Where did I go today

Good evening. It's gone 9pm and I am winding down. I took the scenic route alongside the River Trent  to Gainsborough. I haven't been for a long time so worth a look. I drove through Burringham, East Butterwick, Susworth, East Ferry, Wildsworth, East Stockwith, and parked just outside Gainsborough opposite the church at Morton. The road is very twisty and quite narrow in places. 

The church wasn't open so I wasn't able to go inside. 

I took a few photo's and recorded a video so I will post them tomorrow. Now I need to get Mayze cat in and put the hedgehog food out.

See ya soon. Toodle pip.   ilona

Observing nature teaches us solutions.

Good morning. Remember the feather dusters? I stole eight of them from my friends garden up the road. With his permission I might add. He doesn't like them so he always chops them down. I salvage a few of them and stick them singly in the bushes in my front garden. The birds were loving them, they are ideal for nest building materials. 

After most of the feathers had been stripped, the long stalks sank lower and lower into the bushes, because they weren't attached to anything. Oh dear, not much left for the birds to peck at. 

Solution. Gather them all together in a bunch, and now they support each other, and don't disappear into the bush. Camera at the ready, and the birds came back for more. 

Logic told me that one stalk on it's own was going to disappear, but gather a few together and they can support each other. Lesson learnt, it's all very well being a lone soldier standing up for what is right, but eventually you need a few more likeminded soldiers as a back up to instigate change. 

A video from my walk on Wednesday. 

Almost the weekend. Ready Steady Go, the 1960's pop programme on the tele on a Friday night, always said the weekend starts here. And it does. Have a good one. 

Thanks for popping in. Toodle pip.   ilona

A sign of the times.

 Good morning. A man has just walked past my house, as he does most mornings. Head down, leaning forward, peering into his brain which he is holding in his hand. Just like the two figures pictured on this warning sign. We are in the age of turning everyone into zombies. He is probably checking his bus timetable app. Pleading silently to the bus driver, please give me another minute to get to the bus stop. 

For years I was always working against the clock. You have a delivery to make, be there in two hours, there will be a crane waiting to offload you. Cranes cost a lot of money to hire, timing was crucial. Traffic hold ups were not usually taken into consideration. I felt the tension in my head, in my bones. Frustrations were building up the closer I got to the site. I've got to get there, my job depends on it. 

One day the pressure was on. I was driving a bulk powder tanker, 26 tonne of cement. The office had rung me on the cab phone. What time will you be back? We need you to get back and reload for tomorrow. I had planned on having a night out in the cab after discharging the load at the block factory. They insisted, I must come back to base. I thought it might be possible to do that within the legal driving time I had left. I said I would give it my best shot. 

I saw the gates of the factory, let's get in there. I slowed down, but not enough, and threw the cab into the entrance. The next few seconds were a blank. A sickening crunch as the trailer hit the gate post and stopped me dead. I was devastated. 

The lorry was still drivable. The controls for discharging the load were not damaged, so I could return to base with an empty tanker. The next day I had to take it to Metalair at Sutton Bridge to be repaired. I sat with it for three days while they put things right. I expected to lose that job, I didn't. But it was a turning point for me. I would not give in to pressure again. My decision has to be final. 

I blamed the transport office for that incident. They put me under pressure, they told me I had to be back for reloading. After the initial shock had died down in my head, I began to think logically. Who was behind the steering wheel? Me. I was in charge of the vehicle, and I gave in to the pressure. Simple as that.

I know my brain has slowed down over the years, and I could not take the pressure now to get the job done. My sense of urgency has all but disappeared. I don't walk around with a screen in front of my face. It does not matter if I miss a bus. Indeed, people have avoided death by missing a train, a bus, or a flight. 

So if you see these zombies walking about, give them a wide berth. They will step out into traffic. They will walk into walls and posts. They will bash their heads as they trip and fall to the ground. They have been indoctrinated into believing that they cannot function well without a set of instructions at their fingertips. All part of the plan. 

Thanks for popping in. Wet and windy outside. I have plenty to do inside. 

Have a good day. Toodle pip.   ilona 

Bus out, walk back.

A Bus Pass is handy for a one way journey when I want to walk back. Five miles this afternoon, a sunny day with lovely views. I have photographed this view before. 

