New Activities

On Monday of this week I was introduced to a lady who runs a community organisation and I offered myself up as a volunteer. Within half an hour I was helping out with a group at one of the local community centres and had a wonderful afternoon. Today I went down to her office for a chat about what I will be doing to help out and was very kindly invited to take part on a Sign language course and a first aid course. That will be quite good because my First Aid certificate expired around 5 years ago. Now I just have to wait for the enhanced CRB check and then I will be able to help out with their work in schools. I'm really looking forward to it.

The dark evenings are depressing me a bit, I have to admit. They don't make dog walking any easier either. I have tried the flashing collars which just work their way underneath the dogs fur and render them useless and the only time I catch a glimpse of the dogs is when a bit of light happens to fall on their white bits, but if they go for a dive into the dyke, well, there aren't any white bits left. I have to rely on my keen sense of smell to find them and then refuse them entry to the house until they have been fumigated with the hose pipe (which they hate) and the home made dog shampoo (which they lick of themselves because it has garlic and aloe vera in it)
I'm not quite sure which smells worse. The black mud from the dyke or my shampoo.

Surveys are appearing thick and fast in my inbox lately. I should have another voucher in time for Christmas at this rate. I made a new batch of sloe gin ready for next year. Yes, I really am going to leave it for a whole year. Before and after shots. i.e. before I gave it a shake and after a week of shaking.

There was a craft fair up in the next village today, so I went along to have a look. As I drove past on the road I noticed that there were no outside stalls and that the marquis was the size of a cig packet, so I turned around and came home. Yes, I may have missed some real bargains but I decided to take the dogs for a long long walk instead. I may go back tomorrow and have a look because Santa is arriving by helicopter at midday. Not that I'm bothered about seeing Santa in November, but his guest appearance may bring out a few more stalls and wotnot.
I filled my back pack with carrier bags to hold whatever I managed to forage, a flask of coffee for myself, a few dog treats, a bottle of water and a bowl, donned my hat scarf and gloves and off we went.

I love this part of the wood, looking down into the hollow at the bottom, all expectant at what I shall find, or not. I always try to keep away from the paths so that the dogs can go wild and enjoy themselves without worrying about a horse and rider or other dogs coming in the opposite direction.
Besides which, all the best finds are in the untouched bits of the wood.



Although, occasionally I come across things that are not strictly born of nature
Two saucepans and an empty can of lager. I wonder if someone was trying to make an alcoholic tempura batter maybe? I suspect not. Anyway, I chucked them in my bag and disposed of them when I got home.

This, on the other hand is completely natural. I took the photos to try and identify it from my mushroom books but I have failed in that quest. It was huge. 10" across and tough as old boots. I'm sure it was welded to the tree.
I didn't notice it at first. I chose the fallen tree to sit on and have a coffee
and only saw it when I dropped my cup onto the floor at the other side of the branch.
The dogs had a drink of water and the little one went to sleep whilst the other nutter got busy with a bit of wood.


On the way back out of the wood something blue caught my eye and when I walked over to investigate I found this crate, undamaged. It's now in my garden waiting to be washed and put to use...for something.