These are tiny drops in the ocean. But seeing TV pictures of the flooding in Queensland the other night, and the warnings of yet more flooding here in the UK, makes me feel we all need to pull together to counter the madness of growth-addicted, consumer culture. It’s all feeling rather apocalyptic, and I’d hopedContinue reading “Alex’s Energy Saving Tips”
Tag Archives: ecology
The Call of the Woods
I’ve been neglecting my blog. Just to keep it going, here’s a haiku from a less busy time. field soaring upwards and beyond the pathless gate the beckoning wood (The photo doesn’t fit the poem – it’s different woods – but, hey, it’s woods.)
My eco-afternoon
I cycled into Brighton and bought a hand drill. It was that or a cordless electric one for working in the garden or shed. But this will also do for small jobs in the house and save electricity. Then I went to Infinity Foods and got my empty laundry soap bottle refilled. Then I cycledContinue reading “My eco-afternoon”
Wonderful World
Trying to pick some lively hymns for harvest festival on Sunday was hard. No one seems to be writing worship songs that say the world is beautiful and filled with wonder and the glory of God – it might have a lot wrong with it and we do a lot of harm to itContinue reading “Wonderful World”
Mud People
While on holiday recently, I read Ursula Le Guin’s story, “The Word For World Is Forest”. As always with Le Guin, it’s superb, imaginative, thoughtful writing. The story is set on a distant world, Athshe, which humans from Earth are trying to colonise. In many ways, the planet has similar conditions to Earth, theContinue reading “Mud People”
Cycling is the future
Three cheers for Bradley Wiggins, Mark Cavendish and Chris Froome! The media here is talking about the greatest sporting achievement ever – an over-statement, surely, but the performance of these three outstanding British cyclists in the Tour de France cheers the hearts of ordinary British cyclists like me. Maybe if I were 20 yearsContinue reading “Cycling is the future”
Vegetables are murder, too
By now, my new vegetable beds should be packed full of a variety of vegetables, all thriving in the rich compost and growing leafy and tall. Unfortunately, we’ve had very little sunshine this ‘summer’, and I think the soil hasn’t warmed up enough to germinate all the seeds. Also, as it’s hardly stopped raining sinceContinue reading “Vegetables are murder, too”
5 reasons not to cut the grass
It’s a rare sunny day, here in sunny Sussex. And I could take the afternoon off and cut the grass. It is rather long, as one of our weekend guests was kind enough to point out to me. On the other hand, here are five good reasons to leave it – and the animals whoContinue reading “5 reasons not to cut the grass”
Garden upgrade
Here’s the layer-mulched bed shown in the last post, plus funky new wooden frame to keep it all in place. The wood is old 6×2 floor joists I got from a wood recycling co-op in Brighton (The Wood Store). I used some more of the same wood to make another new bed. ThisContinue reading “Garden upgrade”
Garden
Mrs Mabbsonsea kindly lent me her camera during a gap in the rain today, so I took some pictures of the garden. This was just a little rose bed, but I’ve taken away the bark chippings, added a load of compost and planted a variety of veggie seeds. The fence is to stop the catsContinue reading “Garden”
Alex Mabbs 