Big cats at Yorkshire Wildlife Park

Let's start with the big cats. Here they are, what a handsome bunch. 

It's a lovely afternoon for a snooze in the sunshine. 

The enclosures are really big. Shelters for them to chill out in. 

These two are having a rough and tumble session. 

I watched their games for a while. 

What a handsome chap. Dozing in the sunshine. 

Eyes open watching visitors walking past.

I saw two tigers strolling around their enclosure. 

They have a big area. There is an elevated walkway that goes over the top. You can look down at them walking below. 

I'll post some more pics tomorrow. Thanks for popping in. Have a nice weekend. 

Toodle pip.   ilona

Best photo of the day

I've been to the Yorkshire Wildlife Park today. It's not far from Doncaster. I have taken a lot of photo's, here is one of them. The big cats are my favourite. 

I really enjoyed it. It was sunny but cold, with some wind. Will put some more photo's up tomorrow when I have sorted them out. 

Toodle pip.   ilona

Wot do i eat

I don't have any recipes to follow when I make my meals. I eat whatever I fancy when my stomach tells me to eat. I open the fridge, check dates to see what needs eating first, and then cobble something together. 

Here we have mushrooms, courgette, spinach, and Ready to Wok noodles, on a slice of toasted seeded bread. I always buy seeded, don't like the white fluffy cotton wool type bread. The noodles are from Aldi, cheap and filling, and I like to have a bag of spinach in the fridge because it can be added to anything. I don't have a wok, I use a small pan. 

I've been eating a lot of stews. It's easy to chop a load of vegetables, throw them in a pan, and add half a packet of sauce mix and some spices. Sometimes I add rice or pasta. Here I put in a handful or frozen peas and sweetcorn. There are three portions in the pan, I warm the 2nd and 3rd in the microwave straight from the fridge. I used to freeze portions, I don't do that any more. 

Another on toast meal. Mushrooms, chopped leeks and courgettes, add an egg. Deeelishus. These can all be eaten for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Sometimes I like a cooked breakfast, and I have been known to have the last portion of stew for brekky. 

I'm going to have a cooked breakfast today because I want something filling. It looks sunny outside so I need to go out. Catch ya later. Have a nice day.  ilona

Brothers divided

 My brother went in a different direction to me and the rest of the family after we left school. It is sad when families lose touch with each other. Stephen joined the army cadets then the regular army. It didn't do him any favours. He was a sensitive soul and that environment was wrong for him. The army changed him. 

He became a drifter with no clear goal about his future. Eventually he ended up in India. I tried to keep in touch with him, but we didn't see him for about 17 years. One day an email came from his Indian wife. He was gravelly ill in the hospital, his time was limited. There was no time for me and my sister to go to India. It happened quickly and he passed away. He was my younger brother, two years younger than me. He was 59. 

I have an older half brother. He was brought up in Germany. We finally got to meet him because he found us at the age of 37. We met several times, him coming here and me going there. He will be approaching 80 now. Communications between us stopped once we were able to give him all the information he asked for about our mother. Now he sends a Christmas card to our sister, I don't get one.

So now I have no brothers. The reason I tell you these things is because I have just listened to an interview of Kyle Kemper, half brother of Justin Trudeau. It has made me think about my brothers. It made me sad to listen to Kyle, how communications in his family have broken down. He explains how the two brothers have gone in different directions. They are miles apart in their thinking. I hope they can come together again. Watch the video and read the article here.   

Catch ya later.   ilona

Keeping the place tidy

After much faffing this morning, I left it too late to go for a decent walk. I needed to get out though so I thought the next best thing is to do some litter picking. No need to walk fast, just saunter along and spot the litter stuck in the hedge bottom along a busy road. I put my yellow vest on, I didn't want to get splattered on the tarmac. There is a footpath on one side, and as the litter is on both sides it involved a lot of crisscrossing to pick it up. Luckily there is only one bend in the road, so I had to be a bit careful at that point. 

I filled my bag four times and emptied it at four different places. These bins are at the back of the cafe at the park. 

Mr Peacock came to see what I was doing. I think it was hoping for a bite to eat. 

Exiting the park I see the snowdrops are out along the edge of the wall. 

I had to give up litter picking on the way back. It was difficult to see it in the dark. I emptied the last bag into the bin at the end of my road. 

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

Teenage crush

 As a teenager in the sixties, I was starting to take an interest in good looking young men. Top of the Pops and Ready Steady Go were blaring out of the box in the corner of the living room every week. This is where I learnt how to scream at pop stars. 

There was another programme I insisted we watch, me being the only one in the house who demanded we tuned into it. My mum, brother and sister, had no interest in it. There were two teams of four people who sat behind a counter top, the question master was facing them. I'm not really a fan of quiz programmes because I can never answer the questions. But this I had to watch. 

