25/12/15

Happy Christmas everyone. Today is the day that reminds everyone why they avoid their relations for the rest of the year. Have a great new year all.

Adverts on TV

I wonder if anyone had ever begun a campaign for better quality ads on TV.  I am constantly amazed that some of the ads actually get shown. Some like the Cilit Bang ad in the UK I find so irritating that I go out of my way to find an alternative product.  I hope this ad hasn't been allowed to escape the UK to pollute another country.  If it has please accept my apologies as a resident of the UK, we really tried but it escaped.
Seriously though why shouldn't TV ads be interesting, amusing and or enjoyable.  I know different things irritate different people but there's no to make such poor quality ads as the Cilit Bang ad.  Its not the only ad that has turned me away from a product.  Do other people have the same response and avoid a product if the ad is irritating?  I would really like to know what ads others find irritating.  Advertisers spend a lot of money on producing their ad and I would have thought that it would be a better idea if people enjoyed the ad.  If they could get people talking about it, even better laughing about it it would be remembered.  Surely an ad remembered with fondness would sell more product than one that leaves a feeling of complete irritation. If there are any employees of advertising companies reading this please make a little more effort.

UK supermarkets.

I don't know what supermarkets are like in other countries but the main stream supermarkets in the UK, whilst good at most things, are universally bad at anything that requires a modicum of patience.  In the meat line they are good with pork and chicken but when it comes to beef they are very poor.  The beef on display usually looks bright red which suggests that it hasn't been hung for long enough or possibly not at all.  Strangely enough at least of half of the beef products on display in Liddle does show working of patience, especially some of the stake which is a deep red plum colour showing it has been correctly aged and the quality shines through in the cooking and eating.  What has really started me off on this rant is cheese, in particular blue Stilton.  In my view good correctly ripened Stilton is certainly one of the worlds great cheeses and possibly the best in the world.  The sample I bought from my local Morrison's was enough to put anyone trying it for the first time off the cheese for good.  The sample was lacking any of the full flavoured tang that I expect and all I got was a bland chalk taste.  This was especially disappointing as I had purchased what purported to be "Mature Stilton."   The only way I have found to eat blue Stilton or Shropshire blue from a supermarket is to place it in the fridge and leave it for at least a month past its sell by date.  I find it offensive that when I purchase what is supposed to be mature cheese it is anything but.  I haven't found a good cheese shop in the area yet, and the delicatessen in the local town shows supermarket impatience as well.  Please, if anyone from a UK supermarket reads this learn a little patience and sell properly mature cheese, stop selling soggy chalk and calling it mature cheese.

Politicians

Just made the mistake of watching the news and had the misfortune to see some of the day in parliament televised.  It just went to further my view that if all politicians are similar to UK politicians they must be universally disgusting.  If politicians would just get with trying to run the country and stop their pathetic point scoring and squabbling we might get somewhere.  When will they understand that we have chosen to elect them and we expect them to get on with doing their job.  The job they were elected for was to run the country together and bring to the table the best of every view.  What they seem to think we employ them for is to partake in scoring points off each other by criticising everything any other party suggests then reinventing the idea in their own colours a week later.  Its not surprising that most young people seem to think that its not worth their effort voting, in truth it probably isn't.

The Longest Day

Here in the UK we are now past the longest day, it's all down hill from here.  Until recently I didn't understand why the longest day didn't correspond with the hottest part of the year.  I listen to BBC radio 4 as I drive and I glean some interesting facts as I listen.  Apparently the heat continues to build after the passing of the longest day because the atmosphere is gaining temperature faster than it cools for about eight weeks so it doesn't start to cool until the length of sunlight is short enough to allow more cooling than the heat received.  I probably haven't explained that very well but that's the gist of the reason.  I found that fascinating, perhaps I'm just sad.

Promise of Summer

The first swallows were back with us last Monday and are gradually building up in numbers as they return from their wintering grounds.  As always I heard the chatter before seeing the birds themselves.  What amazing little birds they are, to navigate all the way from Africa coming back to their summer homes each year.  Sadly there seem to be less of them than I remember as a child and I'm sure it isn't my memory playing tricks.  I suppose there are less suitable nest sites as old buildings have been repaired, demolished or reused and the access blocked.  I find it very sad that such an emblem of our summer is slowly dwindling away.  I don't think I would want to live in a world that doesn't include the chatter of swallows as they hawk for insects through the summer months and line up chattering on the wires before departing for the winter.  What a sad world it would be.

