A little diversion is called for

DB is having a hard time being redundant. He is beginning to get bored at home.
He has signed on for unemployment support, searched their computer base for
work, had a CV written out and got himself enrolled for taking a first aid course
in June. Sofar, there are no jobs available that he has any qualifications for. He`s
starting to get feelings of being too old and unfit for a physical job, and wonders
how long it might take him to find anything suitable. He has also indicated that he
feels guilty that I have to go to work whilst he hangs around at home with very
little to do. A silly notion, but totally understandable for someone that has been a
hard working person all his life.
Time for a little diversion, a change of scenery. Hopefully, with a break from the
mondane every day here in Brighton he might perk up and find some re-newed
enthusiasm for job hunting.
That`s why we have decided to make good use of the upcoming Bankholiday
weekend. We are going to travel north, to visit his youngest sister in Morecambe.
A day out to the Lake District has also been planned. Thirty years ago Rick was
working as a silver service waiter at Borrowdale Hotel, near Keswick. Nostalgic
thoughts of his younger days have come to the forth lately, so a re-visit to the hotel
is on the cards.

A family reunion with his brother and youngest sister, plus a slap up lunch for
Sunday at the hotel has now also been organised. I`m looking forward to the
trip as well as I have never been to the Lake District, and only ever seen some
pictures on the internet, or footage on the TV. The scenery is meant to be stunning.

Derwent Water
in spring time.




So, I`m off to work again tomorrow, leaving a guilty feeling Rick to take another
trip to the job centre, to have another (most likely) disappointing job search on
their data base. At least his spirits are lifted slightly, as he looks forward to our
impromto mini-break.

On Wednesday evening we shall take a late train to London, then will board the
Megabus to Lancaster at 1.00 am. Lorraine will pick us up from there, and we then
should be at her house by around 10.00 am Thursday, just in time for late breakfast.
A wander around Morecambe and a visit to a sceduled farmers market should keep
DB and me busy for that day, as Lorraine will have to go to bed, having had to work
a tiring night shift at a childrens home the night before. No specific plans are layed
out forThursday evening or Friday. Saturday, Lorraine`s hubby will drive us down to
Liverpool so that Rick can visit his eldest sister. Back at Morecambe, in the afternoon
we shall then meet up with Rick`s eldest brother who intends to spend the weekend
with us all. Saturday evening a combined meal out at a Brazilian restaurant has been
booked for us. Sunday, we shall be in the Lake District, and Monday we will travel
back home. Quite a packed weekend break, and I intend to take many photos.

I might not have time for anymore blogging before we travel, so I wish everyone a
fabulous Bankholiday weekend to come, and hope to bring back some exciting pics
to share after our trip. Toodle pip for now.

Too busy to blog

Do you get days like this?
I`m a bit too busy to blog at the moment.
I`m catching up with blogs I follow and fill my days with gardening,
cooking, and much needed household work. Having DB at home,
due to his redundancy, can put a spanner in the works when it
comes to my regular weekly cleaning routine. I`m playing catch-up
with what I was about to do and find myself bussier than normally.
I gave my friend a shared lunch today, plus a sewing machine lesson
this afternoon. I then headed back out into the front garden to give
the pyrocanthus (not sure it`s the right spelling) the first haircut of
this year. There was weeding to be done as well, and then dinner to
prepare. Just enough time to take a quick tea break and a few mins.
on the computer, to leave this message.
Hope to be back to usual posting soon. Enjoy the sunshine if you
are lucky to catch some. Toodle pip for now.

The Aaah factor

Alyssa Rose,
now 5 weeks old.

This concerns us all!

Reported, worrying decline
of the honey bee population
in the USA as well as here
in Britain, and all over Europe.






I was listening to the radio at work last week when a debate on this
subject was lead by Jeremy Vine on BBC Radio 2.
For the last 6 years honey bee populations had been steadily in decline,
and the scientists are still at a loss about the real causes.
Pesticides were blamed by some, others think its a combination of the
pesticides and paracites entering bee hives that might be to blame. In the
US some scientists also have concerns about certain pesticides that may
cause havoc with the bees natural homing sense.
More information about it here:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2013/may/08/honey-bees-threatened-colonies-extingt-2012
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/wildlife/3302327/Bee-decline-threatens-our-dinner-and-the-countryside.html
http://www.redorbit.com/news/science/1602852/british_honey_bee_population_on_the_decline/
Beehives get abandoned and bee keepers are having a hard time to keep
their hives alive. Honey production is at threat, as well as all our lives for
the future.
If there are eventually not enough bees to pollinate crops, the implications
for future human generations are looking rather bleak. Instead of implimenting
a stop on the usage of the pesticides that could be playing a major part in the
bee decline, politicians and scientists all over the globe are still not coming
to a satisfactory decision on a ban for such chemicals. Surely, minimizing
at least some of the risks to bees is better than forever arguing about the
uncertainty of the pesticides used. The longer the world debates and puts
off any action to rescue the situation the less of a chance of doing anything
constructive in the future. Anyone with small children or grandchildren must
be concerned for what the near future might hold for them.
If crops are not pollinated crops will fail. A shortage of certain basic food
supplies will then be for certain. Prices for food will increase, foods will run
out eventually, and the rest you can picture for yourself. It makes you wonder
if Mankind is hell bent on eventual self-distraction. A frightening prospect to
contemplate, indeed!
Are you concerned, too? What could we as ordenary folk do to change the
way this situation is handled by politicians and scientists? Demonstrations are
already ongoing, but what else is there that we personally could do that would
make a difference? I`m not sure that there is anything we can do ourselves.
What are your thoughts on this?