Easter fun

We're entering Easter so many Squirrels, Beavers and Cubs will be taking part in Easter related activities such as making Easter Bonnets, cards drawing, cuttting out and writing the greeting apart from that great staple, the Easter Egg Hunt.

How many of us don't feel the pull of something so simple and infectious as going around armed with clues looking for where these eggs have been hidden over, in or under things around the course.

That's before we consider the eggs themselves!

I'll be tucking into mine across Easter so have fun!

Blossoms are out

 Even if the weather is being rather topsy-turvey the blossoms are out here as are needless to say the bees too as one seemed fascinated by my legs yesterday just before midday whilst out in the park during the Easter school hols.

Surrounded by and encroached at the rear by nondescript post WW2 development that's rather out of keeping with it, the sixteenth century cottage still cuts an impressive site.

Coming in

Inland waterways abound in these parts and their users are frequent visitors so often you don't just see them, you engage very much with them even when you're taking the picture as they steer read to get into line for the next lockgate ahead.

Industrialization and encroaching urbanization are challenges in this district as development continues to eat into our green spaces and the needs of people to get away from all of that  receive scant protection but with care you can find spots that keep more of a rural character.
 

Post 1000

Today we are marking a very special day in the life of this blog, one that I have to admit did rather creep up upon me.

In 2018 I started a Tumbr blog after a few issues we've little reason to return to that had a fairly distinct focus around Scouting and related activities after finding I was posting more around that and that much to do with it played a big part in being the kind of boy I am.

These things were interwoven into my life and as time moved on I began to find refocussing on what I valued the most from that time and even revisiting chunks was to prove very valuable in moving past some issues I was facing in my pesonal life because the values and what you learned were in may ways the medicine I needed to get better.

Around 2020 that Tumblr blog that was the start of all this disappeared in mysterious circumstances but by good fortune I had started the expanded version here on Blogger that survived all of that as much as I had survived Covid recovering from being seriously ill aided by scouting apart from the many issues many in society included children and young people had from that whole era.

I got more involved in funding scouts as we'd been affected very much both operationally and especially financially by covid and our national leaders understood as I discovered myself we needed more scouting to help those children and young people affected apart from transmitting those time honoured lessons and skills that would benefit them as they moved on in life.

I faced some of my biggest fears and physical disabilities managing to climb up the walls with support  exploring this castle, go on hikes and get up steep hills.

Going through this was transformative.

On this blog we looked at some of those things in modern day scouting because it's no retro blog, nor is it focused on uniforms as much as you might be interested in and at the time desired it for what you were about to become.

The "and me" side looked at what I was doing being in spirit at least that Wolf Cub, being challenged, learning new things, overcoming fears and restrictions (and fear can be restrictive).

It is a good day to renew that Promise.

Just passing through

 

Springs really is here even if we've had some heavy rain of late with temperatures being high enough to despense with wearing a coat such as on Monday when the sun was quite strong out.

I went out exploring by the canalside where it was quite busy with quite few people about and a lot of narrowboat activity as folks were waiting to go through the various locks, getting into position and turning the handles.

Here the boat is being steered avoiding moored vessles as it makes its way southwards.

Then their were ducks out and about, some in nearby gardens backing on to the canal

Camp Russian style

 

Something a little different but in the usual vein, a group of Russian Scouts at camp, chatting and enjoying an outdoor meal together while one kayaks on an organized activity, clearly enjoying the experience of being away, learning to rely on one another.

At ease and in play

 "Caught ya!"

Take a bit of sun and some grass  and as if by magic we'll come up with a game we can play when Akela has finished with the formal cubs session, perhaps some variant on Tag, which I loved playing  or something involving hide and seek perhaps.

That was always the thing, beyond those times we had to pay full attention to why we were there, we had fun together even if perhaps one of us might be the butt of somes joke for fifteeen minutes or so for just how we did.

Play is so valuable.

Play for the cub

 Not one of ours obviously, but one thing I certainly loved as a boy was playing not least on things like the climbing frame as it was quite a challenge so perhaps as part of a excursion out or camp, to do so in Cubs  would of been just brilliant.

Even if we're to learn new skills and try different experiences at Camp, play still matters I feel.

Old patches

 

While the daffodils may well be out, the trees have yet to regain their leaves here as I went walking near where I used to live where every day I saw this very tree in a green oasis surrounded by development.

Given there wasn't a playing field just this patch and a courtyard by a group of houses we played in it played an important part not just as a backdrop to our games but also for seeing wildlife close up such as birds observing the seasons.

Birthday card

Although not so prevailent today, the "official" birthday card as a beaver,cub or scout would no doubt be one you would value whither or not it was a representation of your section in uniform or as here taking the form of a reproduced photograph showing the kind of activity you'd undertake.

It's very likely you might recieve a card signed by your pack leader and all your friends in Cubs at the nearest session to your birthday.

 

Enjoying the view

It's that time of the year again so while I'll be enjoying myself no doubt they'll be things I'll be seeing along the way.

While this tree has yet to show signs of blossom, the local pigeons are out enjoying its many branches expecting free food in the local park accompanied by the local magpies.

Playtime

 After a bit of a lull over the last few years, while out recently I have seen more squirrels on the move, climbing trees, crossing paths and playing together in the woods or on grassland which I find really interesting to watch.

It's here

 So after an extra day in the Month, we have entered March and already there are signs of Spring as topsy-turvey the weather has been over the last few months from being unseasonably warm to really quite cold.

Yesterday I saw the Magpies and Blackbirds out and talking of out so were the daffodils having come up from the planted bulbs at a number of locations apart from in some peoples gardens too plus a good many blossoms.