Some Things I Don't Do

My father used to smoke, read a newspaper and drink tea.  All three seemed to make him miserable or perhaps he was just normally miserable and these habits didn't help.  I suspect that I associate all three activities with being miserable and grumpy so I avoid the first two and only drink tea occasionally.  I have never even tried smoking, not even as a teenager and I have no intention of trying now.  Spending good money to buy a dried plant leaf then burn it rolled in paper and inhale the smoke seems a rather strange and pointless habit, especially as it can enhance the chances of lung cancer.  Yes its a great idea isn't it?  As for newspapers, the only use I have ever had for a newspaper is to light the fire and I have found fire lighters work better.  Reading a newspaper as a way of keeping up to date with current affairs is a very poor choice, all you get is one persons view of the event and this is always biased to what he or his editor wishes to portray. I get my information on current affairs by not listening or half listening to the radio while I am driving, by not really listening to several different stations throughout the day I get an overall picture from the little that passes into my conscious brain of what is happening.  It works for me!  As for drinking tea, I do this occasionally, less than once a week.  I don't really have anything against tea though I am not sure if I like it best black or white, with or without sugar. But to put it simply I prefer coffee.   I don't know that the above behaviour makes me any less miserable than my father but I do hope it does.

A Swift, Where?

At this time of year I am looking to see the first swallow returning from the wintering grounds in Africa.  I find these brave little birds amazing and always look forward to their return.  The funny thing is I almost always hear the first swallow before I see it, they seem to delight in sitting on a roof top or electricity line and chattering their joy at coming home.  Though I don't consciously try I find my ears are tuned to any sound that approximates the chatter of a swallow, twice in the last few days I have started searching as a sound similar that of a swallow has caught my attention.  But that isn't what I want to tell of, I was in Carlton store unloading my truck when a bird sound caught my attention and it wasn't a swallow, it was the scream of a swift.  I couldn't believe my ears and started searching the sky for the author of the scream fully expecting to see the earliest arriving swift I have ever seen.  The scream was repeated, then repeated again, I finally located the source of the sound.  Just across the road sitting on a wire was a starling and as well as its usual song it was occasionally throwing in the scream of a swift  as a variation.  This isn't the first time I've been fooled by a starling but I've never heard one mimic a swift before, a duck and a magpie but never a swift.  I suspect that the bird was raised in a nest in close proximity to nesting swifts and had copied the sound as only a starling can.

Disgusting disregard for our countryside.

As I have mentioned my day job is as a multi drop delivery driver for a North Yorkshire agricultural supply company and in the course of my work I get to see some of the most beautiful countryside in Yorkshire or even in the UK.  I regularly stop for a break in one of two pull off's on the road running through Hovingham woods, on a clear day the view from the cab is well worth looking over.  On Friday I pulled off the road in the first pull off to re-tighten a sheet strap and glanced to my left.  What I saw is in the picture below.

The view is obscured by the mist but what is in full view is the rubbish that has been dumped. Some brainless scum couldn't be bothered to drive to the local tip and in a fit of extreme idleness tipped the unwanted plastic rubbish at the side of the road.  My sympathy for this behaviour is such that I would not hang draw and quarter the offender, if found, I would simply have them put down with the same chemical that is used on dogs as I see no advantage it causing unnecessary suffering, but it is a close thing.  Our countryside deserves better treatment and more respect than is shown by the actions of the scum who did this.  

Orchard and New Blog

When I started writing this blog I had intended to include the trials and tribulations of my fumbling attempts to establish an orchard in the paddock behind our house.  But after some consideration and some thought on the title of this blog I have decided to start another new blog which will be a record of my mistakes and gradual learning while working with my trees.  So for anyone who wishes to follow my progress or lack of it please check my new blog which can be found at the following address.
http://www.normanbyorchard.blogspot.co.uk/

UK Alone ?

