Get the bike out

Hello. I was up early this morning, 5am to be precise. After coffee I did a bit on the computer, then did my three mile village walk. A bit of weeding in the garden when I got back. Then lunch. I fancied going a bike ride. The tyres were flat and I had to hunt for the pump. After I set off I realised I had forgotten to put my helmet on. Oh well never mind, the roads are quiet and I will have to make sure I don't fall off. 

I took a few photo's.

And I made a little video.

My friend June was in so we sat out in her garden enjoying a natter, and a nice cool drink of lemon juice. A lovely afternoon, apart from the sore bum. Even with a gel saddle it is still not very comfortable. 

I think it's going to be a bit cooler tomorrow, but I think the sun will be back on Friday.

Don't forget, it's check in day tomorrow for the International Walking Group. Lets see how we are all doing with the walking challenge. 

Thanks for popping in. Toodle pip.   ilona

A walk from Burringham

Good morning. A good nights sleep and I'm refreshed. Looking like another sunny day, I will do a Billy dog walk this afternoon. Must remember to take some water with me as he will be needing a drink if we have another warm day like we did yesterday. 

Talking of yesterday, it was good to get out and walk in a different area. I parked my car next to the church in Burringham. It's a pretty village next to the River Trent. They had some bad flooding here a few years ago. 

Interesting towers at the back of the church. 

I walked out of the village and came to these signs. Oh dear, I want to walk down there. I hope it only applies to vehicles, and people on foot are allowed to go past the obstruction. I'll take a chance because the diversion is going to be busy with cars avoiding the blockage. 

Big wide flat open spaces in these parts. The fields are massive. This is a quiet road that leads into Scunthorpe. I suppose it was inevitable to see some fly tipping, but I was dismayed about just how much there was. Several skips would have been needed to clear it all up. 

I saw on the map that there was a fishing lake. I fancied a look around to take some photo's. There is an intercom to gain access. I decided not to bother, the gates remind me of a prison. Checking out their web site it seems that it is a very exclusive place. They have holiday cabins to let, and a very swish club room with lounge area and big TV screen. Groups can book a weeks holiday at around £300 per person. The M181 motorway is not very far away and the drone of traffic can be heard.  

And here I am crossing the M181. This is the cause of the road closure. They have set up a compound to take in deliveries for this project. A new junction is being added to take some of the pressure off the roundabout at the Tesco end of it. 

Just over the bridge, more fly tipping. It seems that the production of cannabis is big business in these parts. I wish they had never invented black bin bags. 

From here I headed towards Scunthorpe and hit a busy arterial road. Nothing for it but to walk along it. Thank goodness there was a service road alongside, and a cycle track, so I had a bit of distance between me and the traffic. I found a low brick wall to sit on for ten minutes, outside a petrol filling station and opposite Asda. A piece of quiche and a strawberry yogurt was very nice. 

A bit further along the road leaving Scunthorpe behind, I turned right along a track back into the countryside. Oh, here we go again. Cannabis roots. 

Over the motorway, skirting round a farm, now onto a long straight track. It was a bit windy here. 

Needed to wear the sun visor, put the hat on top to keep it in place. Although windy, it was warm. No jacket needed, I wish I had put my shorts on. 

Over the rickety bridge and into another field. 

Along the edge of a rough field, called Butterwick Common. In the bottom corner a group of sheep were lounging in the sun. I tried to creep very slowly past them so as not to disturb them. Lots of bleating as they warned each other of an alien approaching. 

I crept closer to this lamb to check it was still breathing. It was. Mum was munching grass nearby. 

I came across another fishing pond. There was a fence around it, to keep the sheep out I think. I could see all I wanted to see without entering. 

A very tranquil setting, but traffic noise was still humming in the background.  

Arriving in East Butterwick, on the banks of the Trent, I was ready for another sit down. The owner of the Dog and Gun had very kindly left his chairs out on the front. There is a big grassy patch opposite on the river bank and he was going up and down it on his ride on mower machine. Probably getting it ready for some outdoor customers once he is allowed to open. He gave me a cheery wave as I took the photo. 

Then it was a case of following the river back to the car at Burringham. 

A row of willow trees wafting in the breeze. 

Underneath the M180 motorway. Getting fed up of this camera now. You can see how the scratch on the lens catches the light here and makes a hazy patch. 

Bye bye motorway. 

I was pleased to see that they have put a concrete pavement here. Makes for much easier walking. 

And there you go. Nine miles walked and I'm happy. A quick dinner when I got home. Thanks for popping in. We'll catch up soon. Toodle pip.   ilona

Goodnight

 I was hoping to post tonight about the walk I did today, but after uploading the photo's I am too tired to put the words to it. My brain has turned to mush and I am yawning, so I will finish the post in the morning. 

Goodnight.   ilona

You decide.

Good morning. The good news is that the boat in the Suez has been re-floated. The bad news is that there are now 369 ships waiting to follow it through to the other side, which is going to take a while to clear. You might have to wait for your non essential items to land on our shores. 

