Yesterday I watched a small bird, flying very fast, disappear into the canopy of an oak tree. So dense were its leaves that it was impossible to see what happened next, though I can tell you it remained inside.

I wondered how the little bird found its opening through the leaves at such a speed, and then managed to gently align its fragile body on the branch it chose to land upon, all within a fraction of a second. Not to mention the impossible to imagine flying manoeuvres required: the banking, the curling, the vertical and horizontal stabilizations, the deceleration and landing.

Memory? Calculation? Not in that tiny brain. Instinct? Maybe, but how does instinct know which way the branches of a tree have grown when no two are the same?

That little bird just knew. It had faith, in spite of not being able to see how things would work out, that if (and only if) it stayed the course the details would be taken care of; that an opening would appear and a twig would be found. In fact, had she slowed down enough to carefully and logically inspect the tree first, the prudent thing to do, she would have lost her lift and fallen to the ground.

Kind of like reaching for your dreams. Neither memory, nor calculating, nor instincts are the deciding factors, but faith coupled with action.

thought I had better

Been lazy and not done any blog for a while so thought I had better get to work on one.
I'm not going to mention our good and honest MP's . One good reason for that is that I could not find one. Seems to be plenty of the other sort.
North Devon got off to a good start for the season. Perfect weather (as always), lots to see and do.
don't forget it's the North Devon Festival at the moment. A whole month of excellent, varied entertainment for all the family. If you have never been to any of the events you have missed so much and if you have been you know what I mean. You can find all the details on the http://www.tour-devon.com web site.
At the moment the weather is perfect but North Devon is worth a visit even if it's not. Personally I love to visit our coastal towns when it's a bit on the rough side. Can be very exciting and exhilarating.
OK like I always say - North Devon is open so come on down.

problem with server

Just in case anyone checks. My site has been off line since 11pm last night Wednesday, the problem is with the hosting company and not with my site. I'm waiting for them to get back to me but I think they have a major problem as none of the sites on the same server (not related to my sites) are working. this is a temporary problem and should be resolved soon.

False Widow Spider and other media panic attempts

Interesting to see that the sky news have come up with a story about a deadly spider in the UK. the False Black Widow. I've had details about this spider on my web site for a long time (over a year). Take a look here
http://www.tour-devon.com/info_pages/FALSE_WIDOW_SPIDER.html
if you want to see more about it and see what it looks like as I have photos on there. Most of the photos have been enlarged to make the spider visible but there is a couple of it at the true size

If you read the article you will see that it is about as dangerous as a bee. OK some may be allergic to the bite if (and it is a big if) they get bitten but in truth the dear old media are at it again and trying to create panic where none exists or is needed.

Gurkhas

Parliament decided to change the rules to let the Gurkha's stay. The general public have expressed their wish that the Gurkha's should be allowed to stay.
This is a democracy so it is the public's wishes that decide what happens in this country and no one else. So what's going on. If our politicians wish to prove that we are a democracy then they do what we wish and if they don't then they are proving that we are not a democracy.
Mr Brown, take note.
Any party that does not comply with public wishes has no right to be in government.
We vote them in and we can vote them out.

Am I just a bit skeptical?

Isn't it strange that just when the media were having a hay day lampooning our politicians over the financial crisis there is a big scare over flue which has taken the media total attention. Isn't that convenient for them. Makes you wonder if there was some sort of plan.
One thing I love about the media. They are so good at seeing things as they are and not trying to create a panic over things. Let me see. The flue is in the UK (fairly normal for the time of year). The symptoms are fairly mild (not so usual as when I've had it in the past I felt like death warmed up) and there are only a few cases compared to normal winter flue outbreaks.
Suppose I should join in the panic!!!!! Maybe I will wait until someone I know gets it.
Seeing as it's a holiday time and we need cheering up take a look at the www.tour-devon.com web site and I'm sure you will find some cheer there.

Devon is still open for business

Ok, swine flue is in the country. We get flue outbreaks every year and the only difference with this year is that it seems to be coinsiding with outbreaks across the world. Maybe the recycled air used in aircraft since the smoking ban has a lot to do with that. When smoking was allowed the air was changed but now they can save money by using the stale air over and over again. One major advantage of coming to North Devon is that you don't need to risk catching something from the stale air on a plane. Instead you get the pure fresh (new) North Devon air.
North Devon is still open for business and if you are hesitating about coming then let me put a couple of points to you. If, and it is a big if, you did get the flue. Where would you rather spend your recovery time. In the beautiful Devon countryside or stuck in a mucky old town or city. We can get doctors appointments more or less when we want them and our hospitals are some of the best in the world. (we've even got dentists still taking NHS patients). So the choice is yours. A nice stay in beautiful Devon regardless of health. Or stay home and be miserable.
If you want to know more about us then take a look at the web site www.tour-devon.com.

