Distracted again.

 Finish the boot cleaning was on the agenda for this morning, but I somehow got distracted. I thought I would sneak in a quick hair wash first, but when I had done that I had the urge to give it a trim. 

Twenty minutes later and I am perfectly quaffed. Well perfectly might be pushing it a bit, chopped more like. 

Now I'm going to have lunch, and maybe the boots will get done this afternoon, after I've taken Billy out. It's a beautiful sunshine day. 

Catch ya later.   ilona

The sun is bringing them out

 Good morning. I've just seen a half naked person looking hot and sweaty, jogging past my window. I am sitting here in full layers scoffing a cooked breakfast of mushrooms, pasta, and egg, on toast. Maybe I ought to hurry up and finish this and get myself out there. 

Catch ya later.  ilona

PS. I now have smelly garlic breath, but it was deeelishus. 

Heading into the sunset.

What a glorious day today. I started off cleaning boots but abandoned that to go for a walk. Do you recognise this tree? I like to see the gulls following the tractor. It comes to the edge of field. 

Then turns round to go back.

And here they come, ready to grab a juicy worm or two. 

It was four o clock when I set off so after a brief sit down on the bench I pressed on. Heading into a dramatic sunset. 

I got back to the village at 6.15pm. Tomorrow I will finish cleaning the boots. Now I'm having a glass of wine and watching some videos. Scott o Connor has put one up, his latest artwork is fantastic. 

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

Breaking free

 I have had a belly full of covid, and everything else which centre's around it. My mind has been polluted enough by the claptrap that is peddled from the Government and MSM. I understand people's consternation, that they feel overwhelmed by it all, and that it is the dominating factor in their lives at the moment. But my mind is made up. I have read up from lots of different sources and I know what I believe, and nothing will convince me otherwise. There's no point in people coming here for a debate. You have your opinions and I have mine. 

The world is changing, and if people think that we will get back to normal, whatever that is, then so be it. We are moving forward, the new world is not the same as the old one. Fear is the new norm. Fear will get people to comply. That is the direction we are going in. People can choose to go along with it, or not. My direction is the one I choose to take. 

Thank you for popping in. I am happy with my life, you make sure you are happy with yours. This is not goodbye, I'll be back.  Toodle pip.   ilona 

Housework sucks.

I've been busy today, but still had time to make a video. 

Not had time to do a walk yet, so I had better go now. 

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

Too many layers

Good morning. What a job I've had with these photo's. I attempted to post this last night but they got lost on the computer. I really must have a clear out. I did another variation of a local walk yesterday, to take in a path I normally avoid during the wet winter months. It hasn't rained for a few days so I thought the mud might have dried out a bit. It was a good decision. The ground was quite solid to walk on, but the wind was still there, so it was another wrap up day, or so I thought. I had to stop and take a layer off because I was too warm. 

Soon after I started out I came across two people who I used to work with on the last job I had, at B & Q. A husband and wife team, both drivers. I haven't seen them for a few years, so that was a nice surprise. I like coincidences like that. 

Looking over the River Trent. Boy was it windy. 

Superb views. This is a popular walk at the weekends, so it's best to go on a weekday. 

Nice to see the spring flowers coming. 

There is a good view across to Yorkshire. Drax Power Station can be seen from this point. 

I knocked on a friends door in the next village. It was nice enough to sit outside and have a natter, but sadly she was not at home. She was maybe at her daughters. I put a note through her door. 

I then had a choice, do I backtrack and go back the same way, I decided to carry on and  do a circular walk. There was time enough to do it. I walked down a road and had a chat with a man walking his black labrador. 

I turned off to the right on long and exposed track. My goodness the wind really whipped across there. It was a case of hood up, and push forward hoping not to get blown over. 

I walked through a farmyard and turned right onto a road into another village. This is where I picked up part of another regular walk I do. You will recognise these trees. 

It was gone 6pm when I landed back home. Another three hours outdoors, this time seven and a half miles covered. I was glad to have a portion of stew to heat up so I didn't have to cook. 

