Scenes on Sunday ~ Fly Away
you will never get me up in one of those things
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jack collier
jackcollier7@talktalk.net
actually, if it was the only way I could escape, then I’d try it
Covid Travel Uncertainties
a litany of mistakes, fudges, and cock-ups
Ford Edsel, not a big hit either
The British Government has just announced a new list of places they will kindly allow us mere mortals to travel to on vacation. It’s called the Green List and consists of; Anguila, Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Balearic Islands, Barbados, Bermuda, British Antarctic Territory, British Indian Ocean Territory, British Virgin Islands, Brunei, Cayman Is, Dominica, Falkland Is, Faroe Is, Gibraltar, Grenada, Iceland, Israel, Maderia, Malta, Monserrat, New Zealand, Pitcairn Is, South Georgia, Saint Helena, Turks and Caicos Is.
And thank you very much for bugger all. Neither Australia nor New Zealand will admit tourists, half of the list are remote islands in the middle of empty oceans, (Napoleon was exiled to St. Helena) ~ getting flights to these places is difficult verging on impossible, and most of the rest have stringent entry requirements. Maybe I could go to Gibraltar, or perhaps Madeira. BTW, it’s not a good idea to travel to the Caribbean in June, July, August, or September.
This list is about as well thought out as was the Ford Edsel and pleases nobody at all, except maybe Boris Johnson, Matt Hancock, and several times disgraced adulterer Grant Schapps, (Minister for Transport). Travellers are warned that the Green List is subject to change with no notice whatsoever, meaning that wherever you are you may need to get back to the UK pretty damn quickly. What Fun.
Maybe the country is in such a complete mess because government ministers, bureaucrats, and health officials are too busy boffing their assistants, aides, and mistresses to do their job properly. The latest culprit is the ‘fucking useless’ Health Minister Matt Hancock, (married with 3 children), who is having an affair with his ‘advisor’ Gina Coladangelo, (also married with 3 children). Who can blame him when his Prime Minister Boris Johnson is himself a serial adulterer.
I have it on very good authority, from a very close friend, that no sane woman would find either man remotely attractive. Personally, I wouldn’t trust either of them to flip burgers at a truck stop on the I-15.
You couldn’t make it up.
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jack collier
jackcollier7@talktalk.net
Matt & Gina
not an elegant couple
Exploring County Durham
it is strange how the places of our past call to us
Weardale, not so many miles from the garret, and yet a world away in memories. I haven’t been up there in decades, and today I’m taking a short road trip to an area of hills, heather, dry stone walls, idyllic streams, and sheep.
These pictures aren’t mine, but I should have some good photographs to show you pretty soon.
The main thing is, a road trip into peace and quiet is good for the soul.
jack collier
jackcollier7@talktalk.net
Except I’ll bet that when I get up there it will be raining
Solstice Dawn
dawn was at 04:28 today
but at these latitudes it doesn’t get dark in June
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jack collier
jackcollier7@talktalk.net
but even in June it’s damn chilly here of at dawn
Scenes on Sunday ~ Penshaw Monument
build it and they will come
even to a Greek temple in the North of England
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jack collier
jackcollier7@talktalk.net
you can see it for miles and miles and miles
Geordies and Angels
I could not have made it this far
if there had not been angels along the way
just off the route of the A1, just outside of Gateshead in the North East of England, is the largest sculpture in England
the Angel of the North
The statue was built at a steel fabrication works in my town
Installed in 1998, the thing is 66 feet tall with a wingspan of 177 feet
which is bigger than a Boeing 757
jack collier
jackcollier7@talktalknet
probably the most viewed sculpture in the world
Monochrome Monday ~ My Home Town
a grey north eastern seaside town, but it’s home
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jack collier
jackcollier7@talktalk.net
digging in the mud
Rethinking Life
without struggle success has no value
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Here in England normal life has been on hold for 438 days. With varying degrees of severity we have been prohibited from doing most things that make life worth living; from meeting family and friends, to going to any and all places of business, entertainment, and worship, and even following our chosen trade or profession. Face it ~ most of us have been locked down at home, suffering that most terrible of punishments; imprisonment and solitary confinement.
And personally, not much good has come from that. On the upside I haven’t been sick with the coronavirus. On the downside the list of bad and really bad things is long, pathetic, disturbing, injurious to my health, and life-threatening. All in all, I would say that the policy of shutting down the entire country for over a year is the worst thing supposedly civilised and ‘liberal’ governments have done since 1914.
The worst of it is that I haven’t lifted myself above the morass, the slough of despond, and done something useful with my time. I haven’t had a robust programme to improve my physical, mental, and spiritual health and fitness. I haven’t written a book, taken up a new course of study, or routinely practiced something like meditation, tai chi, yoga, or even moon-walking. Basically I’ve felt sorry for myself, put on weight, got myself a prison pallor, and spent lots of time aimlessly staring at the TV. Some of the time I drank too much. I was utterly unmotivated.
BUT, now that there is a light at the end of the Stygian lockdown tunnel, I feel the need to get a hold of my life and make it better than it was before all this fucking coronavirus crap began. So what to do? Big, meaningful changes take a hell of a lot of effort.
Step One. Cut out all the bad things I’ve been doing just to fill in the empty hours.
Step Two. Get out of the garret into the fresh air and sunshine, lose the prison pallor, get some exercise. Yesterday I walked 8 miles, and meditative walking is really good for the body and soul.
Step Three. Make a plan, some lists, some aims, goals, targets, dreams and desires. Use all the skills and techniques I’ve learned about project planning and start a project to make myself and my life better than ever it was before.
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jack collier
jackcollier7@talktalk.net
travel and adventure are on the agenda
Scenes on Sunday ~ York Signage
knowledge is realising that the street is one way
wisdom is looking in both directions
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jack collier
jackcollier7@talktalk.net
here in England buildings are expected to last several hundred years
Monochrome Monday ~ Utah
the only nightlife in Utah is clandestine
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jack collier
jackcollier7@talktalk.net
seen from the I-15 Utah is mostly empty
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