I saw one other person along this track. We stopped to chat. She was a similar age to myself, and she had just been to visit her 99 year old mother, and was walking back home. 

I can see for miles. That's Yorkshire over there. 

Nev Cole Way is a 57 mile long distance path. Details here. 

Trent Valley Way is a 108 mile long distance path. Details here. 

The blue arrow indicates it is a local bridleway. 

I took a few snaps of flowers. 

It was a lovely walk. 

Check out my latest yoootooob vid, uploaded today while I was out. I sold the bowl this morning at Coffee Morning.

Now it's getting dark. I have to get Mayze in, and put the hedgehog food out. Last night there were four of them cavorting on the lawn. How do hedgehogs make love? Carefully. 😁

Thanks for popping in. Toodle pip.   ilona

Crash Course on Not Being Manipulated - Top Tips!

Good afternoon. If you want to learn something, Ivor Cummins is your man. A short introduction video explaining how you can take control over your own life. There is a transcript with this so you can read along as he speaks. He gives several historical references on how easy it is to manipulate people. 

One of our documentary shorts which explains mass-manipulation techniques - enjoy and share! You can book tomorrow's (Thurs 29th May) Critical Thinking workshop here: https://ivorcumminsworkshops.com/ - note the combo deal with Mental Strength masterclass also...)

Now I must dash, I have a bus to catch.

See you later.   ilona

The old days.

 I surely can remember cookery lessons at school. I gave mum a list of ingredients to buy for the next lesson. I had a wicker basket to carry them to school, covered by a clean tea towel. I took a biscuit tin to bring the food home. 

I remember making flapjacks, but it took a lot of willpower not to eat them on the school bus on the way home. I probably did eat some of them. 

Domestic Science lessons covered other household tasks as well. Washing and ironing tea towels and aprons. Keeping our mini kitchens clean and tidy, putting things back in the cupboards after use. The teacher, Mrs Walker, came round us all to inspect what we had done. 

We studied nutrition, which foods were good for you, and which to avoid. Planning and writing up a weeks menu. How to bake in the oven, and how to prepare vegetables and meat. How to set a table with a cloth and the correct cutlery. 

This was one of the very few lessons that I actually liked, along with art and needlework. 

I often think that instead of going forward we should be going back to the good old days. You didn't very often see overweight people, now everyone is bigger and obesity is a plague. I wonder if things will turn full circle, but I suspect not. Humanity will continue on this path of self destruction. It's very sad to see things fall apart. 

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

I struck gold.

Good afternoon. A charity shop find which I came across a month ago. I don't know what you would call these. There were ten packets of decorative black and gold embellishments. Each one is half a metre long. They can be cut into smaller pieces and can be sewn onto almost anything. At £2.50 for the lot I couldn't not buy them. 

I turned this one over to show the back. These can be sewn onto anything with tiny stitches using black cotton.  

I bought a black blouse top for £1, and didn't notice that one of the cuffs has some damage. I will be able to cover it with one of these, and add a few more to to make a one off exclusive garment.

 

I have just started a new project. Embroidering some detail onto a pink cardigan. I might start a new fashion business. ✂👕👖👗👘👚🙋

To avoid any speculation, I haven't been 100% for a couple of days, now I am 110%. 😍

Thank you for popping in. Toodle pip.   ilona

A post just for Cro.

Dan and Steve live in their van. They have just posted this video on their yoootooob channel. Cro might like to watch it. He may just recognise some of the streets and bars, and may even recognise his own home. It's a lot of fun, they are a comedy duo who bounce off each other. I had the pleasure of their company a couple of months ago when they visited my village. They have part time jobs which enables them to fill in the non working days by making videos. If you watch it on yootooob you cab click the like button and leave a comment. 

A note for Cro. I love your post yesterday singing your praises for your community. Your last two sentences say it all. I think you have decided that Brighton is the place you would rather be. 

Talking of Brighton has reminded me of another blogger who we have not heard from for some time. I hope Briony is alright. Is she still doing crochet? Anyone heard anything? 

I am enjoying my garden at the moment. Cats and birds, big birds, little birds, ducks and hedgehogs, and the cats. I might wander off to the park later but won't be going any further on this Bank Holiday weekend. 

