I have the right tools

Good morning. The sunrise is blinding me this morning, I have had to shut a curtain so I can see the screen. Two cats fed, coffee drunk, scone eaten. Mayze by my side, she will make a move and go outside, eventually, at her leisure. Then I will take her breakfast out to her.  All good so far. 

Yesterday I finally got round to cleaning the interior of the car. I couldn't get it done before I took it to the garage for the MOT test, (passed by the way) 🚘 as it was peeing it down with rain. We are now back into sunshine again, for how long I don't know. 

The Shark has performed quite well in the house. It has a very strong suck so it is easily cleaning up the cat hairs. Now I take it outside to clean the muck out of the car. Open kitchen window to feed the electrical flex through and plug it into the wall socket. Here is a run down of the gadgets you get with this vacuum cleaner. I hate this job, but at least with the right equipment it is not so laborious.  

All done and ready to go. I have put the bed back in, with the camping stove, and the toilet facilities. I may or may not car camp throughout the winter months. Twelve hour dark nights can be boring stuck inside a car. At least it's there if I need it. Carrying excess weight around reduces the MPG fuel consumption. Never mind, I can live with that. 

I did a walk yesterday, and recorded a video while I was out. I will upload that now, you might see it later here, or maybe tomorrow. 

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

Anyone for car camping?

This is a bit personal. Where do you go to the toilet when you are sleeping in your car? The question many people ask, and the question that some are too embarrassed to ask. This is what I do. You can work out the method which works best for you. 

Thanks for popping in. See you soon. Toodle pip.   ilona

The night before the day after

I decided to go to Buxton on Friday afternoon, ahead of a big day planned for the town. I wanted to secure a parking place, because I knew it would be extremely busy. A dead end side street off a busy road meant there wouldn't be much passing traffic. It was tree lined so the shade was welcome. There was time to go for a walk before bed time.

The Park has a big pond and the geese were gathered on the bank. The sun behind me lit up the bank and houses on the other side. 

There were quite a few young birds about, learning how to peck at the bugs on the ground. 

I love the reflections in this picture. 

Eventually the geese all got up and paddled in a line to the other end of the pond. 

I went for an explore, using a street map that I already had from a previous visit. I save all maps, in case they might come in useful. There is a big mound of earth called The Slopes. Standing on top gives some good views. The town was not so busy, just wait till tomorrow when it will be heaving.  

There was a FunFair up the hill at the Market Place. I had a look around but didn't take any photo's Some of the trucks they had were not as old as the usual ones you see. The rides were the same as the Fair which came to Winterton. 

I looked for some of the Well Dressings, but only found one. They are looking a bit wilted now, after two weeks on display. 

The Crescent was quiet. It is guaranteed to come alive tomorrow. 

I got into bed at 10pm and had a decent nights sleep. All the other parked cars had gone and only mine was left. Here is a little video I made in the morning. 

Saturday, was a full day, more exploring and a walk in the morning, and watching the parade in the afternoon. You will see from the next video and pics just how busy it was. 

Thanks for popping in. Toodle pip.   ilona 

Making a start

What is this slop I hear you say. It's my breakfast. Three fruits, apple, raspberries, and cherries, added to porridge. Fulfilling, energising, and will keep me going until lunchtime. 

Lunch was toast spread with peanut butter, with mushrooms and an egg. 

Sunny today but cold. I had a few little jobs to do around the house. Spread the grass seed on the baldy patches. Take the full liner out of the kitchen bin and replace with a new one. I always use the charity bags for this. Seal up the plastic bread bag full of mucky cat litter and deposit both bags in the grey bin ready for collection tomorrow. Brushed the muck off two pairs of walking boots and cover them with thick dollops of furniture polish. Go to the Post Office in the Church and take out some cash. 

The day had a feeling of Spring about it. Sunny but fresh. It was a good day to start getting ready for camping. In goes the sun lounger bed and two foam mattresses. Underneath the plastic storage boxes. It all fits in nicely. This bed is really comfy to sleep on. I will keep adding things to the boxes. Got no plans to go yet, I'll see how the weather goes. 

Tonight my dinner was something out of the fridge. Mushrooms, cucumber, pasta salad, beetroot, brie cheese, and half of a cheese and onion slice. 

