Spring in Cambridgeshire

Took the dogs out this morning for a lovely walk at Monks Wood, which I believe is the largest stretch of ancient woodlands in East Anglia - no doubt I will be told otherwise. However it provides a beautiful walk on well market paths. There a lovely grassed rides that even with the rain and the frost we've had are still pleasant walking.

Monks Wood - Natural England Site

Some of you will be aware that there is also a government research centre here, it was from here that the Red Kites were released. Two of which I saw this morning mobbing a buzzard - stunning.

The dogs also are very keen to walk here as I allow them a little more freedom - which they love. Rosie really is turning into a delightful Cocker - working the undergrowth but staying close by - lovely.

I recorded the birth of Rosie at My dogs blog

I am trying to get myself back to where I was before I was diagnosed with cancer - well actually that is not true. I read something about the veterans of the WWII - having survived they learnt something very special - to make every day count 'Carpe Diem' - seize the day.

Ebay: Widen your horizons

I am quite a regular 'eBayer' but I am often put off making purchases or collect only items - but today I had a revelation - having bought a printer in Oxfordshire with the idea of nipping down to collect it - my wife said why not use a courier. So I tried the big names - and despite advertised prices being reasonable- the bottom line was too expensive.

I then tried http://www.interparcel.com/ - this is an e-business that has several accounts with couriers and using there on-line service - a virtual service- you can have your package picked up by a well known name but at less than half the price they would charge for a 'one off'.  Of course you can only do this if the seller is prepared to package the item and print out  the label for you.

Great - it was picked up this morning - lets hope it finds it's way home.

Test blog

Sorry - to date I have entered blog material directly through the Blogger interface - but I am experimenting with a blogging application - I am using Qumana - as I am a PC - but luckily mines made by Apple.

For more about Desktop Blogging tools and much much more see Richard Farrars Blog

Winter Warming

I am trying to keep a healthy work life balance - part of which means 'grounding' myself - in my case I do this by walking and working on 'surviving' - by this I mean growing food and creating my home. For example I spent an hour yesterday I enjoyed the first warming from my logs. The advantage of a log fire is that you get at least two warmings - I get a load more.
Firstly you get warm warm sourcing the logs - either by cutting down some trees or just picking up the cord wood, that is the lengths of the wood that are suitable for using as logs cut into handy lengths so you can easily carry them.
Then when you get home these need cutting up, splitting and stacking to mature - green wood needs at least a year to dry out before burning. If like me you have to mature wood in the open you then need to put your wood in the dry store for winter. I've been using an electric chain saw at home and it makes the job far easier - as does my 'bomb'. This is a coned shape lump of metal with notches and ridges that hold it in the log while it is driven in, this can split a round into four logs.
Finally you get to sit in front of the fire - I will have to wait until next year to get the final warming from these logs - but I am looking forwards to it.
I think that there are many benefits - both physical and mental by contributing to something other than work - I really feel the benefits of getting away from my desk and getting on with something physical.

Another new year dawns

One of my early posts was about my health - well I am pleased to say that all that is behind - well almost all. But decided that this is as good as it gets and have decided to get going. One of the things that tripped me up was my loosing fitness. It is over a year ago that I was diagnosed - and looking back I have not been as active as I could have been - although walk every day my fitness had droppes - and my weight has gone up.

So task one get rid of the best part of a stone - well actually it's the worst part as it seems just to be lurking about my middle where it seems to be just hanging about. Having thought about joining a gym I have decided to use my wifes Wii - and I think it is very effective. I do at least 15 minutes boxing and end up sweating - doing this every day seems to have made a good start.

Next I need to get my brain going again - which might be a harder task - we shall see.

Making a difference - unlike the BBC!

I have been like many very angry about the BBC's decision to boycott the DECs appeal for aid in GAZA - I fully understand that the conflict is controversial - but the humanitarian suffering is not. So I have tried to make a difference by contacting my MP and the chairs of those parliamentary committees that might legitimately have a difference. I was delighted to find that Tony Benn and many other public figures were of the same view - but I believe I did make a difference.

I think we all sit back and say "what can I do?" - well I thing we can make more of a difference than we think using the technology available - email, blogging, giving feedback via the web and probably a whole load more. This morning on the BBC there was a story about a South African lady who, on reaching her 50th birthday decided it was about time she should make a difference and help the people in Zimbabwe - so she has collected food from her friends and neighbors and driven it across the border to help a specific village.

I am going to the DEC site, at http://www.dec.org.uk/ to donate to the appeal. So how are you going to make a difference today?

Burn's Night at Hinchingbrook

Last night we organised a trip to Hinchingbrook house for a Burns night supper. There were nine of us so a minibus was booked so a good night could be had by all - and it was.

Most enjoyable with the haggis (- or should it be haggi as there were two?) piped in and Burns poem praising the dish was recited with gusto - no claymore for cleaving it in twain.

Although a little bleary this morning freinds agreed we had a good night and took the air in Monks Woods - one of the largest tracts of ancient woodland in East Anglia. Rod and I were lucky enough to see three woodcocks put up by the dogs - who as ever eally enjoyed the freedom.

Oh well Monday looms.

New year - New World

My Blogger blog reminds me off a cash book on my fathers - it had just one entry; Bought Cash book.

Well I have a 'professional' blog at www.equerry.co.uk - I use the term loosely, but I increasingly find that I want to add more and more of me into it - which is not really what it is about. So here I am back on Blogger.

So today I am preparing for my oldest mate - you know the brother I wish I had - to come and stay for the week end with myself and Yvonne. We are very lucky to live in an enchanted village, Buckworth where weekends are dedicated to relaxing. We bought Owl Cottage so we could relax - rather than have a holiday home we decided to live every day in our holiday home. All in all a decision we have not regretted.

So this morning I prepare the last of our Bramley Apples for tomorrows lunch - just lightly cooked, sweetened with honey and some dates left over from Christmas - tomorrow Yvonne will just add a crumble - scrumptious. We really have got entertainment nailed - simple food, steak and kidney tomorrow; good wine and plenty of it.

Over Christmas I had some side effects from having radiotherapy - from sitting too long at the dinner table. Both Christmas day and New Years Day we sat and enjoyed the food from 2.00 o'clock right through to 8.00 - which sounds awful - but actually it was very civilized gentle grazing rather than the usual blow out.

Tonight we are going to a Burns Night supper and tomorrow we will walk the dogs and enjoy Sunday lunch. I walk the dogs every day and really enjoy it - even in the rain, seeing the seasons turn is an important aspect of grounding yourself. This week I have seen the first pair of hares and the small birds, wrens and blue tits busy in the hedges, along with the snowdrops and daffodils poking up their heads - it is a sign of spring on it's way - irrespective of the doom merchants talking up the economic crisis.

Hey ho - better open a bottle of red to let it breath.