There would appear to be some debate as to whether the UK should leave the EU and go it alone. I suspect this point of view is fermented  by pathetic politicians who assume that they will gain a little extra notice if they are able to parade themselves on a smaller stage.  I wonder if the politicians may possibly be having their egos massaged and polished by other interested parties who are terrified that if the UK joins the EU fully and adopts the Euro they will have one less currency to gamble with and generally distort and mess up.  As any reader may gather from this I am strongly pro EU and our membership of the same.  I believe that being part of Europe and playing our part in the decision making is preferable by far to the way our relationship with the other countries of Europe has been conducted since the time of the Romans and possibly long before.   I remember discussing some problem or other with the owner of an agricultural supply business several years ago and the gentleman in question said that he had hope for a better brighter future and his reasoning was as follows.  "To get here you have travelled from one village, crossed a river bridge, passed through another village and come here.  At one time you may have had to fight the locals in the first village to pass through, pay an exorbitant toll charge to cross the river and possibly get robbed mid river then fight for right of passage through the next village and all before you got here.  Now you are able to get from your home to here with non of these problems.  It has got easier and much safer to travel that small distance, that is progress."
While his example was a little extreme the point he was illustrating was well made, things appear to be improving albeit slowly.  I believe this illustrates clearly why we should remain part of the EU and even integrate with the Euro.  Talking is better and much less wasteful than fighting.  I also hate the idea that if I wish to spend my money in another EU country I have to exchange it for Euros and in doing so have to pay someone for the privilege, thereby enabling me to spend my money in another country. It seems to me that the money traders who facilitate this exchange actually produce nothing of any value, they feed no one, cloth no one and educate no one.  In other words when I exchange money I pay someone for facilitating something that should be unnecessary in a descent world.  Its high time we adopted the Euro, it will be a good start, and could be seen as our first move towards a world currency.  I believe we are better off as part of the EU, not only that but we should be taking a very active part in the decision making.  If we don't take care now we will find ourselves left on the outside begging to be let in.  

The Mess That Is Windows 8

Just before Christmas my wife had need to buy a new laptop, unfortunately she had little option but to get Windows 8, since I hadn't seen it before I wasn't in a position to advise her against it.  I wonder if anyone else things Windows 8 is an abomination placed over the top of something that nearly worked which in turn is operating something that worked as well as it could.  I have seen little or no progress in windows as an operating system since Windows 95 and I consider Windows 8 to be a total abomination.  It appears that Microsoft, in desperation, have tried to produce something that might feel like Android, if only to someone who had never used an Android device.  To the casual user, such as myself and my wife, Windows 8 appears to consist of a layer which can be operated by a touch screen over the top of Windows 7.  The whole effect has been to make the thing nearly unusable on any device that doesn't have a touch screen, which is the majority of Windows devices.  To add insult to injury they even had the stupidity to remove the start button.  If the designers had any sense the whole top layer would be optional and the user should be able to turn it all off leaving Windows 7 visible and working.  I don't particularly like Windows 7 but it is far better than the mess that is Windows 8.  If anyone from MS reads this and would like to make the whole thing user friendly again please produce an update which allows the user to turn off the Windows 8 front including the irritating side bars and reinstate the proper start button.  After that stop messing about trying to update Windows it really isn't worth it, when you have done that START THINKING AGAIN AND WRITE A COMPLETELY NEW OPERATING SYSTEM.  STOP TRYING TO PATCH UP CRAP! IT DOESN'T WORK AND IT NEVER WILL.  

26/02/14

It's taken me till now to comment on yesterday. Yes it really was that bad, by the time I had diminished and clocked off I was irritable, itchy and tired. I got home took a shower had something to eat and fell asleep In my chair while my wife marked school work.  It was ten when I woke and my wife was just packing her work away.  At that point I gave up and went to bed, hence no comments about work.
Yesterday I was back to seed dressing, seventeen tonnes at four farms. Not too bad except that the first two were North of Easingwold and the third was in East Yorkshire near Pocklington. At least the final one wasn't far from the third and it was on the way back to base. The first job involved oats as did the last. Oats may be a great food but they are full of itchy dust and the dresser hates them more than I do. Suffice to say they can be problematic. Really all went we'll it just took a long time due to the travelling distances. After a shower, a sleep in my chair and a night's sleep I still felt rough. It took half of the day to feel normal again, but eventually I did come round.  See you later.

Wind Power

Many people hate wind farm with a passion. I have never understood why. Though they may not be as picturesque as the traditional story book windmill, I still find them quite elegant. I realise that wind power alone cannot be the complete answer to our power problems, but I do think that it can be part of the answer.  I would rather the whole of the UK was covered with wind turbines than have a single nuclear power station.  Until we have a way to render any waste or leakage harmless in less than six months there should be no more nuclear power plants.  

Tawny owl in distress.