That's it for now. Thanks for popping in. Toodle pip.   ilona

Another car camping trip. Time to get up.

Hello. Bet you wondered where I was, ha ha. I have been camping again. This time in Derbyshire. I booked myself into Middle Hills Farm near Grangemill, not far from Matlock. Arrived just after 1pm, and put the tent up, it was very windy, that's fun. Reminded me of folding up a lorry tarpaulin in the wind where you need six pairs of hands. I had some lunch and went for a walk. It was a short one, only four miles. Encounters with cows, no problem at all. Treat them with respect, talk to them, and they let you pass. It's curiosity which makes them come towards you. Boy was it windy. The evening was spent with cooking noodles for dinner, and sewing. 

The next morning........

I've got more videos, and some pics, will get them out shortly. 

Thanks for popping in, Toodle pip.  ilona

Don't read this while you are eating.

Hello. A delicate subject today, feel free to scroll by if this does not appeal to you. Talking about bodily functions while camping. Where do you pee and poo. I have this Porta Potti which went inside my tent next to the car. Some campsites will have their own toilet facilities, but they are not all open at the moment. 

I bought this potti new about 30 years ago. It has come with me on one house move and has been stored under my stairs for the past 22 years. I used it for a while when I lived in a small caravan close to my work. I could have possibly given it away when I didn't use it any more, but then I thought who would want it? It was easier to keep it, and I'm glad I did.  

I know that my bodily functions are regular, by that I mean I need to poop every morning. Once it's done that's it for the day. When I am out walking I can pee behind a hedge. I am a firm believer that what you put in at the top dictates the consistency of what comes out at the bottom, and the speed you have to dash to the nearest convenience. Planned poos are better than emergency poos. If you eat processed foods, especially meat, ready meals, takeaways, and what I call mucked about dirty food, on a regular basis, and drink too much alcohol, you will pebble dash your toilet, and maybe once a day will not be enough. 

At the other end of the scale you might get bunged up and the call to go could happen at any time. Sitting around a lot bungs up the bowels, moving will loosen things up. I prefer to be like clockwork so I eat sensibly, mostly fresh vegetables, salads, nuts and seeds, and fruit, with the odd treat of naughty food. 

So how does this toilet work. It goes in the tent next to the car. I always have a coffee to start the day. Within an hour or two, sometimes sooner, I need to go. The potti has two parts. In the top goes clean water which is used to flush it. No electricity needed, it is a push pump action. 

In the bottom goes the chemical, and some water, pour it in. The smell is ok, not at all chemically. If you position your bum in the exact correct spot and hold the hatch open through to the bottom tank, your doings can drop straight through without touching the sides. That's as long as it's the right consistency. I know, too much information. Shut hatch when finished and it can stay in there for a day or two with the chemical doing it's stuff and breaking it down. There is no poo smell at all. 

This is the bottom tank which will need emptying.

I bought this toilet fluid at Go Outdoors for £7. It's going to last for ages. 

Instructions on the back on how much to use. You can put some in the top tank with the water if you so wish.

When it comes to emptying it has a carrying handle, the contents will not leak out however you carry it. Turn the outlet round, unscrew the cap, and tip into a designated disposal unit at the camp site. You could possibly take it home and put it down your own toilet. The label on the container says it is suitable for home use. 

There are other methods of organising your toilet requirements, the bucket and chuck it for instance. But I do recommend using the proper chemical to kill all smells. I have seen pictures of a sturdy bucket with a rim placed over the top made with pipe insulation slotted over it to soften the sharp edge. Some use a swimming pool spaghetti floaty thing. I won't go into the sitting with your bum over a log in the wood and burying it method. There are plenty of yooootooob videos covering that. 

Anyway, that's all for now. Time for lunch, then I'll go and do my local walk. Thanks for popping in.  Toodle pip. ilona

Feet up after a long walk, and another walk on day 3.

Hello. I start this post with a video I made at the end of day 2. Chilling back at the camp site. 

Day three was decision time, do I go a short walk in the morning and get back to pack everything away and be off the site by 12 noon, or do I pack away after coffee and a bite to eat, then drive to another village and walk from there. I checked the map, North Grimston which is on the way home looks a good place to walk from and it's only 15 minutes away. 