It was Bamber Gascoigne I wanted to see, and swoon over, on University Challenge. I thought he was gorgeous. Handsome with a lovely smile, and obviously very clever as well. I was besotted. 

I wrote him a fan letter, telling him how much I enjoyed seeing him on the tele. I asked him if he had a fan club, and if he hadn't I could start one for him. He replied. He didn't have a fan club, and sadly he didn't want one. I thought I still had the letter but I can't find it. 

I see that he has passed away. A little memory embedded in my brain. Rest in peace Bamber. You were my heartthrob for a while. 

Catch ya later.  Toodle pip.   Ilona

A few pointers

Good morning. I put this out on the toooob a few days ago. I wasn't going to put it here, but I will. It is a watered down chat about the current situation, but people in the loop will know what I am talking about.  

This morning I came across a video from Curtis Stone, a homesteader in Canada. He talks about the trucker rally, the big picture, and the great awakening. He has put this out on other none censored platforms just in case this one is taken down. The first 15 minutes he talks about his progress on his homestead, if you want to go straight to his chat on the current situation move the slider along to 15 minutes. For those of us following the situation, his chat confirms what we already know. The key points being, Trudeau and all the other leaders are not the enemy, they are just following orders. To understand the real reason why the world is being turned upside down look at The World Economic Forum, The Great Reset, and Agenda 30 which used to be called agenda 21. It is out there for all the world to see. 

In 1992 the WEF launched a programme called Global Leaders of Tomorrow. This was turned into the Forum for Young Global Leaders. Trudeau is part of that. A lovely picture of him and Mr Gates. You can read about it here. 

The convoy leaders held a press conference yesterday. They talk about the police coming in to turn it into something nasty. The truckers are asking for a dialogue with the Government. They are adamant that this is a peaceful protest and the only way out of it is for all parties to sit down together. You can see the press conference here. 

For those who are on the majority side there is good news as well. A fourth jab will become available for high risk people three months after your third. Israel has already started on this programme and the results are not looking too good. Read about the next UK part of the programme here. 

That's all I have time for now, I want to go out. Thanks to those who have emailed me. I'll get back to you soon. Catch ya later. 

Toodle pip.   ilona

All you need is . . . . . .

Something to keep the hands busy. 

I bought four small canvases from a charity shop for 50p. What can I do with them. 

Cut four pieces of colourful cotton fabric, add iron on stabiliser to the back. Choose four foam letters from a kids game. I found these at a house clearance. Sew them on. 

Add beads and embroidery. Stretch and lace the fabric at the back. 

Cut a piece of board 21cm x 21cm. Stretch a piece of dark fabric over it and lace at the back. Mark the positions of the canvasses and put four small screws in the corners of each one. Stop when you feel the screws coming through to the front. Place the letters one by one where the screws are appearing and screw fully down. Check positions of each one. 

I did think about putting a second slightly bigger board with a contrasting colour, on the back. Decided not to. My friend Angela says it looks fine as it is. I agreed with her. 

Cover the back with a piece of dark blue felt. Add two screws and wire for hanging. 

Superdooper, finished. 

Now it's time for lunch. Doggy walk this afternoon, and think about what I am going to make next. Thank you to those who send comments. We'll catch up soon.

Toodle pip.   ilona 

Windy walk

 I set off for a walk this afternoon thinking I might do the eight mile one. I was a bit late going but I was in fine fettle so thought it was doable. I could always shorten it if thought I would run out of time. 

I came across two men who were fixing a wire fence alongside the track. I noticed that part of the fence I had just passed was falling down, so I mentioned it to them. They might want to go and have a look at it. As we were chatting it turns out that they were having to repair that particular section because it had been torn down by thieves who wanted to gain access to another track which led to some barns and sheds. 

It happened the other night and as it is a bit isolated there, they had plenty of time to do a lot of damage. The farmer lives six miles away so is not on hand to protect his property. The thieves apparently use quad bikes to get around the tracks, they can ride across fields to get access. They broke down the wall to get into a barn, they stole vehicles and diesel, and damaged a JCB but couldn't get it started. 

I mentioned that I had seen some men with quad bikes a few days ago, they were hanging around in a wood as I walked by. The farmer said not to approach them because they are part of a larger gang. He said the police know about them but can't pin the crimes onto them. I told him about the dead sheep I had found. He said yes, they butcher them and dump the remains in bin bags. 

It appears there is a lot of crime around here. I was quite shocked when he told me what had happened.  

I reached the halfway point of the walk, and decided to carry on rather than take the short cut back. The wind was blowing a hoolie, my cheeks were cold but the rest of me was warm. 

I was walking past a row of houses on my way out of a village when I saw that someone had lost a woolly knitted bobble hat, I think they call them beanies these days. I picked it up off the ground and put it on top of a short wooden post which was part of a hand written sign saying Kindling for sale, £3.50 a bag. I thought the person who lost it might come along and find it. A couple of minutes later I turned round, I often look behind me, and saw an old man come out of the house wearing only his dressing gown, no trousers. He lifted the hat off the post and threw it on the ground. What a mean thing to do. 