Anyway, a new day dawns, and it's going to be sunny for three days, apparently. We have been given new freedoms, so it's only right to make the best of it. Little by little they are being given back to us. 

I am allowed to drive somewhere and go for a walk in a different place, so that's what I am going to do. Camera batteries are on charge and as soon as I've checked the map and had breakfast, I'm off. 

Have a nice day, and grab your freedoms while you can, because once they are gone forever, there is no getting them back. The new normal is being locked up and your life mapped out for you. The old normal is thinking for yourself and taking full responsibility for your own actions. You decide. 

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

Piccies from a walk yesterday.

Hello. A few snaps from a five mile walk I did yesterday. It was a lovely sunny afternoon. Blue skies and fluffy white clouds. Tall pine trees along Wood Bottom. 

The windfarm that I often walk past. Picture taken from a different location. 

I decided to explore a disused railway line, and scrambled up a bank to get to it. Not been used for many a year. This section sits on top of a bank. 

Then the track goes through an area banked up on both sides. 

The tunnel goes under the road, which I want to be on top of. There was no way I could climb up onto it here, too steep, so I had to backtrack and find a place to get onto the field between the track and the road. 

On my way home now. This is a turf field which will be harvested in the next few weeks. 

I love this creaky old skeletal tree. It looks good against this sky. 

A nice walk. Enjoy your weekend. Toodle pip.   ilona

Glass of wine chat, new vid.

I made this video and left it to upload itself while I went a walk. When I got back it was ready. 

I'm off to Aldi in half an hour, so I'll leave you to it. Catch ya tomorrow. Toodle pip. 

Stuck

I see there is a big boat stuck sideways in the Suez Canal. 

Tug boats are trying to pull it out. Diggers are trying to dig it out. There is talk about bringing in some big cranes and offloading some of the containers, to lighten the weight so it can float off the sandbank. But access is difficult. It may be stuck there for a while. 

There will be delays of deliveries into the UK, About 50 large ships are anchored up, in a queue, waiting to get through. 

I don't care about the electronics, toys, and clothes, which are stuck in the canal. What happens if we don't get the deliveries? We make do with whatever we have already here. We manage, we repair, we repurpose, we recycle. We would do well as a country to become more self sufficient. 

What I do care about is that animals are stuck in the blockage. People can sort themselves out, animals are trapped in cages. I hope they are getting the food and water that they require. The trade and movement of live animals should be drastically cut, in my opinion. 

It's a tad windy today, don't know if I will get a walk, we'll see how it pans out. 

Thanks for popping in. Toodle pip.    ilona 

New normal?

Good morning. I see on the twitttterattta  that Judge Rinder, (I am not familiar with his TV programme), has had his phone snatched from his hand in a London Street. A horrible experience I would imagine. Theft of one's personal possessions, especially when they are wrenched from your hand must be a very traumatic experience. 

This kind of crime seems to be gathering momentum. Youngsters on scooters and bikes looking for easy prey. Most bikes are stolen, two people wearing balaclavas can make quite a lot of money by taking this particular line of work. It can be very lucrative so I understand.  

The sensible thing to do would be to never walk about anywhere with your phone in your hand. But of course people do just that, because they cannot bear to be isolated from the rest of the world. I have missed calls on my little Nokia because the phone was in my bag and I couldn't get it out quick enough. Not to worry. I prefer to be unobtainable for a while.  

I bet the companies who sell phones, and those who provide the services are rubbing their hands with glee. YAY, someone is going to need a new phone. 

Here is Roberts tweeeet...... and a few responses.

I’ve just had my phone grabbed out my hands by 3 boys wearing balaclavas on bikes (Finchley Road & Canfield gardens). They laughed as I shouted to drop it. I'm in shock.

It’s sadly a common occurrence. A single person on a moped can steal around £4K worth of phones every day and the phones are given to a fencer before you’ve even called the police.

This happened to me, except I chased the guy. He was on a push bike. I knocked him off his bike. He grabbed me and threw me into oncoming traffic. I never let go. He was a career criminal and thankfully got thrown in jail.

This happened to me outside Euston station last year. I was also punched in stomach but screamed and ran after attacker as did half the station and he dropped the phone.

Same thing happened to me some time ago, luckily a postman was near by , I jumped in his van and we chased them up the road, I dived out the van on top of the guy to his surprise, gave him a black eye and retrieved my phone.

Happened to me also in Russells Square. Devastated me. Unfortunately the police said this is happening a lot but they hardly ever find the people that do it.

Had my phone snatched out of my hand by boys on bikes on West End lane just a week or so ago — tracked my phone being cycled down to Kilburn, and then it was switched off.

Please be careful people. In an ideal world nothing would get stolen, but it does, so take steps to protect your valuables.

