. I arrived back at 6.30pm. Yesterday and today have been scorchers. too hot to do a long walk, and too hot to sleep in the car. 

There are lots of walks in that area, I might go back again and it's not that far away. Thanks for popping in. We'll catch up soon.

Toodle pip.   ilona

Is it real !

Please God let me die before this happens.  It's not about health, it's about control. 

American pharmaceutical giant Moderna is opening a new mRNA Innovation and Technology Centre that will develop vaccines for a wide range of respiratory diseases, including C vaccines that can protect against multiple variants.

Construction is expected to start as early as this year, with the first mRNA vaccine due to be produced in the UK in 2025.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: "We are bringing supercharged home-grown vaccines right to our shores. I want the UK to be the brightest and best in research and technology, creating more jobs and securing our economic future".

So disappointed to read about this. Is it real?  BJ is on a power mission. Claiming his place on the top table of the World Government. 

Catch ya later. Toodle pip.   ilona

A visit to Creswell Crags

There is a really big car park at Notcutts Garden Centre, shared by The Harley Gallery. It is free to park. Follow the brown tourist signs off the A60 a few miles south of Worksop. I had a look around the Garden Centre, it is massive. They are working to extend it into the grounds around it. They sell everything you might need for the house and garden. 

Water fountains.

Outdoor seating.

Plants of every description.

I wanted to have a look at the Art Gallery, but sadly it is closed on a Monday. I should have noticed that when I checked the web site. 

Painted seat outside the Gallery. 

I had a peek in the Farm Shop. It is quite big and has a lot of interesting food, with prices to match M & S. 

To walk to Creswell Crags follow the coloured trees. Easy walking, suitable for wheelchairs and buggies. There is a busy main road to cross. As you can see it was gloriously sunny. 

There is a visitor centre and a car park. There is a charge to park here, if you arrive by car. Check out their web site here. Pick up a free map from reception to guide you around the site. 

The gorge has a concentration of cave and rock shelters inhabited by our Ice Age ancestors. Set in a landscape of rare grasslands and ancient woodlands. It is a conservation area. 

There are pathways on both sides of the pond, or is it big enough to be called a lake. 

I made a video. 

When I left here I picked up a footpath to Holbeck. More about that next time. Another vid and pics to come. Thanks for popping in. Toodle pip.   ilona

Mooooocows

I saw quite a lot of cows today. These black and white ones, and a lot of brown ones all lying down in the hot sunshine. I have been out for the day. It was going to be two days.  I got back to my car at 4.45pm after a long walk, and the Garden Centre car park closes at 5pm so I had to move the car out or I would have got locked in. 

The plan was to move on to somewhere else for the night and do another walk tomorrow. I was in Nottinghamshire by the way. I thought I might go to Chesterfield, but then thought maybe not. It was very hot and I would be sweaty inside the car. It was 5.15pm, so at least another four or five hours until bedtime. What would I do to kill time. I made the decision to return home. I had a good day, it was a fantastic walk. It was a one hour ten minute drive back. 

I've got some photo's and three videos, so I'll be putting them out over the next two days. Thanks for popping in. Toodle pip.   ilona

Let us pray. . . . . .

 . . . . . . . to the New God. 

Our Convid who has been sent to blight our lives forever.  

Give us this day our daily prick.

Forgive us that do not respond to your call. 

As we forgive them that push the juice into our arms. 

Lead us not into battle with each other. 

And deliver us from the evils of those who wish to control us. 

For we are individuals with our own hearts and minds.

Our bodies are our temples and should be respected. 

Protect us from those who push to violate our wishes. 

Now rise up and say, no more. 

A new beginning where we reclaim our individual rights and choices. 

Banish those who bring us misery. 

Hang onto your freedom.

The new religion of Convid must be thwarted. 

This post is inspired by something I saw on Faceuptoitbook. Health Buddy is an app that you can download onto your hand held gadget. It has all the answers to the questions you might have about the plandemic. They are not going to let it go. The push will be relentless, it isn't over by a long chalk. Put your seatbelt on for a rocky ride. 

Now enjoy your Sunday. We have the sun back again. I need some breakfast. 

Toodle pip.   ilona 

Shopping in Germany

Hello. It's wet outside. It's been a dull day and now it is raining. Such a contrast from yesterday. This video popped up on my yoootooob sidebar, because I follow Mike, the German in Venice. That's Venice Beach in the USA where he has lived for many years. 

He is at home in Germany at the moment, visiting his mum, or should I say mom. In this video he takes us on a tour inside an Aldi store. Those who are interested in food prices around the world will perhaps like this video. The store looks just like the one I visit here. I suspect they are all very similar wherever they are. 

Today I collected my new glasses. I am very pleased with them. They are a perfect fit, and feel comfortable, and I can see better. The old and the new. I have changed from gold half frames, to silver half frames. Not much difference. I bet nobody will notice. 

I had a look at the Arts Centre while I was in town. The whole of Church Square looks like a building site. It has been like this for several weeks. I don't know where they have got the money from but it is having a massive makeover. Raised beds have been created, and trees have been planted. I think it looked alright before. 

I did a late village walk last night, and snapped this sunset. No such luck tonight. 

Enjoy your Sunday. Toodle pip.   ilona