I stopped for a short break to eat my cheese and peanut butter sandwich, Coming back I was walking into the wind. I remembered to put the torch in my rucksack, I needed it for the last 20 minutes. Dinner tonight was a bowl of deeelishus stew, made yesterday. 

We have a short month now so I don't want to get behind with the walking. The target is 168 miles by the end of February. 

The cats are in, we are snug and warm here. Catch ya tomorrow.   ilona

A passionate plea

With you all the way, Buddy. 

I am doing something. I can't sit on my arse and let it happen. 

ilona

All about me.

 Stuck for something to write. Want to fire off a quick post because I want to go out. Inspiration comes from Sooze blog. People's opinions sometimes upset her. I wish I could help, but everyone has to deal with life's problems the best way they see fit. As she says, not everyone is the same. 

I have my own way of eliminating the stress out of my life. This blog has caused me a lot of stress in the past because deep down I am a softie at heart. Now I have a better way of dealing with it. I have installed an impenetrable barrier around my whole person. Nothing gets through without my permission. I choose who I take notice of, I choose my friends, and I ignore those who I have no connection with. If someone upsets me they are toast. 

I get a stat counter report every Monday. Sometimes the figures are up, but quite often they have gone down. I don't mind about that. If people want to read they can, if they decide that my content is not for them and they don't come back, that's fine. 

Some people might find me a bit rude, a bit opinionated, and a bit abrasive. I will stick up for myself if someone tries to put me down. 

I don't feel I have to fit in with everyone else. I am not part of a team. I don't look for acceptance. I will always be honest and truthful. People can like me or hate me. I don't mind which.  

Have a Happy Saturday. Toodle pip.    ilona 

Open Exhibition with video

A few more snaps I took yesterday at 20 21 Arts Centre. Small needle felted figures. 

I thought these strips of wood were screwed together. On closer inspection I see that they are glued. Very clever free standing design.

Disposable gloves hanging from a line over a fire place. Presumably having been washed, and drying for future use. 

Colourful abstracts.

The portrait wall. 

I did a walk through video. 

The Arts Centre is in the centre of Scunthorpe, close to the bus station and shops. There are two hours free parking nearby, put your number in a machine to get a ticket. There are a few parking places very close. Church Square is undergoing a makeover so large parts of it are fenced off. Temporary signs have been put out pointing to the entrance. Easy to find, look for the church. The exhibition is on until early April. Check for more information.  

I will go back for another look. With over 300 exhibits it's a lot to take in. If anyone is coming to see this let me know and maybe we can have a coffee and chat in the cafe. There are toilets and a very nice gift shop as well. 

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

Many a true word. . . . . .

. . . . . . . spoken in jest. 

Gotta lurv JP  😎 😄 😜  ilona 

Checking out the Open Exhibition.

I went to the Arts Centre this morning to check out the Open exhibition. There are over 300 exhibits. I found my Spirals. 

And on the same wall a bit further along are the other two. Fantastic Plastic, and Hidden Treasure. 

I particularly liked the paper sculptures. The detail is amazing. Very clever. 

David Hockney is looking good. 

I had a lovely chat with the young lady who works there. It made the visit so much more enjoyable to be able to talk with a young artist. I have more photo's and a video which I will put on tomorrow.

It was warm enough today to do a five mile walk. When I got back into the village I called in to have a coffee with Angela. We had a catch up chat.

It's nearly bed time so I'll say Toodle pip and see you tomorrow. ilona

First Walking Group check in for 2022.

Good morning. Guess what? It's the first day of a new month, and it's check in time for the members of the International Walking Group. I think our numbers are shrinking because people move on to other activities. But there are a few of us left I think. I will continue anyway because exercise is part of my life now. It's what I do. 

I finished January on 101 miles. More than I needed to, but the sunny days we were lucky to have encouraged me to go out more. 

So how are you doing? Is anybody going to join me this year? Let us know if you are. We might be a smaller group but I think there are enough of us to carry this on for another year. 

A pic taken from the upstairs window this morning. Apologies for the quality. The window needs cleaning and the sun was in the wrong place. The new tarpaulin is fastened down. I have a lot of those heavy duty market stall clips so they are holding it tight front and back. The sides have bungee elastics for now but I am not keen on them spoiling the look of the outside, so I will move them to the inside. I may still go ahead and order a better cover for it, it depends on how this one holds out in the wind and rain. At least the roof is watertight for now. 

Now I must feed the cats, and get my own breakfast. The sun is out, it's a Billy walk day today. For those who are interested in following the current situation I will be adding a few extra bits and pieces to the existing posts. 

We'll catch up later. Thanks for popping in, and let's see how many miles you have done for January. Toodle pip.   ilona