Thanks for popping in. Time for brekkie. Toodle pip. ilona

Brilliant walk yesterday

Hello. Second post of the day, churning them out now, keeps me busy. Yesterday was a glorious weather day for a walk. I set off at 2.45pm, taking my usual path out of the village. On reaching the bench I had to take off my jacket and stuff it in my little rucksack, I was sweating hot. Also had to roll my long socks down to my ankles, my legs felt uncomfortable. Takes me ages to get the right clothing combination for a comfortable walk. I am always taking a layer off or putting another layer on. One day I will learn to dress myself properly.  

I walked this route last month, in the opposite direction. It takes me through a farmyard. When I passed this way before they were erecting these cabins. I wondered what they were for, holiday lets maybe, or a new farm shop. 

I stopped to chat to a man who was repairing a piece of farm machinery. I had a great conversation with him, he was jolly. I was nosey and asked him about the cabins. He said it is an education centre for special needs children and young teenagers, and their parents. It all sounded very interesting. Those with learning difficulties are referred here for extra activities. They come on a daily basis and are brought in by a minibus. The front will be landscaped to include a sensory garden. 

The facility is called Changing Lives through Changing Minds. They have a web site here. 

I walked over to the cabins to get a photograph, two people arrived to do some work. Now here's the best bit. You see the man in the photo, that is Trevor. He is the one who put the bench in the field. How good is that. I first wrote about the bench in 2009, I often sit on it for a few minutes when passing. Trevor and his wife used to take walks to that spot from the village where they lived. After she passed away Trevor put the bench there. He tends to it putting flowers in the vases, leaving water for any passing dogs, and cuts the grass around it. It's about half a mile from the village, I have wondered for ages how the water appears and who looks after it. Now I know. Trevor admits he drives there. I was so pleased to finally find out the story behind the bench. 

Time was getting on and I had to put my jacket back on as it was getting chilly. Still a long way to go. I passed my friends house in the next village, the one I called in to see before but she wasn't there. This time she was. I didn't really have time to stop, we had a quick conversation through her open kitchen window. She offered to give me a lift home. I said, no we can't do that, besides I want to clock up the miles. 

So on I trekked. I passed a viewpoint, people were sitting watching the sun go down in the distance. Another quick chat, I can't resist it, ha ha. 

Keep going. I wanted to take photo's of the sunset but trees were blocking my view. In the daff photo it looks like it is still light, but it wasn't. I didn't think I would get a photo here. 

Keep going, still can't see the sunset. 

I came out of the trees into a clearing, and there it was. Stunning. 

Keep going. Looking up the river. 

Now it's getting dark. 

One more look across, is it still there. The lights over Yorkshire are going on. 

Now it's pitch black and I can't see the ground. I would normally stay on the track until I was almost home, but this time I thought it would be wise to take a little side track and get onto the road. 

I arrived home at 7.45pm. Eight miles walked. Something warmed up in the microwave for a late dinner, I was flippin hungry. Brilliant walk though. Thank you to those worrying about me in the dark. I will try and remember to take a torch next time. 

Thanks for popping in. Toodle pip.  ilona

It's good news.

 This might be a very short post. I've looked at the MSM headlines trying to find some good news. . . . . . . . . . . . 

Number of workers on payroll up for third month during pandemic. 

UK and EU may share Netherlands vaccine supplies to ease tensions. 

Getting a cold may protect you against Covid, scientists say. 

Corona virus - live. Lockdown Anniversary marked as PM says restrictions to be eased once and for all. 

Campaigning ten year old girl inspires Waitrose ban on kid's magazines with disposable plastic toys. 

Common cold immune response to Covid might be population wide. 

Paperboy, 15, saves woman's life after noticing pile of deliveries. 

What can you do after March 29th? How lockdown rules are easing in England under next step of roadmap. 

Squirming Matt Hancock grilled on why he's afraid of public enquiry into Covid.

Extra hour of sleep at night cuts Covid risk by more than 10 per cent. 

BBC : Government could abolish at any time, warns expert. 

You will never have to scrub a toilet again if you use this new toilet cleaner. 

California winery advertises $10,000 a month job, living rent free near a vineyard. 

Builders convert house so paralysed widower can return to live at home. 

Teenager quits college so she can become a self employed chimney sweep. 

Restaurants, pubs, and bars permitted to pop up marque's without planning permission. 

Auto rickshaw driver in Srinagar turns internet, hero for simple act of kindness. 

There you are. This has cheered me up no end. Doom and gloom be gone. Catch ya later. Toodle pip.   ilona

Walking by moonlight

 Good evening. It's late and I am too tired to write a post tonight. I went for a walk at 2.45pm, and didn't get back until 7.45pm. I hadn't intended to stay out that late, it's just how it happened. I got chatting and thought I had plenty of time to get back before dark. I didn't, darkness caught up with me. I had to come off the track and do the last bit by road because it was pitch black surrounded by trees. I couldn't see where to put my feet, and it was a bit spooky. I know the route but I didn't want to risk tripping up on the bumpy ground. 

It was eight miles, a route I had done before but in the opposite direction. I'll be back tomorrow with the write up and piccys. Thanks for popping in. Toodle pip.   ilona