At work or at home how often do you think about flicking a switch and getting power to illuminate your life or recharge your devices? Bet you only really think about it when you flick the switch and nothing happens? Living and working off grid as we do 24/7, power is not something we takeContinue reading “How are your batteries? Are we running down?”
Author Archives: pickingupducks
Comfort zone 0: Benefit immense (apparently)
History tells when the Athenians learned the Persians had landed at Marathon en route to attack Athens in 490 BC, a messenger ran to Sparta for help. This first ‘marathon runner’ covered 260 kilometres of rugged terrain in less than two days! A runner (probably the same poor chap) subsequently ran from Marathon to AthensContinue reading “Comfort zone 0: Benefit immense (apparently)”
We don’t know what we’ve got ’til it’s gone
We take so many things for granted – lights that come on at the flick of a switch (thanks to our batteries and solar), water that runs at the turn of a tap (thanks to our tank and Canal and River Trust water points) and these days the apparently vital ability to summon maps, searchContinue reading “We don’t know what we’ve got ’til it’s gone”
Are you well balanced? We’re not…yet!
It’s only too late to get back on an even keel when you’ve capsized… a thought for us all and particularly those of us who live on boats where prevention is definitely better than cure. So this week has been about rebalancing our lives…and our home. It’s so easy when you have a 50 xContinue reading “Are you well balanced? We’re not…yet!”
Restorative practices
Travelling the waterways living and working in our 21st century ways links us to the past. We use routes designed by famous engineers like Brindley and Telford whose waterfilled channels and tunnels for commercial haulage were created by armies of labourers. In some places like the Ashby where we are now, we are not onlyContinue reading “Restorative practices”
Betrayal, abandonment and death
We’ve been living in the shadow of a seismic royal upheaval for the past few weeks. We tread the same paths and see the same fields that two kings saw, one of whom would never see anything other than these views ever again, over 500 years ago This area of the country is where theContinue reading “Betrayal, abandonment and death”
Left out in the cold
We have first-hand evidence that the UK Government is discriminating, prevaricating, and putting out untruthful disinformation. With a huge fanfare back in May 2022 the then Chancellor, one Rishi Sunak you may remember, announced a non means tested, £400 discount for every household to help with energy bills. The EBSS – Energy Bills Support SchemeContinue reading “Left out in the cold”
How to live happier and make the world better
Research says loss of a partner with whom you’ve lived for many years is often made harder to bear because of the reaction of others. What the researchers refer to relates to the heart-rending loss of a pet. They say that often results in profound grief that is unacknowledged by those around, and this extendsContinue reading “How to live happier and make the world better”
Farcical planning – a feelgood essential right now
Sleep has come easily this week. As the rain regularly patters or thunders on the metal roof of our home, it becomes the only sound – white noise that drowns everything out and sends you to sleep. On the other side of the coin, when you wake in the velvety darkness wondering what woke you,Continue reading “Farcical planning – a feelgood essential right now”
Diurnal wobble and other experiences
It’s been a strange first week of the year – combining unsettling new lessons and exciting experiences, with comforting returns to familiarity. All giving a chance to learn, reflect, and move better equipped into the months ahead. We started the week on the Coventry Canal at Fradley Junction. The Mucky Duck aka The Swan provedContinue reading “Diurnal wobble and other experiences”
Pickingupducks 