Day 3 of Lincolnshire walkabout

A few more photo's from Lincolnshire. Twas a dull morning when I set off, this poor fella looks a bit bedraggled, looks like he has been out all night, ha ha. The crop seems to be growing nicely so I suppose he is doing his scarey job.

In the village of Witham on the Hill, the footpath went around the perimeter of this garden, it had a stream running through it. Can you see a pair of eyes watching me?

In the centre of the village are these stocks. There is a little bench seat behind them so the unfortunate person who has been caught doing something they shouldn't, can sit with their arms and legs fastened down, and get pelted with eggs or rotten cabbages, or whatever they threw at them. I would love to see this form of punishment brought back, highly entertaining on a Saturday afternoon.

This looks like an old fashioned school house, it didn't have a sign outside, but there was activity inside. Such a pretty building, love the windows. The church is behind it.

An old plough, at the entrance to a pub which had been converted into a house.

Here is Pickworth Church.

Now this was a bit strange. A small wood enclosed by a wire fence, with pathways around it and through it which have been covered with white powder. I can only think that it might be something to do with rearing pheasants, for so called sport. I hope I'm wrong, I'd like to take a shotgun to those big horrible men who blast the beautiful birds out of the skies. Take that, you brute!

Now it's raining so it's brolly up. The road between Pickworth and Little Bytham goes over this lake, at Mill Farm. This is one side.

The Farm next to the road bridge.

And the other side.

It's a bit too miserable to hang around so I headed back, arriving at 7.30pm, having covered 18.77 miles.

I've started planning my next trip which will be the biggy, next month. I'll be starting off at Edinburgh on 11th May, then possibly Perth, then across to Oban and Mull. More details as they emerge, but if anyone wants to meet up let me know.

More hard work in the garden

Goodness gracious, that's another one out, look at the roots on it. This time it's in the front garden, the snow saw it off, dead as a dodo. So tomorrow I've got to dig over the ground, and as the gap in the hedge is now quite wide, I need to plant two more to fill it. I have some in pots which will do just nicely. My wheelie bin is now full, so I will cut the bush up into small pieces and put it in my neighbours bin. He doesn't mind, he never uses it.

I've just read my Youth Hostel Newsletter, and see there is a special offer that someone may be interested in. Introduce a friend and they can get a great discount. Their membership for the year will cost just £5 for an individual, or £10 for joint/family membership. As a member you get cheaper beds, £3 less than a non member would pay.

If anyone wants to take up this offer ring 0800 0191 700 and quote the code YHANEWS. They may ask for details of the friend who told you about the offer. Quote my membership number 018-6737277.

Ready to roll, with a souped up computer and a new bag

Here is the man responsible for getting me up and running once again. Mark Hebblethwaite, Computer Whiz. He doesn't just fix the computer, he goes the extra mile to make sure that everything on it is clean and tidy. He gives it a thorough going over, and tweaks it to give optimum performance, it's romping away like a racehorse now. So thank you Mark, my hero. Also, thank you for your comments while I have been incapacitated. Let's get this blog rolling :o)

Right, where was I before I was so rudely interrupted by that nasty virus, ah yes, this morning I planted my seed potatoes, 24 of them, into three raised beds. I got another load of compost from the churchyard so I have enough to earth them up when they start poking their noses up. Then I gave the garden a bit of a tidy up, I found a big fat slug hiding, yuk, time to start collecting and disposing of them. It has been a lovely day here, quite hot, and John next door had his lawn mower out for the first cut of the season. Suppose I'll have to be getting mine out soon, groan, boring job.

A few pics of the bag I took to the Arts Centre yesterday. It's quite a thick fabric, so only needed a lightweight lining. It's 12" x 11", and hasn't a gusset. The bobble is a wooden bead with a crochet cover, and the loop is an elasticated hair tie.

I made these drinks can squares for another bag but decided not to use them. The red wool doesn't photograph too well.

I'm very pleased with this one, I love the contrasting colours. A little note to Jane here. I haven't forgotten about the bag for you, I'll email you as soon as the Arts Centre release it from the exhibition.

Mooching in town

Hiya, Back for another free thirty minutes, and I have come on the bus today for free, so just enough time to do this before I get the 4.15pm back. Someone asked which hostel I stayed in last week, it was Thurlby, near Bourne in Lincolnshire. I have some photo's to put on as soon as my computer is fixed at home.

