Has the world gone mad?

[alan refail]

As I suggested in my previous post, we should not be marvelling at all this. Is nobody else but me and Alison worried about this? Is anyone doing anything about it? Maybe switch off a few unused lights, drive a bit less. And why don't we write to our local councils and ask them to switch off most of the street lights after midnight, especially in the countryside. I admit I have not done this yet, but we have five lights within yards of our house and I doubt whether anyone has walked past after midnight in the last thirty years.

[peter]

Funny , Christmas used to be a religious festival, then it became a time of greed, the latest change is to conspicuous consumption.

Do you have any of those "I can put up more lights than you" type people polluting your neighbourhood.

Some are so proud of how large their electricty bill is for the "festive period", or do it for "charriddee".

[lizzie]

I agree with Peter, Allan and Alison. I try to do my bit. The familiar cry of "It's like Blackpool Illuminations in 'ere. Switch the bloody lights oss that you're not using." I switch off what is not in use and only use the washing machine when I have a full load. If my journey is less than two miles I walk, unless i've got a flare up of one of my bone diseases, when I will take the car. I recycle what I can and try to do my bit.

As for the Christmas lights, I quite agree. There is a house near my sons school that is amazing. He does do it for charity, usually Alder Hey or Zoes Place Childrens Hospice. He's been doing this for over 20 years and has made a lot of the models himself, including the 30ft high Santa outside the house. Even the road gets cordoned off because of the traffic. Another street is lit up excessively. This time it's puely trying to outdo each other. It looks really tacky.

The bloke opposite me has put lights outside this year and they shine in through my bedroom window. In fairness, he does switch them off at 10pm. Whatever happended to just having the tree in the front window?

Check out this link from America. Turn up your speakers cos they're set to music?! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2CU7Xlth ... ed&search=

[peter]

Lizzie, well, ......................... I'm dumbstruck.

Looked like a bad accident on the M1.

[Chantal]

You'll never believe this but there's a farmer somewhere in the Midlands (it was on Midlands Today) who has lit up his barn with the same light and sound show to raise funds for the local church.

[Jenny Green]

The only thing lighting up the front of our house is my clematis 'Jingle Bells'. And very pretty it is too.

[Tigger]

Well - I've dressed my scarecrows for the occasion. Mabel is wearing a red jacket with a tinsel stole and a Santa's Helper Elve's hat (Pound Shop of course). Bert has another Pound Shop extravaganza in a fluffy Santa Hat with a glittery scarf and (renewable) battery lights.

Environmental friendly and amusing - I hope.

[alan refail]

We have an old Welsh proverb:

Gaeaf glas a wna fynwent fras

which means

A mild winter makes for a full cemetery

Any comments?

[oldherbaceous]

Dear Alan, i hope your Welsh proverb is not right, we seem to be running out of room in our cemetry.
At least they are not ready for me yet.

I'm glad you opened this topic again Alan, as this evening at about twenty to five, i was just finishing forking over a rose border, when what i thought was a bird flew right pass my head, but a couple of minutes later it happened again, on looking up i noticed it was a bat, and not only one but a pair of them.
I'm not sure if they should be classed as early or late for the time of year.

[lizzie]

Whilst walking the dog this morning I noticed that some of the wild garlic is starting to sprout. It's not normally seen here until about late March to April.

It's all gone mad

[oldherbaceous]

Dear Lizzie, your local vampires are going to be well annoyed then.

[lizzie]

Certainly are going to be annoyed.

Mind you, once they see the state of Chiefie after he's rolled in his favourite stagnant pond, they tend to steer clear anyway.

Pond mud is a bugger to get off black velvet capes

[Compo]

I agree with everything and more on electric useage and other energy saving suggestions.

We have had so much rain here in Somerset, I needed a rowing boat (nearly) to get on the allotment field this morning. I have a clematis in flower in the garden (Wisley Cream) that has never flowered before, I am worried but feel the planet will adapt somehow, but exactly how I am not sure. Maybe we should grow rice and coffee?

Compo

[Alison]

Wisley Cream clematis is a winter-flowering clematis, so at least it is one thing that is flowering at the right time! Mine is also in flower, which is more amazing than it sounds, as I got so fed up with it making masses of growth and never flowering that I pulled it all out (so I thought) 2 years ago! However, I obviously missed a bit, which has come triumphantly through and is covered with flowers! I'm not sure what lesson I should draw from that....
Alison.

[alan refail]

Too true Compo, the planet will adapt We just won't be here. Like the dinosaurs.