The inner Gordon....

Some days I find the volume of bad news overwhelming. If the mythical Atlas does indeed carry the world on his shoulders, then those are shoulders scarred and gashed by the rough surfaces and jagged pains of the globe. News story follows news story follows news story, each more doomladen than its predecessor, seemingly an inexorable commentary on our progress to some great apocalyptic moment....wars in Iraq and Afghanistan,.... oil coursing towards the coast of Louisiana bringing more pain on top of the ravages of natural disaster,..... economic crisis,....kids killing kids,.... kids who can't read..... Greeks rioting in Athens the cradle of democracy,.... English oaks dying...., and, of course, the bees.....I think I am a natural optimist, but my optimist instinct has somewhat slowed in reaction time as I've aged - this is probably good, it means I do think on things rather than move on immediately when distracted by something shiny. It's better that I have to really think on what could balance out the books - it ususally means that whatever I come up with is genuinely worthy of balancing the negative.So this morning as I head outside with my little personal cloud of gloom after hearing the news headlines on the radio to have the first cig of the day it's this search for some balance that I find myself undertaking.... I brood for a bit.... I allow my little inner self to don its Gordon Brown mask, he who is so synonymous with 'Broooding' (Capital 'B', extra 'o' - Olympic standard brooding)..... And I think on.... the nicotine hits the brain and I feel heady for a few seconds.... It's very green outsides, despite the cold, the plants in the courtyard are coming on quite nicely.... and in that soup of little observations about what is going on in the courtyard, some balancing thoughts start to float to the surface.....The internet and advances in the internet, even Twitter, are good things - the more we can do without having to get into a car, plane, etc..... the better..... and we can do 'more', we can be a whole bunch of people all chatting at once and sharing ideas and agreeing and disagreeing in one huge written cacophony which you can sit back and read in your own time....The garden is a good thing - this is a nation of gardeners, people concerned with their own plots of land.... There are bee hives on a plot of land as you go out of Smitham station, bee hives on top of Fortnum and Masons, bee hives kept by Andy's boss at the nursery, and bee keeping is really becoming the new Toyota Prius... celebrity sponsorship may not, ultimately, save the bees,... but it's better than celebrity ignorance of them....The oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico could mean that drilling comes under more scrutiny, that it's safer...., that green technologies get a bit of a boost.... for a bit, anyway.... And maybe this has something to do with the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan..... if oil isn't a consideration, then do we do things differently and better in global politics? Perhaps.The economic crisis has given more impetus and urgency to international political cooperation - it is forcing governments to DO SOMETHING and to THINK HARD....So, on balance, it's not all bad.... apocalypse isn't going to happen to tomorrow.... the majority of people 'care', are well-intentioned, are aware, and are 'doing something' in their only little ways, whether that's keeping bees, worrying about their kids, recycling their bottles, cultivating a little plot of land.....And more immediately, it's Sunday morning in the Fereday household.... everything is tidy and peaceful, just the sound of Broadcasting House over rabbits munching kibble and hay in the lounge... a cup of tea.... homemade ham and cheese pastries followed by last night's homemade bread and butter pudding for breakfast.... And I'm on a promise for a trip over to the big Waitrose in Caterham!
Votes: 0
E-mail me when people leave their comments –

Comments

  • Interesting Cat
    It is the small changes that make the big changes, I am not sure whether it was Confucous, Mao or someone else who said it, "the longest journey starts with the first step". The realisation that dependance on oil makes us hostages to fortune in many ways, may well signal the need for its' demise as a source of energy. Other forms of energy are available many are more sustainable, most cleaner and most not in the hands of the unstable and greedy. If the terrible oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico acheives a realisation that we cannot rely on this form of energy then it will not be all bad news.
This reply was deleted.

You need to be a member of Landscape Juice Network to add comments!

