Ah yes.... Lino was very much the floor covering to have back in the 60's

Nowadays though, I belive most have upgraded to Shag Pile.

She says with a totally straight face.

Nice photo by the way.

Although the Hearth in my home has not been used as originally intended for many years, there is still a small medallion of Rowan upon the mantel.

I do have quite a variety of trees in my garden being that it is for wildlife. Although they have to be carefully managed to fit everyone in happily
Elder
Medlar
Hawthorn
Hazel
Crab Apple
Eating Apple
Cherry
Birch
Choke Berry
Rowan
Beech
Stone Pine
Sweet Chestnut
Sycamore
Blackthorn

I have and Elder right beside my window and two others in the garden

In legend the Elder across Europe was considered the home of the Elder Mother in one form or another, as mentioned in the original post, was considered unwise to use the wood for cribs and some considered it wrong to burn
But often Elders were planted next to homes for the Elders Mothers protection

After WW2 there were Nazi Hunters
Just maybe?

One day I might even try to get some Bat boxes up

I have a lot of Bats around this area and often spend an evening outside with the Detectors

Although living by a road with street lights they are really easy to see as the hunt back and forth

Definitely Pips, probably Serotine and possibly others

I still have 2 Bird Boxes in storage somewhere which I really should try to put up
One could probably go near the back door now the Blackthorns there have become established

The other box would be suitable for slightly larger birds like Starlings Unfortunately we really dont get many where I live

There is a small bird box in the Crab Apple tree in the corner and has in the past has been used by Blue Tits

I have a box in the driveway hedge which took a couple of years before it was finally used and when first used was again Tree Bumblebees

Last year the Blue Tits took possesion to nest

The Sparrow Box above my window is now regularly used by House Sparrows

A small flock has built up over the last few years and during the winter spend much of their time in the evergreen Privet just below the nest box

Come time to build nests they will strip my garden Ferns for nesting materials

I have 3 bird boxes in my garden

A treble Sparrow box above the window, which in the past has been home to Blue and Great Tits

One year a colony of Tree Bumblebees took over one compartment making it difficult for their next door neighbours, Blue Tits, to negotiate the ever present swarm of Bees

Edible Three Cornered Leek (invasive species) is also very common in and around the road in which I live

I have always had Robins here but one has been a constant visitor lately Perhaps looking for a potential nest site

They get special treatment, grated cheese upon the wall under the overhanging bushes

Blackbirds now more frequent also
They nested in the garden a couple of years ago, perhaps again?

Bird feeders are beginning to slow down now so have closed half of them today

Still have 2 small fatball feeders as well, which are popular with the local Sparrows and Blue Tits

The Goldfinches used to take a lot of food but are less frequent now

Perhaps due to the Sparrowhawks renewed visits?

Thats a depressing scene.

My weekend has so very busy. And I don't really have a positive of my own to share
So here's a song I heard a while ago

I wont post directly here, but simply say, search for Vox Populi's " Call me Antifa"

For all of us that live under this flag 🏳️‍⚧️

You can call me Antifa
And thats alright with me

You say you have few friends, I think that goes with the territory for many of us. I interact with many people but they are not friends
Dont know why perhaps they fail to tick the right boxes

Though unlikely to ever meet perhaps our shared interests might be enough to call each other friend in time

Bit more simple than that
They have the tip of their tail missing
And Susan is called Susan because she looks like a Susan

Everything has to have a name
Recently bought an Aloe Vera plant. Obiously named it Brenda

Cariad and Felicity Fox, both very friendly and visited with me for food and treats

20+ years ago took a step into the rest of my life and have never regretted a moment

I believe people meeting me think how can she be so annoyingly happy all the time?

Because I'm trying my damnedest to live my best life. And it has been pretty damn good so far

Given a chance we shine like stars

Across the globe, there is something very wrong at the top.

Absolute power.........

3. Declining Baseline is one the major factors in Wildlife decline and needs to be re-dressed by re-wilding, both natural and managed.

What we dont need is the present goverments new legislation allowing companies to buy their way out of nature destruction.

I too share in your despair for the lost

2. The right to roam, it sounds wonderful, but can people be trusted?

As you say, Dogs constantly running wild disturbing nature
Rubbish discarded without care into an area they visited for its natural beauty
And a general lack of respect

I dont think mankind is ready for that kind of freedom yet

1. I understand where you are coming from with regards to the lost past

I grew up by a small river running from the marsh to the sea

An area once rich in wildlife like Water Voles, Water Shrew, Kingfishers, Amphibians and Reptiles, alongside numerous Bats and Hedgehogs. But most no longer there

We get quite a few Turnstones along the coast at Hastings

When the sea's are rough, they will come up onto the promenade to forage on the roadside verges and lawns

Most of my childhood was spent on our local wetland
Back then, very few ventured there and much of the time I had the wild and unspoilt all to myself

Today it is a country park constantly busy with walkers and dogs

These days I am happiest alone in a woodland but still miss the magical misty marsh

We sat and shared the same sunset as you

A future CF Tunnicliffe in the making

Or perhaps they see the joy in trans people that they had hoped for themselves?

But they have never managed to realise, because they cannot shed that darkness that infects their thoughts and which they believe to be caused by others

When it reality, they created their own dark existance

Then perhaps we are more neighbours than we first knew.
Gensing here

We were listening last night to the bells of the London Road church.