Let's get the Gurkhas the justice they have earned.

Sorry, I said I would stick to blogging about my www.tour-devon.com site and all things Devon but watching the news has made me mad and so I am going to let of steam here.
The Gurkhas have been a valuable part of the British army for many many years, close to 200, and their loyalty and courage is unquestionable. Many thousands have died for us and the Brigade of Gurkhas have won more Victoria Crosses for their bravery than any other.
Take a look here to see http://www.devongurkharestaurant.co.uk/victoria_cross.html
What do we do with them when they finish serving us. That's right, we dump them and send them back to their villages as we don't want them living here. They can fight for us, die for us, save us but they cannot live with us.
How wrong can a government be. The Gurkhas have earned the right to live wherever they wish and if that is here then they should be welcomed with open arms.
Isn't is strange that within the European community people can live where they like and that includes some that at one time or the other have fought against us. They are welcome but others that fought for us are not and, no I am not against our European neighbours being welcomed here. I am against treating friends and allies that have done so much for us in the way that we are.
How about inundating the prime minister with e mails telling him to change the rules the way a court said they should be changed and welcoming all Gurkhas to this country.
My message to Gordon Brown is this. You have got most things wrong since you took over so how about getting one thing right and Just. Change the rules and let the Gurkhas live here in the peace they helped to create.

What to do with this blog

I haven't posted for a while as I wanted to sort out what I was going to do with the blog. Up to now I have been rambling about anything and everything. Not any more. I am going to concentrate on North Devon. I love this area and although I am not a native of North Devon I am a native of the west country. For 60 odd years I have lived in the area and observed the way it is going and lately I cannot say I like what I see.
In the years that have passed into history the area was a popular holiday destination for young and old alike. It was looked after, cared for and loved by those living here. The tourist was welcomed with open arms and valued individually. Trouble was taken to ensure that they had a good holiday and when they left they went with a knowledge that they would be welcomed back at any time.
Whats gone wrong? most of the area looks run down and in need of some TLC. Projects start and never get finished. Shops leave their window displays untouched for years on end. No one seems to be making that effort needed to attract the visitor. OK councils are making a sort of effort and one or two of the traders have joined in and that's good BUT what is needed is for the rest of the population to take it on board and do their bit as individuals.
If everyone in the area decided to make this the ideal destination and actually did something to make it so, it would work. Litter taken home or put in one of the many bins provided. Picking up that bit of litter that everyone walks over. Tidy up the garden so it looks cared for. Clean the windows and if needed a lick of paint to restore the jaded woodwork. If the area looked clean and tidy that would make a good impression on anyone coming here. Shop keepers, change your window displays at least once a month and get your staff to smile on the odd occasion.
This is one of the most beautiful areas in the world and if we the locals appreciate that and care for it, the visitors would see it in a better light and maybe come back a bit more often, bringing their wallets with them.
I have my web site,www.tour-devon.com, I do because I love the area. I don't do it to make a profit, in fact it cost me a lot to keep going. I struggle most of the time to pay the bills related to it and I will keep on struggling because I want to show this area to the world and what it has to offer visitors and locals I believe is worth showing.
Wouldn't it be nice if everyone around here took pride in the place. Let's be honest, there is a lot about it to be proud of.
I don't remember when but on the TV the other night a tourist information person commented that the majority of visitors to the area are returning ones. Giving an impression that because a lot do return there is no need to worry or do anything to attract more. Yes many do return but many more, that used to, don't. Why? Because they see the places slowly running down. How many hotels and guest houses have closed in the past couple of years. It's a lot. How many half finished building projects are there?
As I said, I love the area and hope to end my days here. What I would really love to see is a return to the family values that made the place so popular in Victorian times. Lets give the visitor a holiday they will never forget because they were looked after so well.

