An energetic hobby.

Good evening. 

Coffee Morning at the club this morning. A bit low on numbers, but that doesn't lessen the amount of noise. Lots of chattering going on. 

This is the second video I recorded on Monday, after shopping. A walk through a short stretch of road leading to a footpath, on an Industrial Estate. Oh my, such a lot of rubbish. If I am going to tackle this it will need a lot of visits. 

I went back to where I was picking at the weekend, to finish the job off. Filled one red sack to bursting point. Found bigger pieces of rubbish dumped. I walked there from home because the sun was shining and it was surprisingly hot. I wore a jacket but wish I hadn't. My pickings were too heavy to carry back to the village. I was going to come back in my car to collect them but ran out of time. Watching the sun go down as I walked home. I will go and collect the piles I have left by the roadside in the morning. . 

Another tiring day. It's surprising how much energy you need to constantly pick up cans and bottles, even with a stick. There's a lot of stretching and reaching under hedges to be done. The bag becomes very heavy. 

Now I'm going to chill with Mayze. She is waiting for me to stop typing.

Catch ya tomorrow. Toodle pip.   ilona

Happy Birthday Mother

 Thinking about you. 

You showed me the right way, and you gave me the freedom to choose. 

Lots of love from your first daughter, ilona

Threats

 Rupert Lowe MP

@RupertLowe10

·

45m

Last night, there was another arrest following a credible death threat against me. The concerted campaign of hate against Restore Britain has had two consequences. I now have private security. And I am more determined than ever to ensure Restore Britain wins the next election.

It's a sad bad world. Go outside the sun is shining. ilona

Hold on.

 Wednesday morning musings. 

Insanity is a growing, nay escalating movement, designed to destabilise the world. From the top down it filters through all levels of humanity. The real organic world is being sacrificed for the advancement of fantasy and fake. We humans are in the way, we are the obstacles to this brand new world. 

Stand your ground, claim your piece of land. Hold on to your freedoms because they will crumble before your eyes. 

Enjoy your day. I have another video in the oven. See you later.  Toodle pip.   ilona

Checking out my patch

Aye up me ducks, how are you diddling. It's been a lovely day. Warm sunshine, able to do a bit of repotting in the garden. Those four little conifer trees I bought for £1 each from Home Bargains have finally been transferred into bigger pots. 

The pink litter picking cabinet in the centre of the village was filthy so I gave it a good scrub. 

I took Billy for a walk, and stopped for a chat with Paul, one of my old walking buddies. He has a new dog. A beautiful short haired German Shepherd called Bella. 

Yesterday I drove to the area where I left five bags of litter and two tyres on the roadside. I was intending to record a video there, but lo and behold it had all been taken away by the Council. I made the video anyway. 

Then I had a drive to an area where there is a horrendous amount of litter which needs clearing up. I recorded a video there as well. I'll upload that tomorrow. 

That's all for now. Thanks for popping in. Catch ya later Toodle pip.   ilona

Get your permit online.

 Tuesday morning  - first post. Quote from faceboook. 

I’ve had to spend 20 minutes online to book a slot at the tip and list off the items at the bottom and had to cover up the stickers on my van or entry is refused.

The lay-bys are soon going to fill up and serves the council right

Councils are often the cause of some fly tipping problems. Oxfordshire. 

Three comments. 

I had a permit to dispose of an old shed for my aunt, got to the tip with it, and turned away as my van is a twin wheeler back axel said only allowed 4 wheels lol, so just had a bonfire later that day the neighbours loved it lol

 Those tips are a joke the rules are ridiculous, my friend went in a small toyota pick up you know the one, tiny little back on them not designed for moving rubbish, they were disposing of a 3 piece suite. 2 ladies in it got refused because it was a commercial vehicle now tell everyone that the rules are right , they're ridiculous it was plainly obvious it was from their house.