It's looking good for today, outdoors again after lunch I think. Maybe I ought to do some work in the garden rather than galivanting off again. I'm going to be a bit short on my miles this month, but not to worry, another ten months left to catch up. 

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

A good scoff

You can't beat a belly busting breakfast, it sets you up for the day. Mushrooms, chopped leeks and cucumber, a spoonful of the green pea salad, and chuck in an egg. Served on a slice of wholegrain toast spread with houmous. Marvellous. 

I picked up the little lamp that I have on my mantlepiece last night and shone it on the picture like a spotlight. I think that makes it a bit more mysterious. Like gazing out of the window into a black sky. 

I've just rung my friend to ask how the footpath is along the hills, her husband walks it often. I avoid it in the winter because it's so muddy. The reply was it isn't too bad, only muddy in patches. I will give that a try today. Best get wrapped up though, although the sun is shining, the wind is howling.  

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

Ghost town

 I went to the Post Office in town this afternoon, because our little pop up PO doesn't do car tax. I parked my car and walked to it up the High Street. Very sad to see it like a ghost town. Most shops closed, some never to open again, one or two people sitting on the benches, probably bored out of their minds with nothing else to do. Nobody in the Post Office. I paid for my car tax, paid my utilities bill, and took some cash out with my card. And that was it. Walk back to the car and come home. 

I haven't bothered to listen to what Boris has to say, but from the reactions of others to his latest change of rules, I gather it's not good news. They say he keeps changing the goal posts, so what's new. Isn't that how it's always been. Furlough has been extended yet again, paying people to stay at home. Most of them won't have jobs to go back to anyway as more companies go bust. What a mess. 

Bye for now.   Toodle pip.  ilona 

Tales of the Riverbank

Hello. Yesterday was rather blustery, very blustery in fact. It was a good time to get out and blow the cobwebs off. There are large flat areas next to the river where the wind can whip across the water sending waves crashing into the banks. So off I went, well wrapped up. 

There is an elevated bank which I think was originally built as a defence against flooding. It works pretty well most of the time, except for a few years ago when there was an unusual tidal surge due to days of massive rainfall which caused the water level to raise dramatically.

That's the way out to sea, if you are in a boat. 

It's an ideal place for horse riders. 

Can you see me mother. Brrrrr, it's windy but not cold, and I am walking straight into it.  At least it's not raining and wet.  

Not such a dramatic sunset, but an interesting cloud formation. 

I am snap happy. If you carry a camera you always have a hobby. Up loading them to the computer when you get back and sorting them out, is fun.

I walked all the way along the bank to the fence at the Industrial Estate, then I could go no further. I could have chosen a different route back but I know it is muddy, so I stayed on the dry grass and turned around. At least going back the same way meant that the wind was now behind me. 

This is the same lady on her horse that I saw the other day, when she posed for me. 

Daylight is beginning to fade, and so am I. My stomach is rumbling, I need food. 

The lights are going on. 

It was 6pm when I got back, I was out for three hours. I find it so satisfying to collapse in a chair knowing that it was time well spent. The cobwebs were well and truly blown off. Six miles walked as checked on bikehike.co.uk

Today is looking a bit calmer, I think I will have an hour or two in the garden. Enjoy your Sunday. Catch ya later. Toodle pip.  ilona

Thursday night was shopping night

It was time to do some shopping, it's three weeks since the last Aldi visit. Time flies. I went a bit later this time because I wanted to go to Tesco after, and I thought the later the better when hopefully there wouldn't be many people about. I had vouchers for £20 which needed to be used before the end of the month. 

Once again I had Aldi to myself. There were a few people in Tesco, but it's a massive store so plenty of room to social distance. It was 10.30pm when I got home. 

My yooootooob subscribers like to know what I buy, so here it is. 

It was quite mild today, but when I took Billy out this afternoon the wind had got up and it was a big jacket and furry hood job. I think it's going to be warmer tomorrow. 