Shopping in town

I keep reading about town centres that are failing to get customers, drop in sales etc. Blame is levied at the councils and everyone people can think of, except for one, the shop keepers.
OK the parking can be expensive, if people go to the hypermarket the parking is free. Most important parking is handy to the shop with a nice basket to put stuff in, so no lugging bags around.
Why don't we treat our town shopping centres like big hypermarkets, after all that is what they are but with an even wider range of goods. There could be shopping baskets at the entrance to car parks, like there is at a hypermarket. Shopkeepers could make sure they lay out there interiors so a person pushing one can get around. Councils could make the pavements/ pedestrian areas smooth enough to be able to push one. The shopkeepers could supply the people needed to collect the baskets and put them back ready for use, just like the superstores do. Where possible the shopping areas under some sort of cover. If that's not possible then covered areas for people to get out of the rain.
Above all the one thing that is needed are staff that are properly trained in the products they are selling. Staff that actually enjoy their jobs so they meet their customers with a smile. The attitude of most shop staff these days seems to be that the customer is an intrusion on their day instead of the reason they are employed.
Many years ago I did an apprenticeship in the grocery trade and am proud to be a member of the institute of grocers. My boss, a Mr Coombs at Ways & co in Wells, Somerset, was the biggest bastard I have ever worked for. He is also the only boss I have had in the past 50 years that I still respect. He knew the job inside out. He did it because he loved the trade and serving the public. His philosophy was simple. The customer is not always right BUT god help you if a customer left the shop thinking they were wrong. In other words he accepted the staffs word that the customer was in the wrong and allowed the staff to deal with a situation in such a way that the customer left the shop happy. Both sides happy, so, the customer comes back again some time. The staff member serves the next customer with a smile. Makes sense to me so why don't more shops have a similar policy.
If shops want the business they have to make the shopping experience a good one for all. Staff properly trained with a wide knowledge of the products they sell are much happier. They feel valued. Customers feel wanted and are more inclined to be loyal to the shop.
How about it shop keepers and planners. How about thinking of us poor customers and give us nice easy shopping experiences with goods priced at a fair figure giving a fair profit instead of at a figure you think we will tolerate with huge profit margins. The average overall profit a superstore makes is about 3%. Many high street ones work on over 100%. If they can afford to do the old buy one get one free, they can afford to drop the price of the first one. Like many I live alone and don't want two. What I do want is one at the right price. At the moment the most likely place to get that is one of the superstores.

What do you get out of "facebook" and other similar sites

I've copied this from an article and just wonder what others think.

A psychologist is urging people to get off Facebook and other social networking sites, and get a life instead.

Dr Aric Sigman says the amount of time we spend with each other has slumped dramatically and in turn is damaging our health.

He says our devotion to such sites could alter the way genes work, upset immune responses, hormone levels, and the function of arteries, and influence mental performance.

Levels of hormones such as the "cuddle chemical" oxytocin, which promotes bonding, altered according to whether people were in close contact or not.

This could increase the risk of health problems as serious as cancer, strokes, heart disease, and dementia.

Dr Sigman spells out his warning in the latest issue of Biologist, the journal of the Institute of Biology, and maintains that social networking sites have played a significant role in people becoming more isolated.

He said: "Social networking is the Internets biggest growth area, particular among young children.

"A quarter of British children have a laptop or computer in their room by the age of five and they have their own social networking sites, like the BBC's myCBBC. It's causing huge changes."

Dr Sigman said 209 "socially regulated" genes have been identified, including ones involved in the immune system, cell proliferation and responses to stress.

Electronic media is also undermining the ability of children and young people to learn vital social skills and read body language, he said.

Dr Sigman continued: "One of the most pronounced changes in the daily habits of British citizens is a reduction in the number of minutes per day that they interact with another human being.

"In less than two decades, the number of people saying there is no one with whom they discuss important matters nearly tripled.

"Parents spend less time with their children than they did only a decade ago. Britain has the lowest proportion of children in all of Europe who eat with their parents at the table. The proportion of people who work at home alone continues to rise.

"I am worried about where this is all leading. It's not that I'm old fashioned in terms of new technology, but the purpose of any new technology should be to provide a tool that enhances our lives.

"Social networking sites should allow us to embellish our social lives, but what we find is very different. The tail is wagging the dog. These are not tools that enhance, they are tools that displace."

Research suggests the number of hours people spend interacting face-to-face has fallen dramatically since 1987 as electronic media use increases.
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Personally I have given up all of the "chat" sites. Simply because they interrupted me whilst doing other things on my computer, particularly keeping my www.tour-devon.com up to date. I got fed up with little pop up windows telling me that someone wanted to chat. When you think about it the word chat for these sites is wrong. It's not chat it's text messaging. Chat is done face to face or via a telephone link with your voice. I know people who say they have made a lot of friends on these sites but is that really true. For a start most people don't tell the truth about themselves on the sites and to me a friend is someone you spend time with and share personal stuff. That isn't the way the "chat" sites work is it? OK you may write personal stuff but you don't see any reaction from the other person, you only get what they choose to write back and that can be a million miles away from what they truly think. I also think it encourages youngsters to get involved in things they should not be.
What I think is not going to change anything but maybe with the "experts" making comments about it, there just might be a slight move back to people actually talking to each other face to face.