One very windy night about two years ago we heard something scrabbling about in the chimney.  I presumed it was one of the jackdaws from next door prospecting for a new nesting site.  If they get in they usually get out the same way, the only trouble is that if they like it they start dropping sticks down the chimney until they wedge into a platform that they can build a nest on.  I usually manage to dissuade them by lighting the fire for a couple of days only the very persistent birds continue after this treatment.  I forgot the bird making the noise and went up to bed.  When my wife came up she said she thought it was an owl, my reply was a little sceptical and I think went something like this "don't be daft, owls are far too sensible to get stuck in a chimney."  Still thinking it was a jackdaw I settled down and had a good nights sleep forgetting the problem.  Next morning I went into the room to collect my glasses before going to work and heard a very pathetic and sorrowful hoot coming from the direction of the stove that is connected to the chimney.  I didn't have time to investigate and asked my son to check when he got up.  He was unable to get into the stove but rang me to say that he was sure it was an owl.  I happened to be back in the yard at lunch time and since I only live about five miles from work I went home.  I had to dismantle the stove but when I finally got into it so that I could see the entrance to the flue I could see a pair of talons hanging down, I managed to get my hands past the talons and around the birds wings and slide it out of the flue.  Sure enough it was a very bedraggled, sad looking tawny owl.  I let it sit on the grate and took a couple of pictures while the poor bird was coming round from its ordeal.

 

I picked the owl up, being careful to avoid the talons and carried it out side.  While I was carrying it the bird did one of those owl tricks and swivelled its head round at a seemingly impossible angle and stared directly at me.  The look it gave me seemed to suggest that it was holding me directly responsible for its predicament and no matter what it would remember me.  I released the bird outside and after a little hesitation it flew away apparently unharmed.  We have a lot of tawny owls living in the immediate area and we hear them almost every night but so far as I know I have never seen that particular owl again.

Pigs and hares.

Met this pig today, isn't she great? Also saw two hares in a roadside field today. Hares are normally nocturnal but at this time of year they start to move about in daylight. The urge to procreate comes upon them and they suddenly become visible.  I do enjoy watching them, I have seen as many as ten chasing each other around and fighting. Two hares stood on their back legs boxing is a very amusing sight. The trouble is that the beasts seem to leave all sense behind at this time of year and become very vulnerable to road kill.  The Mistle thrushes are now in full song and are being joined by other birds as the dawn chorus gradually strengthens. I do enjoy spring.

Skylarks and Seed Dressing

I have done my first day's seed dressing of the season.  I drive and operate one of the companies mobile seed dressers and enjoy the change from my usual work routine.  Today's job was sixteen tonnes of spring barley for a regular customer.  Everything went well and I ended up  dressing seventeen tonnes.  The  only problem was that I was inside a large shed, hence I couldn't enjoy one of the few clear cold days we have had this year.  When we stopped for lunch I managed to get outside, while I was standing soaking in the sunshine I heard my first Skylark of the year.  These shy little brown birds start singing about this time of year and what a song it is, sung from high above the ground. I find a real joy in the sound of their song. Sadly skylarks are one of the birds that have declined in population over my lifetime.  I suspect but cannot prove that their decline can possibly be attributed to changing farming practice.  Though I remember finding owl pellets as a child and taking them to pieces to try to discover what the owl had been feeding on and it seemed that one of the resident owls specialised in hunting skylarks.  A large number of the owl pellets contained skylark rear claws, these claws are easily recognised by their length.  I have opened many owl pellets over the years since but I have never found skylark claws in owl pellets again.  I suspect that it was a single owl that had learned the knack of catching these little birds and made the most of its particular niche.

To change the subject I spent most of Sunday completing my battle with the ivy infesting my hedge, I have finally cut the last of the ivy away from it's roots so now I have to wait for the infestation in the hedge to realise that it's dead and loosed its hold on the poor hawthorn.  I suspect that I'll have to wait for next winter before that happy event occurs but at that point I will be able to decide how much of the hedge is alive and work out how to regenerate it.  The only good thing about having to wait for next winter is that it gives me the whole of the summer to kill off the ivy roots and ensure any new hedge plants have the best possible start hopefully free from the strangling grasp.  

First Snowdrops

The first Snowdrops, at last they are appearing, it's taken along time this year. Though I don't blame them, the weather is horrible today.

Ivy Damage

As promised here are some pictures of the hedge showing the extent of the ivy infestation.  Please note it is winter at the moment, or as near to winter as we usually get.  There are no leaves on the trees or hedges but this poor hedge looks to be in full leaf.  Don't be fooled it isn't hawthorn leaf it's all ivy.

