Thought I saw this deer today, running across the fields below Beacon Fell…
…maybe not. I did see deer but not the red-nosed variety. Nobody else about, in view of the dreadful conditions underfoot. Walked out of Longridge through the fields but soon realised how wet they were when I came across foot deep water. We have however been much luckier, in this region, than many, in avoiding serious flooding of properties. Must be dreadful to have your house inundated with water. The Met Office says that it has been the wettest year since records started, but not necessarily a harbinger of doom for next year.
Carried on up the fellside with wet feet, knowing that there would be refreshments available in the wonderful café at Beacon Fell visitor centre. The car park was packed, people obviously were wanting to stretch their legs after the Xmas binge. Sat with a warming cup of coffee.
I was fascinated to read about the tagged flights of Betty, the Hen Harrier from Bowland. She had flown hundreds of miles up to Scotland and back in search of a partner but then sadly disappeared in North Yorks.
It has now been confirmed that she has been shot and perished in Yorkshire. Having previously watched these beautiful birds in Bowland I find it deeply depressing that this is the fate that may await them. Why??
This comes in the same week that MPs are wondering about trying to revoke the hunting with dogs legislation. Hopefully, this will never happen. There should be no encouragement shown to the shooting /hunting element of our society.
Meanwhile, in the States, there has been another tragic mass shooting, this time involving many young children. My thoughts go out to their families. Come on now Mr Obama, surely there must be a way to tighten up on your gun regulations. Are the National Rifle Association real?
So it all seems a little, if not a lot depressing. Following on from the joys of Xmas I’m not happy about the state of our world. Maybe the ‘Turneresque’ view of the clouds could improve things as I walked back down the drier lanes to home.
But no —
–hanging in the wind was a little reminder of the selfishness of some dog owners of our world. God help us!!!
I recently commented on your characteristic optimism. This post is therefore more significant coming from you, and I confess to frequently having similar feelings. What can one do? I contribute a fair monthly total to most of the environmental and humanistic charities, but most of the literature they send goes straight in the bin because I find it too depressing to read, and then I feel guilty about that, and wonder if I shouldn’t be doing something more active.
Public opinion and action can make a difference as in the anti hunting campaign and the anti racist movement in the USA. Having read quite a bit in the American press on the Internet about the shootings, I do sympathise with Obama – making any change in the gun laws there is almost impossible, and their ingrained culture on this subject is beyond our abilities of comprehension.
Your final example, even though I am fond of dogs, is one of my particular reasons for despair with a large number of people wth whom we unfortunately have to share this country. I include with those dog owners chuckers of rubbish from cars. There should be legislation to allow these people to be shot on sight, or to be more realistic, much firmer and rigorously applied sanctions against them I am sure that if you start with the smaller things and apply AND ENFORCE very strict consequences the larger issues will follow.
At my daughter’s previous school kids were allowed to leave litter on the floor in the classroom “because there were staff employed as cleaners”. If you don’t get a grip at that level, what hope do you have of enforcing any other kind of discipline?
Every now and then there are more uplifting happenings, and I was recently moved reading about the paralympian who had lost both legs in the London tube bombing and then competed in the games.
Sorry I set you off on ‘one’! I think we are thinking along the same lines – is it our age or has common sense become less common? Interestingly my grand children [its that time of year] share the same values as I do – so maybe things are not as bleak as we imagine. Skip the dog s… and I promise my next blog will be full of optimism. Happy New Year.