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

Yesterday's walk

Not a lot happening at the moment. I had a nice walk yesterday. 

Found some charity bags dumped in the wood. Obviously someone couldn't be bothered to deliver them.  

Saw a woman riding her horse. Stopped to chat.

Found some plastic garbage dumped in a pond. Please stop buying cheap crappy Chinese rubbish.

Found another fly tip. Rescued a cute bucket. The label on the bottom says it is an ice bucket. Would make a very nice wool bucket. 

It's raining. I will go to the Post Office to pay my utilities bill. It came in the post, and it has a bar code. Hip hip hooray, they got it right. This afternoon I am playing at painting. 

Thanks for popping in. Have a jolly nice day. Toodle pip.  ilona

Introducing The New World.

At last this is finished. I lost interest in it half way through, put it down, put it away. Then I thought I would have another go. And this is what I have come up with. 

It's got a gold frame, second hand someone was throwing it out. The black background is a piece of fabric I got from Hull Scrapstore. I have stretched it over the original picture which was in the frame, and laced it at the back. I took the photographs before I put the glass in. The stars are small paper clips, which push through and fasten at the back. I painted them with white pearly nail varnish. It is all hand stitched. 

I wasn't sure about the frame at first, but it's growing on me. Now ready to move on to the next project. 

Billy and me liked our walkies this afternoon. It was sunny and warm. Nice to chat to some village friends. 

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

Hockney loves trees

I have just come across a series of 80 short films about David Hockney to celebrate his 80th birthday. He was born on the 9th of July 1937, his 84th birthday this year. 

In this one he is in a country lane in East Yorkshire painting a tree. It reminded me of the tree picture I took last week. I can just see him standing there with his easel and paints Pity I can't copy and paste him into there, ha ha. 

Catch ya later.  ilona

A dose of vitamin D

 A nice surprise when I looked out of the window this morning, no snow. I was up at six, had a coffee, and out the door at seven for a village walk. Back for 8 o clock. That felt good. 

Mayze was up early with me, but after her breakfast she went back to bed. She looks so sweet snuggled under the duvet. 

The sun came out, so after lunch I got my boots on and took off down the road and along the track across the fields. I found a few snow drifts, but mostly is was muddy. 

I had a ten minute sit down on the bench. The sun was lovely. 

On the way back I took a slightly different route which added an extra mile. It was a nice change. The two walks today have totalled nine miles. I have a bit of catching up to do to make up for the lost days when I didn't walk. 

The picture is coming along nicely. I have decided to frame it, with glass to keep it clean. The black fabric picks up the cat hairs and dust so it needs to be protected. I hope to get it finished tomorrow. 

Lets hope we get some more sunny days. It's important to go outside and get the vitamin D that we need. 

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

Won't you join me for coffee.

Hello. It's blowing a gale outside, I'm not going anywhere. I see people walking past, wrapped up, and battling against the wet and windy weather, and think no thanks, I will stay in. I made this video yesterday, freshly uploaded to yooootoooob. Grab yourself a coffee and sit down for 15 minutes. 

I've just eaten a bowl of stew, the last one of three. I have plenty of veg to make some more. It was very nice. 

Thanks for popping in. Stay snug and warm. Toodle pip.   ilona

100 miles an hour

Blimey, and I thought Terry Miles was fast. Marius Labsch plays Swanee River at 100 miles an hour. Recorded in Hamburg in 2019. Look at that man go. No matter how down I get, BoogieWoogie lifts my spirits. It's a great pick me up.  

Happy Valentines Day. Love and kisses.  Catch ya later.  ilona

Guinea pigs

 I was in two minds whether to publish this or not. To be honest I was horrified when I saw it. The Oxford Vaccine Trial, attached to Oxford University, are looking for young people, children from age 6 to 17 years of age, to take part in a study to enable them to assess if children can be protected from Covid 19, with a new vaccine called ChAdOx1 nCOV19. 