Just look at the thickness of the ivy stems that I have cut away.  I suspect that over half of the hawthorn is either dead or dying and my attempt at help has come far too late.  The only consolation I have is that my efforts will result in the ivy slowly dying.  I'm sure it's good for bugs and birds to nest in but it is proving fatal for this poor hedge.  I intend to cut away a section on each hawthorn that is infected, let the ivy die and see how many of the old hedging plants are still alive.  I will spray off the vegetation in the bottom of the hedge several times this spring and summer to keep the hedge bottom clear of further infestation and weeds to give the old hedging plants a chance.  Once I have established how much is alive I will trim the hedge further and if practical lay the hedge to start to fill the gaps.  If laying isn't possible to regenerate the hedge this way I will lop the remaining plants to around six feet and plant the gaps with new hedging plants or small trees.  My aim is to create a healthy hedge of about seven feet tall creating a screen and a wind break in one.  I expect it to take at least five years to establish and a further five years before I have a reasonable result.  At this stage a fence sounds much easier but I like the idea of a new strong hedge.  Here's to the fun of it!

If there is anyone out there who thinks ivy doesn't do harm to hedges take a good look at the pictures below and please explain how this isn't harmful to the hedge.

Ivy and Hedges.

I know others who know about these things say ivy doesn't harm the tree or hedge it is growing on and the fact that the tree or hedge plant it is growing on dies is just old age, I don't believe a word of it.  I hate ivy with a passion, I have seen too many healthy trees die when they have become covered with the hideous creeping stuff.  I have just spent the greater part of the day cutting through the stuff before it manages to kill the whole of the hedge that runs alongside of my orchard.  The hedge is large and overgrown due to over twenty years neglect, there is a drainage ditch on the other side between our plot and our neighbour.  In England if the hedge is on my side the ditch is mine and it is my responsibility to keep it clear and running.  Last weekend there was water running down the orchard and onto our patio, the top of the ditch was blocked.  I cleared the ditch enough to stop the water running over the side but looking at the task of cleaning it out I quickly came to the conclusion that I had to tidy the hedge first before I could start ditching.  So today I started siding the hedge and cutting the ivy clear.  I decided that if I trim both sides of the hedge and kill the ivy that is overgrowing the hedge in places then keep the hedge bottom clean during the summer months I will get a better idea of how much of the old hedge is still living.  Once I have established how much is still alive despite the best efforts of the ivy I will have a better idea of how to proceed.  My aim is to establish a good hedge of about seven feet tall between us and our neighbour.  The hedge must be trimmed every year and not allowed to overgrow the ditch.  A good hedge at this height will maintain privacy for both of us and if I keep it back off the ditch I will be able to keep it clear easily enough.  Once everything is in order it should only take me four or five hours a year with a shovel to keep the ditch in good order.
 I hope to dig a pond at the top of the orchard, in front of the oak tree in the corner and divert the ditch through the pond, it should attract a lot of wildlife if I do it correctly.  We already have a number of frogs living it the orchard and I'm sure they will appreciate my efforts, but that's for the future and first I must get the hedge and ditch in good order.  It's dark now but tomorrow I will take some pictures of the ivy and hedge to add to this post so readers will see what I am grumbling about.

Big Bang Theory

In the beginning there was nothing, which exploded. How does this make sense? To my simple mind it doesn't, it is impossible and therefore it isn't what happened. So if nothing didn't explode and then expand into the universe we inhabit what did happen? If we accept that our universe did start with an explosion where there was nothing before that's a little more believable. So now we have an explosion occurring where nothing existed before, so far so good.  But now we ask what exploded and where did it explode from to appear where there was nothing before? I have no answers, I'm not a scientist, I just don't know. But I wonder what happens to all the matter which is swallowed by a black hole. Yes I know a black hole can grow but can it grow for ever? Can something with a gravitational field so strong that it can rip stars apart and even capture light really remain in a stable state? I have doubts that it is possible for a black hole to remain stable for eternity. I have no foundation whatever for my suspicions but it wouldn't surprise me if, at some time in the future, it was discovered that our universe was spawned by a black hole.  A black hole that has reached some type of critical stage and has done what appears impossible and imploded. This idea, to me, is no more stupid than the idea that nothing can explode, and it has the advantage of rounding the circle as I don't believe that anything can appear from nothing.  This thought, and that's all it is, a thought, gives no explanation of how such a process could occur or how it could occur or expand into somewhere it isn't.  Please could someone explain to me why what I postulate is both impossible and stupid.  