I got stopped from getting a permit for my tipper to take my own very very occasional big items to the tip. It's amazing how much you can fit in the back of an old Volvo 700. They are just trying make it difficult for people to get rid of large amounts of stuff when doing DIY jobs by borrowing/happening to own vans. They want you to pay for a skip 

Then the conversations descend into a slanging match, between those who genuinely have a gripe about their local Councils, and those who love rules and regulations. 

Happy Tuesday everybody. Catch you later. ilona

Trapped in litter

 Late night post. Just seen this.

From UK Litterpicking Groups. 

Wildlife doesn’t understand branding. It doesn’t know what’s food and what’s plastic. They investigate. They crawl inside. They get trapped. They die. The hidden cost of convenience.

Litter-related animal deaths are preventable. One dead mouse might seem insignificant, but it isn’t.

Drowned after becoming trapped inside a discarded Mc Donalds cup, wedged upright in a hedge, filled with rainwater.

A trapped and deceased bank vole

Something to think about.

Goodnight. ilona

Confidence

 Good morning.

Looking bright and sunny.....so far. Will we have a nice day outside, or must we take cover indoors. Who knows what comes next. 

Something I borrowed from the book of faces this morning. The owner of the motorhome on the right asks why has someone come along and plonked themselves right next to them, when the rest of the park is empty. 

Came back from walk, to find out we now live in a semi-detached motorhome

Some of the comments are funny, but have you noticed that people bunch up closely to others, even when there are lots of options. In a supermarket car park I choose the furthest away from the door space, because I don't want to get my doors bashed by an inconsiderate person as they get in and out of their car. You can almost guarantee when you come back with your shopping that someone has parked within inches of you. Why, when there is all that space. 

I went to the cinema and was told sit anywhere you like it is empty. Great. Someone came in and plonked themselves within a few yards of me. I got up and moved. 

If I catch a bus I don't want to sit squashed up to someone else. I pick an empty seat furthest away from everyone else. 

If I go to the toilet when I am out, I choose the cubicle furthest away from those which are occupied. I don't want to listen to the sounds of others pee splashing into the bowl. 

It happens in men's toilets too. 😵😆😜

Why do people group together and assume everyone else wants to join them. Are people scared of being alone? It's the herd instinct I suppose. Safety in numbers and all that. 

After going through all the ups and downs in my life I have come out the other side with a renewed confidence to face things alone. I will skip Crafty Club this morning, and get lost in my own head. I am comfortable there. 

Thanks for popping in. Have a good day. Toodle pip.   ilona 

Five red bags

 Hello. Welcome to my blog. I hope you find something of interest here. I cover subjects which I am interested in, things that amuse me, and whatever floats my boat. 

My two bags of litter from yesterday. They look a bit lonely. 

Hey presto, now there are five bags. I've done three hours today, and there is still more to do. Someone added a tyre to it, then I found a wheel with a tyre on it. 

This litter picking lark seems to be gathering momentum. There are lots of  groups on faceboook. It is turning into a social activity, people are joining together and moving mounds of rubbish. Remember the gin bottles I found, this is what they found in Northumberland.  

A group collection in North Lincolnshire. Nice sunny day for it. 

The piles are getting bigger. 

It's not just litter that you come across,. People dump anything anywhere. 

Waiting for the Council collection vehicle. 

Oh my, look at this mess. It will need a big team to clean it up. 

 I have raided the volunteer cabinet and claimed some more red bags. I think I'm going to be needing them. Such a lot of litter everywhere. 

Thanks for popping in. Catch ya later. Toodle pip.   ilona 

Two red bags

Good evening. 

This darn weather is confusing. It changes almost every hour. Raining when I got up. Then blow me down, the rain stopped and the sun came out. Maybe I will be able to go out after all. 

I went back to where I was litter picking on Thursday, to continue along the road that I didn't have time to finish. I found that the farmer had cut back all the grass, the brambles, and the hedges with a machine. Thus exposing the rubbish that was previously hidden. By doing that there was a lot of flattened and mangled cans and plastic bottles to pick up. Here are some examples of how hard it is to find them when they have been squashed into the ground. Good eyesight is needed, and a pair of sturdy boots. 

