Mike Winter

Nothing like enjoying your slightly cheaper pint while imagining the toddler crying from hunger that paid for it.

Country diary: In my moment of loss, birds came like gifts | Amy-Jane Beer Ripon City Wetlands and Welburn, North Yorkshire: First a starling ​and then a robin​ arrived like visitations​. I am truly grateful for ​them both

In case you missed @amyjanebeer.bsky.social very moving Country Diary last week, on the gift of birds following her beloved sister's untimely death; do have a read, its beautiful.

www.theguardian.com/environment/...

;)

I know you've heard that a federal judge ordered the release of 5 year old Liam Conejo Arias and his father, and that they're now home.

But did you look at the judge's order?

It's less than 2.5 pages and well worth a minute. "Jesus wept."

Link to pdf: storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

Its a new take on hand-written notes :)

There are certainly elements of BOD where it feels like Masefield is tripping out too!

When US and Japanese troops stopped fighting to talk, eat and pray together Eighty years ago, this remarkable event showed a rare glimpse of humanity on both sides of a bitter conflict.

A remarkable story on the radio this morning- one I’d never heard but which reveals other ways of peace making. theconversation.com/when-us-and-...

For me, it remains a book which, more than any other, helped me come to terms with living in the city. I badly, badly missed countryside and seeing distance (I still do). @robgmacfarlane.bsky.social opened my eyes to see wildness in new ways and in new places, for which I remain immensely grateful.

Loved this piece, Daegan - I think we had a convo a while back about sharpening scythes with a ball-peen hammer? I bet your yard-meadow looks amazing now all those hidden species have discovered room to thrive - what a joy to have re-pastoralised each other!

Take care, Amy.

Congratulations, Rachel!

Married 33 years today - still loving the adventure.

Another day, another utterly shameful cruelty against refugees announced.

Recognised refugees -

so people granted the long term right to stay in the UK because they have escaped real danger -

will face new barriers to reuniting with spouses & children safely in the UK #r4todat

Today’s walk, nice loop from Ilkley to Denton, then up to Middleton and back through the woods. Got pretty wet at one point, but there was some lovely light too.

Definite areas they don’t want you to go - 3x “Private” signs in one frame. ;)

Look who’s back from her year abroad 😀

Pint at the end most welcome, as was the opportunity to meet up with old friends as we arrived in Middleham.

A fun 3 day walk, all done with public transport to the start and home again this evening :)

Mini-adventure day 3 - Six Dales Trail, Leeds Pals Memorial to Middleham.

Had about 3 miles this morning to rejoin the route, but some fabulous views again as we went over the moors.

Wonderful short video of Goldfinches gilding a large patch of thistledown. Heaven for them.

Practical example of the environmental pressure releasing thousands of pheasants brings, courtesy of Swinton Estate.

Had to walk a few miles off route once we reached the memorial to get to where we’re staying tonight. Last leg tomorrow.

Mini adventure day 2 - Pateley Bridge up to the Leeds Pals memorial. More moorland today.

We found Nidderdale’s answer to Sycamore Gap too.

Mini adventure day 2 - Pateley Bridge up to the Leeds Pals memorial. More moorland today.

We found Nidderdale’s answer to Sycamore Gap too.

This weekend’s mini-adventure… Six Dales Trail. Today was Otley to Pateley Bridge. Quite varied walking. The reservoirs are looking desperate.

Fabulous inosculation of beech :)

Thanks for the heads-up, Rory. Seven series!!

You could just write poems for your own (& close friends) enjoyment and not see getting them published as being successful or not? Its not a criticism of your 'decision', just an encouragement..

:(

awaiting the asylum decision, so they have to be totally reliant on the state. Then the racists stir everyone up and say they’re here living in luxury at taxpayers expense. Lots to unpack, but no one would want to be staying in those hotels and they’re living on less than £50 a week. 2/2

Not necessarily. The last government were so appalling that the backlog for asylum claims got into the hundreds of thousands. They just stopped processing them, so there was nowhere for them to live whilst awaiting a decision. The mad thing is they aren’t allowed to be economically active whilst 1/2

I’m pleased to report that my MP is very much in favour of that.

Presume she supports asylum seekers being allowed to work whilst their cases are being considered then?

It’s madness that they aren’t.