Bank of Scotland (In My View) Very Bad Practice

I am used to using internet banking and am usually happy with the procedure, but today when I attempted to log onto my account I was unable to proceed to my accounts without accepting terms which I feel would lead to my receiving an increase in spam from the bank and others.  I was not presented with any way to bypass this option.  This means that I am unable to use online banking.  When I called the help line they were unable to bypass this option for me and let me have access to my accounts.  Why ask me to accept terms that obviously aren't optional.  In my view this is extremely bad practice.  For the moment I would advise everyone to avoid the Bank of Scotland and as I suspect this is a part of the Lloyd s banking group as is Halifax it might be best to avoid them as well, though I'm not sure if they offer a similar non option.
I am unhappy enough about this to change banks if the situation isn't resolved.  The only thing I will say in their favor is that so far the android app on my phone isn't giving this problem.
Has anyone else come across a similar non option which they feel unhappy about accepting?
Did finally, after some insistence, get hold of a very helpful man called Dave who could understand my concern and gave me a some faith that he would pass on my concern.  So in the end I am reasonably happy that something will be done about it.

27/01/2014
As an add on to the above, I would say that after spending some time on the phone I got through to a gentleman called Dave. He checked that what I said was correct and promised to get back to me.  Dave was as good as his word and has just got back to me. Apparently what I was seeing was correct and intended and there is no way round it.  I think the Bank of Scotland and possibly Lloyds banking group are being arrogant and stupid, they will offend customers with this attitude. Dave aside I am very unhappy with the situation and if it isn't removed I will change banks as a point of principle

Orchard

A view of my orchard from the top.  I have planted three more plum trees and another apple this weekend, all four were maiden bare root.  They are two Seneca plums, one Jubilee plum and a Pinova apple.  I have started another row and have planted them at five meter centres.  The plums are on St Juliens A rootstock and the apple is on MM106 rootstock both these root stocks should give a tree of between three and four meters high and the planting distance of five meters should be about right.  The centre three rows are planted at twice that distance but that's because we are going for looks as well as fruit, but I may fill in the gaps if it seems appropriate.  But I suspect that unless I find a market for any surplus fruit I will produce more fruit than I can easily use.  Anyone got a cider press for sale?

Yesterdays planting.  I will have to keep the hedge well trimmed if I am to get the best from these trees.  Another job!

Writing the sequel.

Now I really must get on with writing. I'm three chapters into the sequel to "The Way In" And this is the book that I started out to write the first time but I have a feeling its going to be a similar experience and it may turn out to take three more books to tell the story. I have also started another unrelated story which I will write along side this so I have something to turn to when I'm stuck. If anyone wants a preview I'm happy to let you have a look, provided you are willing to give me feedback and suggestions. 

Places and Feelings

I made a delivery yesterday to a farm that was hidden at the end of a track in the middle of a small rural village. I have never delivered here before, I couldn't see into the yard from the entrance to the track so I backed down to the first turn, stopped, got out and went for a look. It was only a small delivery so after looking at the first corner I put the goods in my barrow and wheeled them in, this was by far the easiest option. But what I found remarkable was the farm yard. It was one of those places which seem to exude feelings of timelessness and peace. It was as if someone had really loved the place and passed away leaving such a sense of peace and serenity that the feelings soaked into the buildings and land to remain and effect anyone entering the yard.  It was the sort of place I could sit content and soak in the atmosphere. Perhaps it was just that it was a good day holding the promise of spring in its gentle sunshine, but I don't think so.  I think someone had really lived that place and that's what I could feel. What do you think? Are there places that effect you like that?

Sounds of Spring

The weather remains mild for the time of year and I am beginning to see catkins on the hazel bushes by the road side.  I haven't seen any snowdrops yet but if this weather continues it won't be long.  I heard a Mistle Thrush singing for the second time today.  These large thrushes are amazing birds once they start their spring songs they don't give up easily, I have heard them singing in rain storms and I think in snow storms as if everything in the world was beautiful.