That settled it, get packed up first then I have the rest of the day to go a walk. The Centenary Way footpath runs through the village, and the sign was right next to where I parked my car. Through a small wooded area and it opened out into a field. Look at this beauty, come to say hello. 

The path goes underneath this railway viaduct, no trains, the track has been dismantled. 

Then it opened out into this very pleasant walk passing the grazing sheep. 

The trees on each side were very picturesque.

Even the dead tree looked very arty. I like the skeletal look of dead trees. 

I'm glad they are in the next field.

I came off the footpath at Mill Farm, and turned northwards along the road. At the end I crossed over a  road to go down another path which was overgrown with wild flowers. These were taller than me. 

This path had a slight incline and became easier as it widened out. Just over the other side of a fence on my left it says on the map that there is a training ground. The thunder of hooves told me what kind of training ground it is. I stood and waited a few minutes to see if any more horses were going to come past. I hoped I pressed the shutter at the right moment. 

After stopping for a bite to eat, I crossed a busy road and carried on along another track, to Settrington. What a pretty village this is. The doors and windows of these houses were freshly painted. Just a bit further along the decorating man was having his break before carrying on with the rest of them. They looked lovely but what a boring job. I think they must have been estate houses for the workers because they all looked the same.  

The village looked tidy. I have hardly seen any litter at all anywhere. 

In the middle of the village is the Green. I was pleased to see that most of it had been left as a wild flower meadow, with only the edges and a walkway through it having been mowed. I stopped to say hello to a dog at gate, the owner came out and we got chatting, at a distance of course. I said I liked how the wild flowers had been left to grow. She surprised me by saying they were awful, and a lot of the villagers don't like them either. 

I left Setteringham on another section of the Centenary Way. Along the edges of fields back to North Grimston. I love this picture. 

What a fantastic finish to three days. I must go camping again. Here are the three walks marked on the OS map. The circle in the middle is the camp site. I always mark where I have walked with a felt tipped pen so I can find new routes in places I haven't been to before. I did a total of 28 miles. 

Now I have finished writing all that up I feel like I have done it all over again. I need a rest now. Thanks for popping in. Dinner time. Toodle pip.  ilona

Camping in Yorkshire - second day.

Hello. After a good nights sleep, and a mug of apple pie coffee, I was ready to get off for another walk. I made a packup of various snacky type foods, enough to see me through the day. I had a route in mind, to go in the opposite direction to the day before. I walked out of the camp site at the back of the equestrian centre. This is the first time I have seen a horse in an exercise machine. It was like a carousel, with partitions in it and as it went round, the horse walked. It briefly looked at me as I went past it. 

Once on the road I looked for the sign opposite to go down a footpath. There was no sign so I worked it out which gap in the hedge I had to go through. This brought me into a field with chin high broad bean plants. According to the map the path went through the edge of the crop. All well and good to start with, the farmer had left a wide path through. It might have been obvious at the time of planting the seeds, but by the time they were this high the gap closed up. Nothing for it but to walk along the edge of the crop through waist high wet grass and thistles. 

I reached the road at Menethorpe and took a right. Follow the sign. Two signposts on the same corner. 

 I left the road and went down a track along the River Derwent. which is called Jeffry Bog Plantation. I made a video here because it was very overgrown in a nice way. For a moment I thought I was walking through a jungle. I wanted to put the video in here, but I still can't embed the code into this post. I Have had to put it into another post which follows on from this one. 

The Centenary Way goes through Firby, a pretty little village, and on I went to Kirkham. The Priory is an English Heritage site, and has an entrance fee to pay. As with all these visitor attractions you have to book in advance. There were a lot of cars parked close to it and on the road alongside. Here is a bit of information should you wish to explore further. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kirkham_Priory

The river runs alongside the Priory, I sat on the parapet for a while, people watching from a distance. I was amazed to see a man appear from under the bridge in the middle of the river. Not that unusual I suppose as it was a hot day. He appeared to be floating rather than swimming, and holding his arm up high he had a camera in his hand. He was looking up at the bridge as he floated along. Strange I thought. If you wanted to film under the bridge surely you would sit in a boat to do that. 

It was decision time. Do I have enough time to follow the river down to Howsham where there was a bridge to cross back over, or should I stay on the right side of it and make a shorter walk back to the camp site. I decided to go for it, a nice two and a half mile walk along a river bank was very appealing. It was a lovely day and I didn't need to hurry back. A weir at Kirkham.....