I've just taken another bag into the Arts Centre, it's a bit quiet in there, and non have sold in the last week. This latest one is lovely, dark blue and red, embelished with drinks cans. I'll put some photo's on soon.

I treat my computer as if it was another person in the house. Throughout the day I stop what I am doing periodically to have a quick check up and see what everyone else is doing. I add a few comments to various blogs and forums, it's like having conversations with people, like I am talking to you now. I don't know whether it is a good thing or not to rely so much on a computer, I suppose you could lose touch with reality if it became an obsession. I hope I'm not losing my face to face comunication skills.

Yesterday I took six books home with me from the library, I'm like a kid with new toys, can't wait to get my nose into them. Today, I've had a mooch round the charity shops, spent 69p. Also got my eggs from Home Bargains, 79p, cheaper than anywhere else. Anyway, must go, don't want to miss the bus, I need to put my spuds in when I get home. Toodle pip.

Up the creek without a paddle

Hi peeps. Guess what has happened, my computer is up the creek, only temporarily thank goodness untill the lovely Mark comes on Wednesday to give it a thorough going over. I had a feeling this might happen, there are a lot of viruses about, and it seems I have picked up a few. Mark will sort it for me, in the meantime I have come into town for a free 30 minutes at the library.

It was all going so well this morning as well. I rang the RAC after receiving their letter telling me my anual subscription is due shortly and they will remove the money from my bank. They have been doing this for 25 years, and a couple of times I have had to ring them when the cost has gone up. This time they want an extra £20, what £20 flippin quid, not on your nellie. After the young man took my details and confirmed it was me, he got my details on the screen. I said they had given me a free At Home service a year ago, does this mean I have now got to pay for it! He said, 'Ah, I see you have been a member since 1986, this means I can offer you the same cover as you had last year at the same price'. Thank you very much says I. Well if you don't ask you don't get. I reckon there will be a lot of people getting rid of their cars, and those that are still driving will be shopping around for their rescue packages, they cannot afford to lose a long standing customer.

I wash my hair more often than I wash my body, and the chore is usually done with my head hanging over the sink. I boil one and a half kettles of water, this is enough to wash and rinse, so when I have finished I have a bowl of cleanish warm water. This morning the kitchen floor needed washing, I don't have a mop and bucket, and I don't buy fancy cleaning liquids or powders. I much prefer the old fashioned method of getting down on my hands and knees with an old rag and giving it some elbow grease. If my face is close to the ground so I can see all the specks of dirt that need to be removed. You could eat a meal off my kitchen floor, that's untill the cats and dogs come paddling through.

I'll maybe pop back tomorrow for another free half hour, and if Mark isn't too shy on Wednesday, I'll take a photo of him so you can see how lovely he is. I am going to be lost tonight with no computer, will try and keep busy with other things. Toodle pip,

Girl power

Why is there never a man around when you need one? Oh well, I'll have to get on with the job myself. This tree trunk needs to come out. You may remember my post about the snow killing off my yucca, well I'm not going to wait another ten years to see if it will sprout new growth. After about three hours of digging, pushing and shoving, sweating and puffing in the sunshine, there still isn't any sign of movement. It seems to have hundreds of long spidery legs coming from it's root, they are embedded into the lawn and take a lot of pulling out. I can't get them all out so I'll chop them off. Finally with a push from my boot, there is a big crack as the bottom part of the root breaks away. What's left in the ground will have to stay there, I aint digging no further down.

It's blooming heavy, put the wheelbarrow on it's side and roll it in. There's the top bit as well which I sawed off last week.

And now we have a new bush planted in it's place. This one was in a large pot by the front door, and needed to come out so it can continue to grow. I shall keep it trimmed down to a reasonable height.

A little film of three kitties. The black one is called Garcia and lives a few doors away, though he spends most of his time here. So, the stars of the show this time are Bugsy, Garcia, and Lilly, in that order.

My can't be bothered to cook, cheapo lunch

Here it is, my ten minutes, no messing lunch. Take two of these (8 in a box, 3 boxes for £1) A sprinkle of this.......

And a couple of splodges of this......