Thanks for popping in. Toodle pip.   ilona

2 art projects finished

Good morning. Two new arty crafty pieces to show today. I got this idea from a 2017 copy of Stitch magazine. It looked rather colourful so I thought I would have a go. Layers of felt embellished with embroidery, buttons, beads, braids, and crochet. The trees are snippets from an old plastic Christmas wreath.

The magazine describes it as a Toran. It is a festive Hindu door hanging that is stretched above the front door to celebrate special occasions, and to welcome guests into their home.  

At last the rope bowl is finished. It is rather big, 12 inches across, and rather deep. The rope has been wrapped with fabric from a skirt I cut into strips. I started off with red wool then realised I wouldn't have enough to do the whole bowl, so I carried on with yellow and mixed it up a bit. It is a long and laborious process. I have another smaller version on the go, when I get round to finishing it. 

The weather has changed and it's windy and wet. I won't be going out today. I am not feeling 100%, I am hopeful that it will pass. 

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

Regret

 It is with regret that I have to block all comments on my blog. The abuse continues, and it's not just people who have a different opinion to me. I get full on name calling and swearing. Sadly, some mentally unstable people are consumed by anger. Something must have happened to them so they lash out. 

My apologies to those sane and normal people who comment. I shall continue to write about any subject that interests me. As always, I write this blog for me. Anyone is welcome to read it. I monitor the page view numbers, so I know you are there. 

Evil must be crushed and goodness will prevail. 

See ya soon.   Toodle pip.   ilona 

Comparisons (edited)

 Remember my photo from 26th April? I was walking past the factory in Hull where they make wind turbines. How the heck do they transport these huge columns and the blades. Obviously they have to be assembled onsite. But where. 

There they go. On a boat and out to sea. These photo's popped up on my screen. 

Photo credit - Fort Paull Battery Heritage Site. 

Photo credit - Alex Russell. 

Photo credit - Craig Marriott. 

Another platform in the North Sea. All part of the sustainable energy plan. I wonder what happens to them once they have reached the end of their useful life. I have seen photo's of the blades being buried in the desert in some far away land. It would be interesting to know in 50 years time, if it all had been worth it, compared to other forms of energy. Cost of manufacturing them, cost of transportation, cost of maintaining them, and cost of disposing of them. Will they be dismantled and brought back onto land and recycled, or dumped. Has it saved the planet. I wonder if they have even worked out the true cost. 

Thanks for popping in. Toodle pip.   ilona

YAY, I found some answers. Read Watt-Logic.  Basically they are robbing us blind in the push to line their own pockets. 

New report: The true affordability of net zero

My report sets out all of the additional costs applied to bills as a result of net zero policies which in 2023-24 amounted to over £17 billion, and are projected to increase to over £20 billion per year in 2029-30.

In the meantime, the UK wastes large amounts of money through a failure to properly manage net zero investment. Windfarms have been deliberately built behind grid constraints in the knowledge that the electricity they produce cannot all be used.

Renewables are not and never will be cheap

The public has been seduced by narratives that renewables are cheap, believing them because the wind and the sun are “free”, and ignoring the fact that the machines necessary to convert their energy to electricity are very far from being free, and for the most part are actually very expensive. That renewables are not cheap should be clear, based both on the evidence that after 35 years of subsidies, we are yet to see any benefits through lower bills.

Not funny

 Good morning. It's a topsyturvy world we live in. When Lucy Connelly is stuck in prison because she said some hurty words, and killers and rapists are allowed to roam freely amongst us. Yet Starmer is allowed to spew forth misinformation like it's going out of fashion. Is that misinformation, or is it  disinformation? Call it what you like, whatever, previously known as lies. 

Petty crime is on the increase. There is nothing now to stop people entering shops and taking whatever they like off the shelves and walking straight out of the door with it. Greggs are having to re design their stores. Remove all goods within easy reach at the front of the store. Move them to the back of the store behind the cash desks, or put locks on the chiller cabinets which must then be opened by a member of staff should someone wish to purchase anything. 

Supermarket staff are told not to intervene if they see someone stealing. You never know what is hidden in their clothing. Not worth the risk of getting stabbed. And who wants to go to work each day when being confronted by rogues who have no respect for the law. Might as well stay at home rather than put yourself in a vulnerable position. 