A High Walk and More Rabbit Troubles

On Saturday my wife decided to have a day off, she's a teacher and works most every day weekends included.  The first stop was a problem, Monks Cross shopping centre, I hate the place and didn't get out of the car.  Yes I can be a miserable git at times.  Next stop a visit to my Mother for a couple of hours.  Much better than Monks Cross.  For a change we decided to go for a walk, not able to think of anywhere else I suggested the Humber Bridge.  I have driven over it many times and had crossed it a couple of days before for a delivery.  I noticed people walking over it at the time and thought it would make an interesting walk.  So we went, the only problem was that we followed the signs to the car park, there are road works going on on the bridge and on the approach so before knew what was happening I had joined the queue for the toll booth with no possible way to turn round.  But when I explained the situation the woman in the booth said to cross the bridge and come back so I could enter the car park form the other side of the road.  This problem must happen regularly as they haven't bothered to redirect traffic to the other car park entrance.  The result was we got to cross the bridge twice, once by car there and back and once on foot there and back.  Another happy discovery, the car park was free as was the entry to the bridge by foot.  The day was bright clear and breezy but well wrapped up the experience was great and well worth the effort.  Just before we got back in the car i heard the first Mistle Thrush of the year singing in the trees surrounding the car park.  I have been worried about the lack of thrush song, even though the weather has been good.  It's as if the birds know something I don't, perhaps the weather is going to turn and we are to be covered in snow.

What an amazing construction.

Had a walk round the orchard this morning and found more rabbit damage on one tree and rabbit damage on two ornamental trees that my wife planted in the garden.  I had to fit more rabbit guards on the two trees in the garden and add to the protection of the tree in the orchard.  But on the good side there appears to be one less rabbit, I think and hope the buzzard has been feeding well on these demons sent to destroy my fruit trees. 

Lighting up Life for Bats.

Yes I know bats have poor vision but I have seen bats appreciating the illumination provided by electric lights. A lot of years ago now I decided to light up the yard outside the house and to save me the trouble of looking for a switch in the dark I installed a light with a proximity sensor so all I had to do was walk out of the back door and the light came on; great everything worked as planned and as soon as I stepped in front of the light it came on.  Not only did this help me see but it was a great security feature all was well, or so I thought.  We had quite a large population of bats living in the old buildings and they appeared from the cracks every night to hunt the night flying insects.  I like bats, I have always enjoyed watching them in the evening, before it gets too dark.  I find it amazing that they can navigate round objects at such a speed using nothing more than echoes.  Well the proximity switch was sensitive enough to switch the light on as a bat flew past, the trouble was that when the light came on it attracted moths.  The moths attracted more bats which switched the light on more often and this attracted even more moths and other insects so the bats continued to flit around the light keeping it on.  I eventually added an off switch to bypass the sensor.  I felt sorry to be depriving the bats of easy feeding but I didn't like the electricity bill.  

Colour Vision ?

Have you ever thought about our eye sight?  When I was at school, perhaps I was around fourteen, I watched an episode of a television series, "Tales of the Unexpected.."  The gist of the tale was that a woman who couldn't see had her vision restored by a double eye transplant.  The catch to the tale was that the eyes which were transplanted belonged to the wife of the recipients lover whom he had murdered.  But its not the catch that's important, its the thoughts and conclusions that the tale started.  And as yet, thirty six years later, I still aren't able to find a way to prove my conclusions.
On my way to school on the bus the next morning I was thinking about the programme and wondering what it would be like to see the world through someone else's eyes.  My initial thought was that it would be just as I see the world, as everyone sees the world surely it must.  But then I had another thought would things look the same through another's eyes for instance does everyone see the colours the same? Could the colour I see as green be, when seen by someone else, be the colour I would think of as red.  After all colour could be all our brains interpretation of what the eyes see and the brain is so complicated that I'm expect everyone has a completely different thought pattern.  So if I could see the world through another persons eyes it could might look completely alien.  Just imagine what the world would look like with all the colours mixed up.  But surely this can't be or can it?  I would say yes it is possible and I can think of no way to prove that we all see colours the same.  In fact I think it very likely that  we all see the world differently.  Can anyone correct me and explain how to prove I'm wrong?  If so please let me know

The Wonder of Gravity

I find gravity amazing, don't you?  We all feel its effects for the whole of our lives but we give it so little thought and we seem to have so little idea what it is or how and why it works.  But if gravity, which I assume is the attraction of matter to matter, didn't exist we wouldn't exist.  Nothing in our universe would hold together, it is literally the glue that sticks everything together.  If I understand things correctly, which given my limited understanding isn't likely, the higgs boson particle is what gives matter its mass, I think this translates as gravity.  I have no understanding of how it all works and I have tried reading it up.  If I understand things correctly the discovery of the higgs boson particle could be one of the greatest discoveries of this century, that is when we understand how it works.
The trouble is I find everything about our universe fascinating and my understanding is too limited for my fascination, there is so much I will never know or understand.  I find that unavoidable fact very sad.

