h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Just come back from the Co-op and there was a pile of leaves. It's been a very windy day, and has corralled the leaves into largeish piles. Little asked if he could walk in the leaves and spent quite some time dancing in them, delight writ large on his face. It was to watch!

Good on little ! Didn't you join in the fun of kicking up the leaves? I'm in my mid-thirties, and I still to play about in the piles of autumn leaves..... It's exhilirating, and a great excuse to be a kid again!

I also it when we get enough fresh snowfall to go crunching through it, making patterns with hands and feet
It's fun!!! *lol*

Prideth

Hello Zarquon , little and Prideth I hope you are all keeping well.

I remember as a child I used to be fascinated to see whirl winds appear on the playground at school. Now and and again I like to play with the leaves. I also like to pick up the leaves and marvel at the beautiful colours as some look like they have been dipped in gold. It's wonderful when you see a child's face light up with happiness when you see them at play.

I still like going into shops and playing with the electronic toys that that they have on display.


kat

I had arms full of heavy shopping. I did consider putting it down and joining in. If I hadn't had it, I would definitely have joined in.

Little says that winter is his favourite season because of the snow. Funny, as in recent years, we've had very little snowfall.

And yes, it is . I think you're never too old for dancing in the leaves.

Ohhhh! Such a shame you had all those bags of shopping . At least you got great joy from watching little play in them... Nothing nicer than seeing your kids have so much fun! It's sad too, that there hasn't been more over the last few years. Tell little I hope he gets more to play in this winter.... I'll pray for it especially for him.

Hi Positive Thinker (Kat) , I hope you are well too? The thing I find utterly amazing about Mother Nature is that she makes even dead and decaying things, such as autumn leaves, so beautiful...

I had the most enormous smile on my face and I laughed out loud for quite a while, so I had vicarious enjoyment. It was really lovely to see him completely wrapt and in the moment. As adults, we tend not to live in the moment. We're often in the future (plans and dreams) or in the past (reminicence, regrets) and seldom in the here and now, which is where our power lies.

Thank you for the prayer for snow. One year, a friend got a toboggan out and they spent a happy time sliding down a small hill.

Is Kat in the thread? Hi!

Oh, hi, Kat! Just seen your contribution. Yes, little 's face *did* light up when he was playing. It was truly magical.

I remember last year, he would pick up a particularly beautiful leaf and bring it into school to show them. We have sycamore trees around here and some of the leaves were very large indeed.

I totally agree with you about adults not living in the moment. I think the world would be a much happier place if adults played in leaves and snow and such like. Remembering the simple, but terribly important joys of life is what makes life worth living....

Tobogganing sounds smashing fun. We used to use old plastic bags to slide on, or pretty much anything slideable that we could get our mitts on.........what wonderful memories! Oh! Talking of snow, that reminds me of one of the otter's favourite past-times. They too adore sliding in the snow!

Yes, I agree too!

I have some memories of tobogganing when I was little, but am having difficulty remembering what we used. I have the feeling that someone had a real toboggan with wooden curved runners. Now, who would have been rich enough to own one of those? We certainly weren't!

How did you get interested in otters, Prideth?

My family were all nature lovers, and so brought me up learning about the natural world and all its wonders...

Where otters are concerned, I suppose it's another case of "the simple things in life bringing the most joy", that of the unexpected. Around twelve years ago, I'd just had an enormous row with my first husband, so I did my usual escape act by taking my Afghan Hound out for a walk. We lived out in the middle of the country, with a wee hump-back bridge over the local burn. As Turbo (I know...daft name for an afghan..wasn't me, honestly *lol*) and I were approaching the bridge, I heard the tell-tale peeps and whistles of otters. I held my breath, and thought to myself, "I can't be that lucky!", and hey presto! A whole family of otters, mother and two cubs, playing in the water under the bridge!!!! My heart skipped a beat or three, and we both quietly watched them, Turbo with his paws up on the bridge wall, for what seemed like ages. Turbo seemed just as excited to see them as I was, and I could feel him shake too! It was truly magical! I've been a totally utter otternutter ever since.....

...bit of a long story, but it will live in my memory forever!

Great story! Whereabout did you live at the time?

I don't know if you will have heard of this back-of-beyond place, but I'll try and give you at least an idea of where it was...

It was in South Lanarkshire, just eight houses called Shodshillmill, nestled a few miles between Carnwath, Braehead, Carstairs, and Forth. About eight miles northeast of Lanark. Gorgeous place... The house looked onto open fields and there was a short-eared owl that I used to watch hunting in that quartering pattern they always use. One species of owl that's diurnul rather than nocturnal. I miss the place, but not my first husband,

Sounds wonderful!

I don't miss my ex-husband either (almost said my first husband, but I'm still single at the moment, although I do have a relationship). After we moved to London, we lived in a place called Pratts Bottom, near Orpington. We had a big back garden, backing onto other even larger back gardens. A far cry from what I have now.

Although I loved my husband and I was sad when he left, I realise that I am now much better off in other ways (although at presently not financially better off!).

I've just taken little to the new Borough Museum at the Heritage Centre in Woolwich - it opened today. There was a large pile of leaves outside the house (not nearly as big as the one outside the Co-op) and he really enjoyed himself having a little dance.

I will probably do an entry on the women workers at the Arsenal in times of war, as there's plenty of information on it there, but as yet, there's nothing on the web - well not from the Heritage Centre - there's bound to be lots of other material out there. We also have a Reminiscence Centre in blackheath, which I can raid for infrmation, if need be.

Hi Prideth I am keeping well apart from a few aches and pains. It looks like Mother Nature has hand painted all the leaves on the trees.


kat

Zarquon we have got quite a few trees and I think some are sycamore trees. That is one thing I have not done before and that is tobogganing. I love the snow because it makes the night look lighter and that it is very silent when it falls.


kat

Mmm, I've just been clearing sycamore leaves from the front pathway - still lots to do. They're not my favourite trees. I had about 14 of them in the rather small back garden when I arrived here and I tend to look on them as weeds.

Snow has pluses and minuses for me. It's lovely when it first arrives, except for driving in - I live on a hill with bends, so it can make it dangerous to drive on. It's lovely to walk on at first when it's pristine. After a while, it gets dangerous when it turns to ice - even more so on a steep hill. For that reason, I usually keep a bag of salt.

I've not tobogganed for some years, but it *is* fun!

What a funny place name, "Pratts Bottom"

The museum sounds like a really interesting place. Good luck with your next entry I'm currently working on one about Ratty, better known as the Water Vole. There's been a really severe "crash" in their numbers, so I'd like to help their cause by drawing people's attention to it.

Prideth

It's in a valley - bottom - and it's named after a Mr Pratt! When we moved in, the previous owners of the house gave us a booklet explaining the history, which I passed on to the new owners after I left.

Any idea why the water vole population has crashed or is it one of those things that animal populations go through - like a boom and bust cycle?

Zarquon my grandmother worked in the ammunitions factory in the first world war. I have heard that women got their hair scapled because they did not wear protective head covering. I look forward to reading your article about the role women played working at the Arsenal in times of war.

Kat

Hi Zarquon I hope you and the little are keeping well.

My Grandmother worked at the ammunition factories in the First World War in Northumberland. I heard of stories of women being scalped working in tin the ammunitiontion factories for not wearing any head covering. I look forward to reading your entry about the role of women working at Arsenal during war-time.


kat