 

Surprising what you find. An axe head with a broken shaft. Too heavy for me to carry, and I don't need one. I left it there. Hopefully someone who needs one might find it. 

I am not picking that up. Looks like it was a deer. I saw two deer carcases in a field. Not much left of them, mostly bones. 

This boot makes a good photo, the way it has deteriorated on one side. I can imagine a little mouse poking it's head out of one of those holes. 

Ooooh, look what I found in the hedge bottom. Surprisingly not broken. I will keep that.  

Two bags filled. Time was getting on and the clouds were getting darker. I pulled a lot of litter out from under the hedges and left them in piles alongside the road. No time to bag it up today. I will go back and work my way through it. The road is almost a mile long so there is still a lot more to tidy up. At least it's a quiet road with not much traffic. Just as I set off back home, the heavens opened and the rain drenched me. Chuffing crazy weather. 

I will find a use for this. 

Now I'm going to cuddle Mayze. 

Thanks for popping in. Enjoy your Sunday. Toodle pip.   ilona

My words.

 Good morning. 

Chris from Always Smiling, asks a question. Happiness-with a question mark. What gives us that burst of warm feeling? I jotted down a few words. After pressing publish on her blog I thought, I could copy my words here.  

I have never relied on other people for my happiness. I look inside myself for that. For me it's completing a job well done. Getting to the end of an art project. Finding my way from one end of the country to the other, a long arduous journey, and delivering my load. Navigating my way through a particularly complicated relationship and extrapolating myself from the situation, to come out the other side knowing I was right. Looking at a clean and tidy grass verge, knowing that no one else has to look at the ugly litter that I have spent a couple of hours picking up. 

This morning I woke up to heavy rainfall. Oh well, looks like I won't be doing much outside today. And now at 11.00 it has completely changed. The rain has stopped and the sun is coming out. That's better. Change of plan. A dog walk, and finish off that litter picking I started on Thursday. 

Cooked breakfast this morning. That will keep me going.

Have a good weekend. Toodle pip.   ilona

Competition time.

 Good morning. 

Slept like a log last night, all the way through to 7am. That's the great outdoors for you. A five hour windy walk. I think I will have the day off today. I'll finish the litter picking on that particular stretch of road tomorrow. 

Here's a thought. If you are taking part in a competition and you need people to vote for you, what do you do to boost your chances of winning? Ten years ago I entered Shed of the Year, with my self build shed/summerhouse. It was all a harmless bit of fun, so I put out the call on various social media channels asking the people I knew to vote for my shed. We were given three weeks to garner as many votes as we could. There were eight categories with four in each category. 

One of my blog readers was a school teacher and encouraged her class of kiddos to vote for my shed. That gave the numbers a boost, which propelled me towards the finals. Little did I know until the presentation that my shed beat the other three. Were we cheating? I don't know, it was a bit of fun. 

Voting for the person you want to win is how selecting usually takes place. Those with the biggest number of followers usually have a better chance. Sometimes it pays to be the life and soul of the party, to gather a large number of fans, and make promises about what you are going to do if you should win. It's important to appeal to those who might elevate you to the position of authority. 

And so it happened yesterday, apparently. A green party candidate made it to the final to win her seat in the election, somewhere around Manchester I think. Families throughout the area flocked to the polling booths to cast their votes. Mum, dad, and ten kids. Seems it was a good turnout. 

You can read about it here. 

Thanks for popping in. Toodle pip.   ilona

Tidying up the countryside

Oh boy, it's nice to sit down after being battered by the wind. I got the 12.30 bus out to a neighbouring village. The weather wasn't too bad on the way out, some rain, but it had gone by the time I got off the bus. I was looking forward to a pleasant walk with some scenic views. The path was quite high up so the wind whipping across from the river was blowing me sideways. My eyes were weeping and my nose was dripping. It wasn't cold, just blooming windy. 