Writing At Last

At last I have started working on the sequel to The Way In, (Witches Wood Gate Book 1)  I think I am a little better organised this time.  I have organised my notes a little better, with the first book my notes were kept on a single word document and I found great difficulty finding the exact note I needed.  This time I have broken them down into several categories and used a different word document for each one.   I'm sure that I am still making many mistakes but I should be able to progress more easily.  I am finding, as I did before, that no matter how well I plan a chapter I don't manage to write it as planned.  The plan for the second chapter just didn't translate onto paper and I wrote something completely different.  That's not to say  that the plan for chapter two was wrong, it wasn't.  Its just that as I wrote something that I hadn't planned started to develop so I decided to let it run as it was.  The planned chapter two is now chapter three and possibly chapter four as well.  Well I'll continue writing and see what develops, it should be interesting as though I have a plan I have no idea or control as to how it will turn out.

Trees and Rabbits Again.

Haven't seen any of the rabbits from hell all weekend.  With a bit of luck they have been eaten by the buzzard, but I have my doubts.  Anyway for the moment the fruit trees seem safe.  Perhaps they are just lulling me into a false sense of security and are planning a major attack, or perhaps I'm paranoid.  The trees look well at the moment.  I am waiting two deliveries of fruit trees that I have been unable to source locally.  I will say more about the varieties when they arrive and I plant them.  I still need to repair my strimmer, I suspect I broke the gear head while doing a final cut of the wilder area of the paddock.  I am looking forward to seeing if and where the daffodils we planted come up.  Rosemary and I planted 25 kilos of bulbs last autumn but we aren't able to see where we planted them, not that it matters, all we are sure of is that they aren't where I will be planting trees.  I surpassed myself and pegged out every possible tree station before we planted the bulbs, I hope.  At least I think I did, maybe! Oh well time will tell.
What I have realised is that in five years time we could have a lot of fruit on our hands, at least I hope we will.
While I haven't seen any rabbits I have seen several squirrels.  Now I quite like squirrels even if they always win in the race to get to the hazel nuts on the bushes at the top of the paddock.  So long as they don't develop a liking for plums, apples or pears we will continue to get along fine.
A problem I might encounter in spring is the bullfinch, for those who don't know these pretty little birds have a large appetite for flower buds.  There isn't a large local population, if fact I haven't seen one here.  I won't begrudge the birds a snack if they do visit.
All in all I think this first year with the trees should be interesting, I have a lot to learn.

Longer Life Span

I have often thought that the world would be a lot better place if we all lived longer, a lot longer.  I think about five hundred years would suffice.  No I don't mean just me I mean everyone, absolutely everyone.  Why? you may ask, would I think this would be good for the world considering the damage that we can do in our short life spans.  Well simply put if we lived that long we  would be around long enough to have to endure any harm we caused to the environment, we would be directly accountable and suffer the consequences of our action or inaction.  Whereas we know that we can only expect around eighty years on this earth so we can bequeath any problems we create to future generations as we peacefully breath our last breath.  And before you react with horror, I know you wouldn't wish to leave your children and grand children to face the problems of global warming that we created would you?  Global warming doesn't really exist does it, and if it does its worst effects will be felt far enough in the future not to effect you.  Yes we all go about with this attitude, I'm just as guilty as you so I aren't absolved from my own criticism.  But that isn't really my point.  And no I'm not one of the save the planet green brigade, we can't save our planet, it is doomed to be destroyed.  All we can preserve is our place on this planet for as long as possible.  And if we don't manage to develop the means to leave the earth humanity as a species is ultimately doomed.  But that debate is for another time for the moment just imagine if you could plant an oak tree you would probably live long enough to see it grow to maturity giving you the option of harvesting it or leave it to live and die in its own time.  Imagine knowing you would live long enough to invest enough money in a pension plan to be able to spend the last fifty years of your life in comfort while not having to work.  Yes I know that if everyone who had been born in the last five hundred years was alive today we would be even more overcrowded, but consider this, if humans were able to bear children up to the age of four hundred and fifty years why would you rush?  Just imagine the enormity of the change a five hundred year life span would bring to the human outlook.  But I'm sure I haven't considered every possibility that would be created by such a long life.  Perhaps others can run with this idea and speculate how our lives would change. Just something for you to think about at the start of the year.
Happy new year to you all.