A Rest Perchance to Dream

Wednesday 17 February 2016

A Rest Perchance to Dream

Wednesday 17th February

My rest begins. A few days in which to visit my cousin, Rosemary and her son Paschal and then back home via train, leaving the bike at a repair shop for back brake replacement and a service. It is my son, Joshua's birthday on Friday and my daughter, Rebecca is coming down from Newcastle for us all to meet up for a celebration meal. I will also be seeing Mum and Dad. Both are in their eighties and remarkable for their age. Just a few days to catch up with family.

I also need to prepare for the RSPB AGM at York. I am invited as one of the speakers and have been sent emails with attachments. I feel this is a wonderful opportunity to promote Green Birding and will prepare the photograph slide show, the talk itself, a display board and leaflets as well as I can.

Once the leaflet is done I will publish it on here for you to peruse and criticise for me. Any advice would be gratefully and humbly received.

So today will be a carbon day; another 'Fifty Shades of Green' moment in the Biking Birder year. As I have said, the bike will be left at the exact spot where I arrived yesterday after cycling through very quiet, and icy in places, country lanes from Alton to Ash Vale, east of Aldershot. Does this detract from the Green Big Year mantra? The way I see it is that in every way I try to be as Green as possible whilst still occasionally seeing family. When your parents are in their eighties you want to cherish every moment with them. They've already been jokingly told by my sister that last Christmas was their last!

As for being Green, I don't have a house, a car, masses of electrical appliances just a tablet, I recycle as much as I can, even collect recyclable items I see whilst cycling. I pick up litter especially on beaches and nature reserves. I could never have the time to pick up the mass of litter, much of it recyclable I see whilst cycling. Why do people have to throw this stuff from their car windows whilst going along roads? I camp around 150 to 200 times a year. I consider food miles. My clothes are usually from charity shops. All in all I hope that you understand my Green Year. I would love to have a totally fossil free year but this is the best that I can do.

As for what we can all do, we've got to reduce, reuse, recycle. (repair)