Chop up two small onions and three good sized mushrooms. Cook in a little oil and a dash of fruit juice. Add a bit of the spice mix.

Chuck in a couple of handfulls of spinach (14p a bag) stir in for 30 seconds.

Transfer mix to here and roll up......

Spread on some of the sauce......

Microwave for four minutes and eat. Cost? About 20p

How not to waste money

Did you watch that Super Scrimpers thingy programme on Channel 4 the other night? I saw it at the hostel, tele is a novelty for me as I don't have one at home, so I settled down for a bit of light hearted entertainment. Core blimey, what a load of twaddle that was. I was hoping to pick up a few more money saving tips to add to my already long list, but no, it didn't tell me anything I don't already know.

There was a well off family with good jobs and loadsa dosh coming into the house, and still they couldn't manage. Mr well off had to give up his Volvo gas guzzler for a week and drive an economical Ford, and Mrs well off had to stop buying clothes that she wasn't going to wear. And they all had to stop eating takeaways and learn how to use their own kitchen.

There was a woman with worn out knickers and bra, she chose to buy a packet of dye, and colour her undies with it. How much is the dye going to cost? She would be much better to start wearing boys pants, someone tell her they last much longer than frillies. How to freshen limp lettuce. First buy it in a bag ready chopped up, the most expensive way to buy it unless it's reduced of course. Then buy a lemon and cut it in half and mix the juice in some water, and stick the lettuce in it. For goodness sake, just eat the lettuce before it gets to the limp stage, or slosh some salad cream on it.

Make your own nettle pasta. Well she called it pasta, it looked more like boiled pastry to me. Take two free eggs from your own chickens, mix them with some flour. Since when do chickens give you free eggs, don't you have to build a house and a run for chickens, buy feed and grit for them, take them to the vet when they are poorly, treat them for red mite, etc etc. All very well for a woman who has thirty acres of land, she can afford it. As I said, a bit of light hearted entertainment.

Talking of scrimping, this is my dinner tonight, or should I say was, I've eaten it. A pan of steamed veg, drizzled with toasted sesame seed oil. Sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, potatoes, and carrots. Lovely.

I'm watching my pennies more carefully now, starting today I shall report back my spending. Living on £8,000 a year means a very disciplined lifestyle, one that I am well used to, but you can't let your guard drop.

Here is my lovely Bugsy asking for his dinner.

Walking towards Stamford

Here we go for another walkabout. This time turn right out of the hostel and cross the main A15, where we find St Firmins church. The tower is the only part of this Saxon church left, which was built in 925 AD, and looked a lot different to how it looks today. Taking a footpath to Kate's Bridge I crossed the A15 again and walked to Wilsthorpe through Obthorpe. How convenient, ha ha. A farmer diversifying perhaps? This barn conversion looks very nice from the outside. I like the way the original feature of the loading bay on the upper floor has been restored, complete with pulley and chain intact. This is St Thomas A Becket Church at Greatford.

This one is St Martins Church at Bareholm.

On my way to Uffington I came across this little fella. Usually sheep with their lambs run away when you walk nearby, but this cute little black one came up to me and let me stroke it's head.

The man At Greatford who was polishing his car, and told me about a good path to walk, said be careful when you cross the railway line. There's no way I'm going to risk crossing untill I can see it's clear both ways along this dead straight track. I aint messing with anything that is travelling at 100mph.

Look at this beautiful dtately home. It's Casewick Hall, set in acres of land with the path running through the middle of it. It appears to have a kind of moat around it, the wall is about six foot high and I am standing on a bank on the other side.

On my way out I stopped to look back. It must be fabulous to live there.

Here is St Michaels Church at Uffington

Ye Olde Bertie Arms at Uffington is getting a new hat put on it's thatch roof. They are replacing the ridge right at the top. A cup of tea and ten minutes to admire their handiwork.

Right, back to work lads, I'm off for another ramble. It's a good life being retired and watching other people work.

Back over the railway line, this time it's a road crossing. It's a very busy line, there are trains every few minutes. I'm halfway across when the warning bells ring again ahead of the barriers coming down. It's unmanned and has cameras on it. I am sure some mean person has pressed the button when they saw me, just so they can watch the look of panic on my face, as I legged it across. Ha ha , very funny. Phew, just made it, but where is the train.