The trial length is one year, blood tests will be needed, and you have to live near one of the four centres which are participating. Oxford, London, Southampton, and Bristol. 300 participants are needed. There is a £10 reimbursement for each study visit. The study is funded by AstraZeneca and The National Institute of Health Research. 

I know they are running trials for adults where they have to have a Covid test every month, two of my friends are on it. That's all well and good if someone wants to offer their body for research. Adults can make up their own minds. But asking a six year old if they want to have a needle stuck in their arm several times over a period of a year, plus blood samples taken, how would they understand what it was for. What parent would agree to that?  

When I was six, up to about the age of 11 ish, I was running around catching all kinds of nasties as I played in the dirt. Pond fishing, collecting frog spawn, climbing trees and falling out of them. Grazed knees and elbows. I also caught all the coughs and sneezes that were going around. It was normal to let kids catch things so they built up a natural  immunity. Going home crying was part of it, mum always kissed it better and put a plaster on it. 

I am struggling to come to terms with the fact that life isn't like that any more. It's a changing world and I don't like it very much. 

It's sunny outside and I have a dog walk to do. Hope I don't fall over, the snow and ice is still here. Enjoy your weekend whatever you are doing. Toodle pip.   ilona  

It is what it is.

 I will tag along with Rachel and John today, if I may. I very rarely feel lonely, because I make my own entertainment, I am not in a bubble with anyone, don't know how to get one started, or how to join one. I suppose having a coffee with my friend would be counted as a bubble, as we have done many times over the last few years. But it is clear that her husband now sees anyone other than family coming to the house as a bit risky, so I stay away. I miss our chats but don't want to be in the way. 

When I woke up this morning I was coming out of a dream. My boyfriend from many years ago, whom I was very fond of, was here in the house with me. Of course I soon realised that it was just a very nice dream. I tried to hang on to it by closing my eyes. I thought about the times I have had a telephone call and when I answered the line went dead. The person on the other end doesn't speak. I wondered if that was him trying to get in touch. It was probably a sales call, but maybe it wasn't. I will write down the number next time. 

My conversations are limited to people that I meet in the street and around the village. I know a lot of people to say hello to and to exchange a few words with, but it's not the same as having a sit down coffee and a good laugh. 

I went a short walk around the village yesterday but didn't feel comfortable tackling the icy paths and roads. It was a slow process, and wasn't what you would call exercise. I did have a chat with one man who was walking his dog, which was nice. 

The restrictions at the moment don't affect me too much, but I am beginning to feel like I am trapped. It's cold so the best place is to be inside the house, but come the spring if the situation is still the same I will still feel trapped, and also in a prison. 

The sun is streaming through my window, it looks very inviting to go out. I see couples walking together. I will stay in today and hope the snow and ice will be gone soon. I don't want to slip and break a bone, that would be a disaster. 

This is not a pity party, I am not complaining, just stating how it is. Back to the sewing, it's looking good.

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

A very wise seagull

 Filling my time, keeping busy. This part is done. Now to start on the next stage of this amazing masterpiece. The colours are more vibrant in real life than they are on the photo's. 

No birds have appeared yet. The sun is shining, I hope it melts enough of the snow to be able to go a walk this afternoon. In the meantime I need to wash my hair, strip the bed and wash the sheets, and run the dyson round. 

Debi mentioned seagulls on the previous post, it reminded me of a book I have read many times. Johnathan Livingston Seagull made a big impression on me when I was younger. His messages were as clear as a sparkling spring glistening in the sunlight. It was like a light switch going on in my head, it was my bible for a long time. 

Here is a passage from this web site. www.anquotes.com

 All you need to do is believe in yourself. People have limited capabilities, but if called upon, human beings have a lot of hidden abilities. Reading this book will help change your mindset and inspire you to live your life beyond the chains of fear and reach for the next level.

1. “Jonathan Seagull discovered that boredom and fear and anger are the reasons that a gull’s life is so short, and with these gone from his thought, he lived a long fine life indeed.”

And there you have it. Jonathan knows the secret to a good life. 

Thanks for popping in. Toodle pip.   ilona