Join Landscape Juice Network

Open forum activity

Alistair Copley updated their profile
19 hours ago
robert pryor replied to Tim Wallach's discussion Tripod ladder user? Your advice sought please!
"I have a 6ft pair of Niwakis, wish i’d had them years before I did. I initially got the 8fts and immediately realised they would be a pain for the majority of hedges I used to cut. I think they are brilliant just make sure they are seated properly.…"
19 hours ago
Samuel Beresford-Foster is now a member of Landscape Juice Network
yesterday
Adam Woods replied to Tim Wallach's discussion Tripod ladder user? Your advice sought please!
"I wouldn't cut a hedge without one. Anything over 6' you should get with 3 adjustable legs, otherwise they can be unstable if you lean - but positioned correctly they are the only way. 
Befrore retirement I had an 8' and a 4; . The 4' went in the…"
yesterday
John F replied to Tim Wallach's discussion Tripod ladder user? Your advice sought please!
"Yes had that scenario where you can't reach a fiddly bit no matter what ladder and have to balance on the apex of a shed roof or do best job painstakingly with a long reach pole pruner . "
Sunday
PGM replied to PGM's discussion Grass Cutting 2026 Season
"We've just finished our second week, so that's a full round of all customers now, and didn't have a single one we couldn't do. It's been a really good start here in the north west and now with nice sunny weather coming up this week it's a great time…"
Sunday
Duncan Neville replied to Tim Wallach's discussion Tripod ladder user? Your advice sought please!
"I'm very wary of these tripod ladders, I took a life changing fall from the top of a 12ft tripod. Now I only use them myself with great care. The issue is that they are very unstable at the top if you lean to either side, and they go with no…"
Sunday
Billybop replied to PGM's discussion Grass Cutting 2026 Season
"Done a couple of second cuts already this last week would you believe. It's almost as if the grass has a memory of last year's drought and is making up for it now plenty of moisture available"
Sunday
Billybop replied to Tim Wallach's discussion Tripod ladder user? Your advice sought please!
"the tripods are good but in some scenarios the wide base and the fact the 3rd leg has to be placed some distance away from the step part for stability makes this large foot print impractical eg when cutting hedge behind a shed or greenhouse with…"
Sunday
Graham Taylor replied to Tim Wallach's discussion Tripod ladder user? Your advice sought please!
"Never tried these but always thought they look a bit of a pain to cart about. Looking at the picture, seems you're quite away from the hedge so you have to reach out more?   I just use ordinary aluminium extension ladders that you can easily adjust…"
Saturday
Sam Bainbridge replied to Tim Wallach's discussion Tripod ladder user? Your advice sought please!
"Tripods are better than any other ladder that's a fact. You can cut hedges that are lower than the ladder but it is more awkward, I have a 6ft amd a 12 foot been using both for the last 15yrs and haven't come stuck yet. Believe me once you've had…"
Saturday
Intelligent Landscapes replied to Tim Wallach's discussion Tripod ladder user? Your advice sought please!
"I agree with HB. 12 foot Henchman with 3 adjustable legs are fantastic and we use them all the time."
Saturday
Joseph Taylor and The Stonemart Ltd are now friends
Friday
Honey Badger replied to Tim Wallach's discussion Tripod ladder user? Your advice sought please!
"You won't regret it, they are most comfortable ladders to use. Worth every penny."
Friday
matt replied to Julian chambers's discussion Price increases
"Increase prices every year, costs go up every year both on business and at home so otherwise your taking a pay cut, i dont get greedy i make small increases annually but as I do it every year and customers have learned thats part and parcel of it,…"
Friday
matt replied to Tim Wallach's discussion Tripod ladder user? Your advice sought please!
"i have two sizes and couldnt be without them, as use the smaller set for lower hedges so ladders never in the way and ive never bothered with the platform ladders"
Friday
More…

Does moss always = full renovation

Hi.Does a mossey lawn always equal a full lawn renovation? Once you kill (or control) moss the customer is left with brown / black dead moss all over their lawn. So then its needs scarifying to rake it up, then usually a preseed fert, seed and top…

Read more…
8 Replies · Reply by PGM on Thursday
Views: 401