Things to do

 Another day in wetville not that gardens and fields here don't need it, they most certainly do but not weather for being out in.

There are things you could do such as research an area to explore on foot, noting route, prominent buildings and things you may need with you so at least you'd be ready when things are better.

You could read your books around scouting too which I have a fair number including some old annuals that have tests and quizzes.

Introducing Rangers

Rangers in Girlguiding are children aged 14 to 18 who meet to hang out, learn new skills, and take part in adventures as they move towards womanhood.

What Rangers Do.

Activities and Badges: Members work on interest badges, skills builders, and top awards like the Ranger Gold Award or the Duke of Edinburgh's Award. 

Leadership and Volunteering: Many Rangers act as Young Leaders, helping run units for younger sections like Rainbows, Brownies, or Guides. 

Travel and Adventure: The section offers local meetups, UK trips, international travel, and outdoor camps. 

Community Action: Girls make a difference by supporting local causes, speaking out on issues they care about, or joining advocacy panels. 

Apart from all of that you hang out together and have fun!

Girlguides core principles

 

As a Guide, members strive to follow these core values:

Respect yourself and others.

Be considerate, honest, and trustworthy.

Be friendly to others.

Make choices for a better world.

Use your time and abilities wisely.

Be thoughtful, optimistic, and live with courage and strength

Alternative uses

 

In former industrial areas, there are often legacies that can be spotted even if the buildings such as many of the former Salt Mines themselves were either demolished or sank beneath the ground.

Here we have the trackbead of the railway that served the salt mines along the Wheelock Rail Trail that would link up to the old North Staffordshire Railway line bringing the salt to the potteries, very much as it was with just the track taken up.

Today people walk it in relative peace and tranquility going around farmland.

The whole route to Ettiley Heath is link to salt.

Out!

 

Roses are a strong memory with me, Grandad was a keen amateur gardener and frequently grow them from cuttings and in this recent extreme weather these two have done well just around a modern housing development locally.

Resting

 

Not the best of starts to the week with a really bad migraine that hasn't completely shifted in three days which isn't new with me as I has this as a child affecting school attendence unless it started in school in which instance I'd be responsibility of the School Nurse and put in the Sick Bay.

It tended to cut into those organized activities too so no guess my mind has been more focused on those times and how I looked as that helps keeping the spirits up.

It came out!

 

It has to be said the recent heatwave weather conditions haven't been kind to any living thing human or natural this survived fairly well.

Taken on the Sony DCS RX 100, it shows the advantage in being able to set the aperture by hand and through that throw the background out of focus so only what we want in focus is.

Eclipse and adventures

On Wednesday we had a Solar Eclipse of the Sun, the sort of thing that no doubt would appeal to many Cub, Scout, Brownie and Girl Guide. 

Certainly at that age space and astronomy were things that interested me at that time and Scouting has for a good while had badges connected with Space.

Recently Mr Socks at the UR Forum made this little cartoon based around the adventures of group of Cubs out exploring where upon they encounter the eclipse.

Their reactions are so realistic.

Camp

 

Camping as depicted by the great twentieth century American artist Norman Rockwell who really understood what scouting was all about.

This was a post from a long gone Tumblr of mine.

Glimpses of the past

 

Very much as we were Cubs and the odd Scout in the legendary Mushroom trousers and buckled belt all nicely lined up in Barrow In Furness, North Lancashire around the 1970's looking smart.

"Give it to him!"

 

A past in an era where legally at least I was an adult but still had some connections to Scouting as a movement Cubbery wasn't so far removed from where it was during the 70's when one first encounted, these cubs and scouts from Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire are enjoying a authorized pillow fight rather than the sort some of us had in our school dorms!

So long for another year

 

The end for another year or so, the majestic scenery notwithstanding the heatwaves that have caused issues in many other areas with loss of grassland will be remembered.

This break helped taking my mind off other more troubling matters while the fresh air helped my breathing alot.

Baa

 

Just tucking into grass and unlike much of England the grass was a lush green wather than badly scorched with the recent heatwaves so they didn't require additional feed.

Many sheep and lambs roam free in this part of Lancashire, so much so you have look when you're driving in case they've strayed to sides of roads.