Yes, I took my litter picking stick and two bags with me. I called in to see my friend June but she wasn't in. Half of the walk was slipping about on mud. It was hard work. The picking stick came in useful as a walking pole to steady me as I went up and down the steps. Don't want to break a leg at my time of life. 

When I left Junes village I decided to stay on tarmac. I can walk faster on the road. No footpath and not much traffic about.

I didn't expect to see a great deal of rubbish, but was shocked to see the amount of bottles and cans littering the verges. It's a quiet country road. I filled my one red sack and left it in a prominent position on a bend under a road sign. The council should see that when they next come along. I carried on, heading back home, and started filling my smaller bag. There was far too many cans and bottles for me to carry and my bag was full. I had to leave some behind. The wind started getting stronger, and the rain came, and I was getting fed up. 

The pleasant walk was turning into a fast march carrying a heavy bag. I was glad to get back. I will have to go back for the rest of the litter. Can't leave a job unfinished. I will wait until the weather improves, hopefully in a day or two. 

Now I am knackered. Should sleep well tonight. 

Thanks for popping in. Toodle pip.   ilona  

Aye up me ducks

Visitors this morning. The ducks are back. How nice. I scattered some seed on the lawn hoping they would come down from the top of the hedge. and scoff their breakfast. They didn't. They stood still for a while, like they were on lookout duty. Then they were gone. Perhaps checking the place out for a suitable nesting opportunity. 

Mayze is not interested in the ducks, or any other birdlife that happens to land in the garden. She is a contented old lady who is happy to snooze on the chairs laid out with her beds, and have her food delivered. She might wander to the bathroom, litter box, when she needs to, or sit on the window sill above the radiator.

It's looking a bit overcast at the moment, but I noticed that it hasn't rained overnight, so I hope the ground is drying out enough to go for a proper walk. I have checked the bus timetable, kindly printed out for me by Janet, I don't have a printer. When I go out I have the question, do I take the litter picking stick and a bag, or am I out for a relaxing walk in the countryside. I don't want to carry the stick the whole way and not come across any litter, but then I would be miffed if I did find rubbish in the hedgerows and didn't have any means to pick it up. It's difficult to walk by and ignore it.

I will try not to miss the bus.

Thanks for popping in. See ya later. Toodle pip.   ilona 

A nice day for getting jobs done

Hi there, it's getting late so just a quick one. 

I made soup today with broccoli and cauliflower. Instead of using the stick blender I found the potato masher in the back of a cupboard. Why not use that instead. Anyone remember these. Do you still have one and do you use it? 

It's been mostly sunny today. Clouds came over for a while then the sun appeared again. It's been quite warm as well so I was able to make a start on tidying the garden. Managed to fill the brown garden waste bin ready for collection tomorrow. 

Then I went back to the Industrial Estate next to the pond, to pick some of the litter which I found on Sunday. Pleased to report that the four bags plus other debris I left by the litter bin on Sunday has now gone. There is a short dead end road between two warehouses which is full of rubbish. There was a foreign lorry parked there when I arrived. No sign of the driver, he was probably asleep in his bunk. Very smart Mercedes Actros it was. Couldn't work out which country he was from. 

So I picked and picked and picked. I filled three bags. One of them was very heavy, it was mostly bottles. I found these black plastic things. They are used as protectors when a load has to be strapped down. They go under the straps along the top of the load inside a curtain sider. This stops the load from getting damaged. I don't know why anyone should throw them away. They are a useful piece of kit. 

Another driver pulled in and parked up in the bottom corner. I had a quick chat as I was almost finished and ready to leave. The lorry had British plates so I assumed he was English. Not so. He was a Polish driver. he spoke a bit of English. I asked him how often he gets back to Poland. He said his boss pays for him to fly back home every three weeks. He flies from Liverpool or Manchester, and it only takes 45 minutes. 

Tonight I have started a new crafty project. I am making a book cover with fabric scraps. 

Now time for bed. Thanks for popping in. Toodle pip.   ilona