A lot of smaller shops will be closing down and the High Street will become a ghost town. Law and order is breaking down at a fast rate, and all Starmer does is swan around the world in a private jet striking up deals with his creepy mates. Targets, net zero, and all the rest of it, which is spreading like a cancer across the western world, is all he is bothered about. 

More windfarms, more solar. Buying up valuable farming land to build little boxes, little boxes made of tickytacky, oh, and we must build more prisons. Maybe they will let Lucy go when they need her cell. 

It's enough to make you spit feathers. 

There is not much we can do about it, except get on with our own lives. 

Thanks for popping in. Toodle pip.   ilona

A 500 acre art gallery

Good evening. This morning I rode the bike to the collection point at the park, intending to hand it over. The lady in the kiosk said the charity has had to close down because they can't get the funding to keep it going. It closed a month ago. Well that's a nuisance. I am trying to do a good turn to donate it to someone who needs it, through the charity. So I rode the bike back home again. 

This ride confirmed that I could be a danger on the road to myself and other people if I continued riding  it. I've thought of another reason why I don't want to ride it as well. The helmet was uncomfortable and was starting to give me a headache. It has to go. 

This afternoon a young lad across the road, he's about 15 - 16, was mowing his neighbours front lawns. He is trying to earn a few quid doing odd jobs, like gardening and car washing. I suddenly thought of a good idea. I went across and told him I would give him the bike free of charge, and he could sell it for whatever he could get for it. He could ask around his mates. I reckon it's worth £20. So this is a lesson he could learn from. Wheeling and dealing can get you a long way in life if you have the confidence to do it. 

It's been hot again today. I went to the Post Office in the church to withdraw some cash. There was a coffee morning going on. The room is small and many people were chattering at the same time. I said a quick hello and left. 

Onto the last post about the Sculpture Park. 

I have spent many hours walking around these grounds on previous visits. They call it a 500 acre art gallery, and so it is. A map is provided to help you find your way around. You think you have seen it all, then you haven't. There are Canada Geese everywhere. Careful where you walk, plenty of poo about. 

West Bretton House can be seen across the lake from this point. 

I tried to capture the sun shimmering on the water. 

There are two bridges which cross the lake so I did a circular walk. It was a glorious afternoon. 

This is as close as you can get to the house. It is surrounded by Herras fencing and not accessible to the public. I seem to remember it was like this last time I was here. It looks the same. 

This believe it or not is a sculpture. The artist is Sean Scully. 

This monumental work takes inspiration from the series of paintings Wall of Light, which he began in the 1990s. Made for YSP, Wall Dale Cubed uses 1000 tonnes of Yorkshire stone from a local quarry and was constructed over many weeks. Importantly to the artist, this colossal work is built in the same way throughout, which connects to ancient stone walls in Ireland, so that ‘when looking at the outside of the block, one can feel the inside without being able to see it’.

Check out the Art Outdoors page on the YSP web site for information about all the outdoor sculptures. 

And when you have walked around the whole park you can sit and relax in a deck chair. I tried one and it was so uncomfortable, I moved to a wooden bench. 

That's it for this visit to The Yorkshire Sculpture Park. I'll give it a year or so before I go again. 

Thanks for popping in. Toodle pip.   ilona

Best start to the day.

Henri's keyboard skills are on another level. He is on tour, currently in Japan. Sometimes seen in London when he is passing through. 

Catch ya later. Toodle pip.   ilona

Two legs safer than two wheels.

Good evening. Up until yesterday I had received four birthday cards. That all changed today. The ladies at the Crafty Club bumped that number up to ten. And look at the presents they gave me. A bottle of wine, and a few miniature boozy bottles to sample there. I am blessed with some very nice friends. 

This afternoon I was going to go for a walk. I did half an hour in the garden, but it was too hot for a walk. So I got the bike out instead and had a whizz round the village. I thought I might do some more biking, but to be honest I have lost my confidence wobbling around on two wheels. Even with a soft saddle it makes my bum sore. I wobble when starting and stopping, and my knees ache going uphill. Trying to dodge thousands of pot holes plays havoc with the concentration, and some car drivers do not allow for the wobble when overtaking. Tomorrow the bike goes. I'll stick to two legs, much safer. I am going to donate it to a charity which passes them on to people who need a bike but cannot afford to buy one. 

That's all for now. One last post with pics from the Sculpture Park coming soon. 

Thanks for popping in. Toodle pip.   ilona