...and a weir at Howsham. Easy peasy. A lovely walk. There were two people ahead of me who kept stopping to admire the flora and fauna, and I was catching them up. When they stopped I had to stop. When I caught them up I politely asked if they could step aside and let me pass. They were ok about it. 

From Howsham I followed the road to Westow. 

I like the look of this impressive Westow Hall. I would love to have a mooch inside. The green fence and gate are in need of repair, the paint is peeling off the wood. I don't suppose they can do much with it as it's a listed building. 

By this time it was getting a bit late so I thought I had better press on. I saw on the map that I could pick up a footpath at the back of the church, which was down a long dead end road. It went to the church and nowhere else. It is tucked away right off the beaten track. 

I got back on the road again, close to Jeffrys Bog, then stayed on the road towards Eddlethorpe Hall, and  back to the camp site. It was a smashing day. Checking the distance on bikehike.co.uk, I did 13.5 miles. Tired but happy. I'm going to post the Bog video now following this.

Thanks for popping in. More to come. Another walk on day three. Toodle pip.  ilona

Morning coffee at the camp site

Hello. I wanted to put this video at the beginning of the next post, with some photo's added to it. For some reason I am finding that I can't embed a video into a draft post which has been already prepared. I used to be able to slot them into the middle. Don't know why this is happening. So, I can put it into a brand new post, then add to it after, but I have already done the next post. I want to keep things flowing in a logical sequence, so here is a video, with the pictures following in the next post.  

I've just remembered, I've got another video which really needs to be in the next picture post. What a chuffin faff. I'll have another go at embedding it. 

Looks like a sunny day ahead. The garden needs tidying. 

Thanks for popping in. Toodle pip.  ilona

I'm off out for an afternoon walk.

After putting the tent up on Wednesday and having a bit to eat, it was time for walkies. The sky looked a bit grey after the downpour so I put my new jacket on in case there was any more rain to come. I think it was about 3pm when I set off. With the long daylight hours there was no need to rush back for anything. I had picked out a possible route on the map. Across the road from the site was a footpath along the edge of a field. Here is a link to the Thornthorpe Caravan Park by the way,  it's midway between Langton and Menethorps a few miles south of Norton/Malton in Yorkshire. 

http://thornthorpecaravanpark.co.uk/

The footpath took me to Langton village. I always like to take a picture of a church. Most churches are not open at the moment so no chance to see inside. 

The villages in these parts have lovely cottagey type houses. Very pretty. 

I walked out of Langton on the road. After the downpour the fields and paths were very wet. A lot of paths were very overgrown with weeds, thistles, and nettles. The stiles and gates were not very well maintained. I ended up climbing over gates where the locking mechanism had seized up. At least I know my new boots are waterproof. In fact I stayed on the road for the rest of the walk. I had identified a route that would fit in more or less exactly with the time I had left. I came into Birdsall. The church there sits high on a hill, and can be seen from different angles from the road which bends around it. I thought this view was the best.

Around the bends I went, and up a hill towards Burythorpe. Just as I came out of the trees I found this amazing view across several fields. I love the blend of different shades of green. This could be a picture perfect basis for an applique landscape. 

Several cyclists came past me going up the hill, standing on their pedals. That must have taken some hard work to get to the top. Here is the last one lagging behind a bit. 

I could see there was a church in Burythorpe but decided not to walk up the lane to see it. However, just as I was walking along the main street I noticed the church between two houses, and thought this would make a nice picture if I zoomed in a bit. I particularly like the bell tower. 

I passed through Kennythorpe, still on the road, and back to the camp site. So, what's cooking for dinner tonight. Easy to warm up on a small camping cooker. The taste was a bit bland so I put a slice of cheese in it, and bulked it out with a slice of seeded bread. That filled me up nicely. 

It was getting on for 8.30pm by this time. so I sat in my car and did some stitching on a new art project. Bed time at 10pm. I have checked the miles on bikehike.co.uk and this one today was 7.5 miles. It didn't rain again so I needn't have worn the jacket. I was a bit hot and folded it up and put it in the backpack. 

More to follow. Thanks for popping in. Toodle pip.   ilona