I have walked around or across a lot of fields, so much of it looks the same. I thought this dead tree looked like something out of a horror movie. I can just imagine it on a stormy night with thunder and lightening all around, and bucketing it down with rain. Spooky.

Another 7.30pm finish. Tonight I find my car is the only one in the hostel car park, so it looks like I have the place to myself tonight.

18.56 miles today and I'm well whacked.

What a performance

I'm having terrible trouble editing, what has happened to blogger? I usually do the whole lot in Compose mode, but when I publish, it merges all my paragraphs into one big block, so I have to go into HTML mode and sort it all out. Then a couple of times it wouldn't publish because it said one of my tags was not closed. So I had to replace the picture that it indicated was wrong. It's a nightmare. My stomach thinks my throat has been cut, so I'm off to get some food, and calm down.

Aha, I've got it.....April 1st. Come on blogger, stop messing about.

Best foot forward

Good Morning. oops, it's just gone over the midday, Good Afternoon. I timed my return journey just right yesterday. I knew I wouldn't get back to my local Tesco in time for the knock down prices, so I stopped off at the Lincoln store on my way through. I must say it was a bit of a frantic search in an unfamiliar store, but woth it. I got my weeks veg for very little money. Mushrooms - two packs for 28p. Brussel sprouts - two packs for 40p. Spinach - one pack for 14p. Cauliflower/broccoli - two packs for 50p. So with a big bag of value carrots for 76p, soya milk, honey, grapes, bananas, peanut butter, tuna chunks, yoghurt, all for ten pounds, that's me done with shopping.

Now what was I doing while away? A lot of walking. I set myself a target of 60 miles over the four days. It's very flat in South Lincolnshire so easily achievable. Guess what.....I did it, yipeeeeee. 65.37 miles, I'm well chuffed with that. I used four coloured marker pens to mark the routes as I walked them, on the free map I printed off. I like to keep a record. Thurlby is a mile or two south of Bourne if anyone wants to see where I went. I won't do a day by day report in detail, because a lot of it was tramping across or round fields. I find it just as exhilerating though, as climbing a mountain. Just being out in the open and being able to see for miles across the landscape, with the odd church steeple marking the villages. I just love space, and me being a little dot amongst it all.

I stopped off on the way there, to call in and see a friend, my last boyfriend actually, I think I may have mentioned him before. He has a shop. It was great to see him, and catch up on a bit of chat. I still have a soft spot for him but we have both moved on. I will always remember the happy times we had, and will always be grateful to him for making me smile again after a previous disasterous relationship. Anyway, I arrived at the hostel at 1pm, and set off for my first walk. This little river runs through Bourne, it is surrounded by parkland, gardens, and people walking their dogs. The weeping willows looked beautiful along the bank, trailing their leaves in the water. As well as an abundance of ducks quacking about, these two black swans were enjoying basking in the sun.

The little stone bridge crosses the river to the road. I love the way they hang these planters along the railing, and fill them with pretty flowers.

Leaving Bourne on the main A15 , I crossed the fields to Dyke. All the vilages have their own distinctive sign. I wonder if this one will get a lick of paint soon?

The Wishing Well pub is in Dyke. There aren't many of these timbered buildings though, in this area. A lot of the pubs don't seem to open during the daytime.

Turn right just past the pub up a path to Moreton. This house appears on the right hand side. I can't find any info about it, but I can just picture myself as lady of the manor, sat on the terrace in period costume, with a butler in attendance serving drinks. Oh, one can dream :o)

Now which way, pick a path, ha ha.

This is St John the Babtist church in Morton. Sorry it's a bit lop sided, was I drunk from all those cocktails, ha ha.

And a door within a door. Like a secret entrance.

Leaving the village I crossed over the A15 and trekked through Hanthorpe. What is this I see on the other side of the hedge. From a distance it looks like a falcon preparing to swoop for it's prey. I got my camera out at the ready. Oh, bugger, ha ha, it's a kite, a bird scarer on a tall pole.

Off again across the fields to Edenham. It was difficult to get a good picture of the whole of St Michaels church, has a few trees surrounding it.

Monday is pink day, here is my route. I arrived back at 7.30pm. 13.81 miles.