10 minutes / 30 day commitment, who will join me?

[Chickpea]

Today started grey and rainy in Brighton but then it brightened up.  We marked Armistice day on Sunday but even so most people stopped for the two minutes silence at 1100 this morning.  It's wonderful that we can put aside our daily cares, even if just for two minutes once a year, and think about the victims of wars.  It's also sad that there are even more people to mourn. 

I was outside for the silence, trundling from acupuncture to my car.  And then back to my new home.  The views from the windows of my flat are so lovely especially with the autumnal colours of the trees, the squirrels leaping about, and the children playing in the park.  I feel very fortunate to have found such a lovely new home.  And no stairs!

Buckster dearest - I love your descriptions of the sights and sounds of nature around your house.  You should write for publication - today SjS World, tomorrow the whole world!

Love to all - Chickpea

[Bucky]

Day 23

Good morning . . . it's Thursday!     Today is Day 23 of our 30 day commitment to being outside for at least 10 minutes each day.

Woohoo . . . . to date we have 44 members who are participating in this little venture.   

Brrrrrr . . . . I thought I saw penguins waddling across the yard this morning!!  It's cold!!  I usually do my 10 minutes first thing in the morning so I can get on the computer and post.  (Since some of you are already well into your day since you are six hours ahead of me.)  This morning as I walked back and forth on the front porch it sounded like I was in the Amazon jungle!!  (not that I've ever been there, but this is how I imagine it would sound . . . although, I'm sure, the REAL jungle would be MORE noisy.)  The birds were very vocal this morning.  There is some bird that sounds almost like a monkey - I don't know what kind it is.  Some more geese flew overhead again.  You can hear them honking long before they are ever in sight.  Do you know why one side of their flying formation is longer than the other??  I do . . . . because one side has more birds in it than the other!!  HA HA HA   

Linda - stay on the road and out of the woods . . . you don't need any arrows in you while you're out for your 10 minutes!
Chickpea - are you in your new home now?

Have a great day everyone.   

Bucky

"Remember that everyone you meet is afraid of something, loves something, and has lost something."          H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

[Katybarstool]

Hi BUcky

My ten minutes today ws spent walking up to the store in my lunchtime for a yummy salad box. The weather was mild, but windy and dry. Tonight it is absolutely pouring down, and quite cold,so I'm glad I got the best of the weather.

I love your updates. I'm not a country girl, and the first time I heard geese down the lane at the farm, I thought it was dogs barking. My sister loves the countryside, and rescues all sorts of animals. When I spent some time with her in Cornwall, I spotted what I thought was a green budgie in her garden. When I told her about it, she laughed her socks off. It was in fact a greenfinch, but what do I know
I also once saw a heron, but I thought it was a stork, yes, I'm blonde

Kathyx

[Linda196]

A most amazing day for Nov 12...heavy frost in the morning, but it gave way to mid-teen temps, very little in the way of breeze, and bright sunshine! I was able to do something I haven't done in ages (because I always thought I didn't have time) and sat in the park, sipping a chai, people watching to my hearts content! I live near the oldest incorporated city in Canada, and "King's Square" is a heritage park, complete with turn of the century or older bandstand, bronze sculptures, and surrounded by buildings dating back to 1880...I love it!.

[genko_b]

We had both a heron and a kingfisher in the Japanese Garden yesterday when I was there for my tea classes. Cold, but another beautiful day to be out in the garden.

Today was still cold, but sunny and not too breezy. My time outside this morning was spent walking from my usual parking spot downtown to the county jail, where I meet with folks Thursday mornings. Walking back, I was thinking about how some of the men have been inside, unable to be out in the sun, and unable even to see outside (the windows are above eye level), for over two years as they await trial. Makes me appreciate my own life circumstances. Now I'm resting and reading.

Genko

[tribemom]

I work at a school with little kids and I'm outside on recess duty for a little under an hour every day. These cool fall days are great for fresh air, although I do get chilled quickly.

[Bucky]

Day 24

Good morning . . . it's FRIDAY!!     Today is Day 24 of our 30 day commitment to being outside for at least 10 minutes each day.

I am thrilled to report that as of right now we have 45 members who are participating in this venture.     Welcome Tribemom.

It's a brisk morning here in Illinois.  Ten degrees warmer than yesterday morning - which really can make a difference!  I was out on the back step this morning listening to the chorus of birds chirping away.  Just like humans they have a wide octave of sounds - some sweet to listen too and others almost sound like nails on a chalk board!     LOL 

I get "extra credit" for time outside yesterday afternoon.  After the frost melted off the grass I decided to mow the grass one last time in 2009.  It takes me two hours to mow the whole lawn with a riding mower.  Our house sits back quite far from the road (in fact, I can't even see the road right now).  Our front property is riddled with ridges and dirt mounds from those pesky moles who are tunneling thru our yard.  Some members have mentioned how they feel they are here with me from my descriptive posts.  Picture this . . . sitting atop our yellow and white riding mower, mowing the grass.  In order for you to truly get the feeling of being here with me hold onto either side of the chair you are sitting in.  Now, rock from side to side.  Now, every now and then lean to the left (this is when I'm mowing on the little bank in the yard).  Now, duck . . .  or you're gonna get smacked in the face with a tree branch!  You know how people who ride in the rodeo are pitched from side to side, front and back?  Do this for two hours and you've been mowing the grass with me.     I call this little ride: Duck, Duck Rodeo Mowercoaster.     If one has a bad back, do not attempt this ride!! (I have thought on occasion to throw my arm up in the air like the rodeo riders do!!  LOL)

All my once beautiful red, orange, and yellow leaves from our Maple trees had dried out and were crunchy as the mower chopped them up.  They ended up being tiny mulch by the time I was done mowing.  We don't rake our leaves, the mower does a good job of chopping them up.  The yard looks good if I say so myself!   

Let's see . . . by my calculations, if I "bank" my total time outside yesterday, I'm done with the 30 day commitment!!  LOL  Just kidding!!  I'll keep at it for the next six days.  Yep . . . . we only have six days left of our 30 day venture. 

Enjoy your day . . . may it be a fantabulous one!!          Keep up your 10 minutes outside all weekend . . . don't give up now!

Genko - here's hoping your Friday evening at the jail is weather friendly for you today!!

Bucky

"Remember that the shortest way to get anywhere is to have good company traveling with you."       H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

[genko_b]

45 is a lot of people! Especially since it is now November.

Since this is the one Friday a month I am not at the state prison, my Friday walk will not be through the prison yard. A good thing too as snow is possible in the foothills and the mountains this evening, I'm told, and that is where the prison is.

So a more mundane walk in the neighborhood will have to do, while I run errands.

Genko

[Epson]

So far all I have to show is a sunburn every day.

[Katybarstool]

Bucky

I feel dizzy from joining you on your ride   We have had driving rain, and have gale force winds forecast for tonight. Thank goodness it's too mild to snow. Its my mums birthday on Sunday, and many years we have had snow by now. This year we just have webbed feet!

Kathyx

[Bucky]

Day 25

Happy Saturday everyone!!     Today is Day 25 of our 30 day commitment to being outside for at least 10 minutes each day.

This morning I took advantage of sleeping in . . . ahhhhh . . . . love to sleep in and usually only get to on Saturdays.  Once I was up I headed outside to walk around the property.  You can hear the neighbors busy outdoors getting ready for winter.  Lawn mowers are going, leaf blowers are humming, combines are in the field harvesting crops (although, not in our field yet . . . soon, I hope).  Since the leaves are now off the trees the sound barrier they provided is gone.  It does make a difference when you have woods with leaves on the trees and woods with just bare tree trunks.

This morning I went around the back yard picking up these skinny "sticks" for lack of a word to call them.  They appear to be the stems of something?     Anyhow, I picked them up along with some skinny branches and some brown oak leaves and will use these inside along with some acorns I picked up earlier for some sort of "arrangement".  I figured if I threw in a candle in the middle of all this, it will make some fallish centerpiece on either the shelf I have in the living room or on top of the entertainment center.  I'll go out later to gather some berries I saw and if I can reach the bittersweet berries, I'll get some of them too.  Free decorating from nature.   

I hope today is a good day for everyone.   

Bucky

"A life challenging diagnosis is a reminder that life is not forever.  You can run from it, or you can dive in and live life fully.  I say, live life."  David Kessler

[Linda196]

Thanks for the idea, Bucky!
Actually, I do this every year, dried shrubs, leaves, whatnots. Just be careful with candles, because these "natural ornaments" are also tinder dry, and make great firestarters!

I went for my walk as usual yesterday, and then had "tourists" show up at the door asking the way to a nearby waterfall, so I got out again!

Today, I plan to help hubby a bit with some firewood, and clean up the last of my flowerbeds.

[Bucky]

Day 26

Good morning . . . happy Sunday to you!!     Today is Day 26 of our 30 day commitment to being outside for at least 10 minutes each day.

This morning I stayed on the porch since it is raining out.  Miss Spooky enjoyed my company though as she got a brushing and some petting.  Brushing a ball of fur since she has her winter coat - I had to be careful and not brush too hard and yank out a wad of fur.  I also got "the look" from Spooky . . . look at me, look at her dish, look at me, look at her dish.  Yeah, yeah, I know . . I will feed you in 10 minutes!! 

It's hard to believe the month of November is already half over!     Time is going by so quickly.

Well, I have to keep moving this morning.  I've got the grumbellies and I need to get dressed for church.

Enjoy your day . . hope it's a good one for you.   

Bucky

"Pay as much attention to the things that are working positively in your life as you do to those that are giving you trouble."     H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

[Linda196]

My Sunny Sunday is taking the form of a monsoon! None the less, I will find a way to be outside for at least 10 minutes. Hubby got soaked to the skin this morning, just getting to his truck, but I'll wait for a lull, and grab my brolly.

[jaygee]

Saturday was a cold, monsoon here, so didn't feel like doing much at all, plus incredibly tired from a very busy week at work     

But this morning there was a clear, blue sky and sunshine - also unseasonably warm - hooray, just like Spring!!!   

Took the chance to do some jobs around the stable yard.  Hubby mended a couple of rails on the fence, and I cut down some nettles that were growing where they shouldn't     It was so warm outside, that I had to take my jacket off     I turned the horses out into the paddock and watched them play a while, then hubby helped me muck out the stables.  The lady who helps with my horses has gone to Rome for her birthday, this weekend     It was a surprise trip, and all she knew was she had to be at the airport for 4 am on Friday morning    I am glad hubby helped out though, as I soon lost all the energy I thought I had 

We had a wood burning stove installed in the lounge last week - the sun has gone down and I am toasting my toes around it, whilst all 3 dogs try to sit on my lap       Hope we get a few dry days this week.   

Hope everyone else got outside for a little while today xx