Waste Incinerator

Just had a blog heads up where the statement is made that everyone in Barnstaple is against the idea of an incinerator for area.
I hate to disagree with the socialist party but they should ask everyone before making such a sweeping statement. Their idea that recycling will deal with the waste is way off the mark. It is being proved at the moment that recycling is not the total answer with a lot of the stuff being put out for it not going anywhere as there is no demand. Surely it is more sense to burn the rubbish in a controlled environmentally neutral fashion and use the energy produced. Thus saving the burning of at least some fossil fuel. Recycling is all well and good but the cost to the environment in the collecting and disposal of it has made a number of the "experts" consider that it does in fact do more harm than good.
In my mind there are two things that need to happen. 1 we need to create a lot less waste individually. 2 we need to use the waste we do produce for a good purpose.
It's time the supermarkets took their packaging in hand and only use what is needed for the product and not over package as they are now. Wouldn't it be fun if everyone and I mean everyone who uses supermarkets, took all the excess packaging back to the shop on one day and left it in a nice big heap in their car parks. Maybe then the owners, directors and management would realise just how much they are adding to our damaged environment. Seeing it the councils would realize who creates the waste and adjust the community charge accordingly. Government would also catch on and maybe do something about it.

Isn't Science GREAT

Nearly every day a scientist comes up with some wonderful news that something we are doing is going to kill us. Today it's drinking causes cancer, particularly in women. Brilliant - another thing we must not do. Add it to the foods that will kill us and the smoking and the overweight and the breathing the air in certain places and all the chemicals in our homes or in our food and there is sufficient to worry about to give us all a heart attack.
I've had the heart problems and at the time my cholesterol was very low, I was active and not overweight, so all the things that caused it I didn't fit in with.
Personally I think the biggest problem with our lives today is the number of warnings we get about everything. Scientists have to prove their worth to continue being employed and if they come up with a problem about some lifestyle thing, they are then employed for longer finding the cure. Some time ago we were told to go to work on on an egg, then they became very bad for us, so we are told to severely limit how many we have in a week. Now we're told that the research was wrong and eggs are in fact quite good for us. Wonderful, if we wait long enough all the bad things now will be the good things in the future.
Life is for living not worrying and, no matter how long any of us live, in the scheme of things it is a very short life. I believe in living it, enjoying it and making the most of the time. It doesn't matter to me how long I live. What matters is whether it is worth living. I am not going to let any scientist or government tell me what or how. If I die tomorrow I will have enjoyed my time on this earth and if I don't I will enjoy the days after. One thing I wont be doing is worrying about all the warnings that will come out in the days and years to come. I will be doing my best to make my www.tour-devon.com site the best source of info about the area I love.
I'm going to enjoy life, nature and the people I know and meet every day.
What are you going to do, worry yourself to death or not worry yourself and live happy?
There is one warning that I would take notice of if it were ever given. Scientists, politicians and so called experts are bad for your health, bad for your life and bad for your and the planets future.
Now it's time for my breakfast, think I'll have the same as usual. Cigarette,cup of tea and a good cough followed by a good fry up of 3 eggs, nice fatty streaky bacon and fried bread. Then a nice morning sat in front of the telly. Pop out for a few pints dinner time and sleep it off this afternoon. I will do another bit of the blog tomorrow - if I live that long.
PS next thing they will tell us is that sex is bad for us. Oh! hang on, I think they already have!!!

Who is Really to Blame

Every time something goes wrong with this countries relationship with another country we get the media and government blaming this or that group. When you delve into it the blame isn't groups, it's governments trying to inflict their ideas on everyone else and woe betide anyone disagreeing with them.
One thing I have found in my life is that if people are left to get to know each other properly then a lot of good friendships develop. In reality there's only two groups of people in this world. Men and women and left alone they get on quite well with each other. Religions go by many names and faces but in truth they are groups of people with a common believe and when you look across the different ones, the basics are very similar. A belief that there is a power greater than us that has an effect on our lives in one or many ways. I'm not religious in any way but I do believe in the essential goodness of mankind. Maybe one day all the barriers will come down and everyone will be free to live and work anywhere in the world without any interference from any government. A single currency worth exactly the same in any country. All jobs valued for what they are and paid accordingly and not paid relative to the country where the job is being done.
Global warming is one thing that will need to be dealt with regardless of borders. We either all work together to resolve it or we all die together when the resources run out.
OK all of this is a bit simplistic but in essence I think it is the only way this planet will survive with man on it. One thing for certain, whatever we do or don't do the planet will go on. We may not and if we are not here then we cannot do any more damage.
Oh well, at least the sun is shining today.

It's a dogs life

Every so often we hear of another tragedy involving dogs that have injured someone. Each time it happens there is a cry for more control on dogs. In every case I have read about the fault is a human one and not the dogs.
Many people have dogs as a sort of status symbol and spend little or no time understanding how dogs work. They are a pack animal and if you have one in your home then you and your family are the pack. In every pack there are top dogs and you have to ensure that you and your family are above the dog in the pecking order. The rules are simple. The top dog can bite all the other dogs. The number two can bite all the ones below but not the one above and so on down the list. For a dog to be safe in your home it has to be the bottom of the pack and as such knows it is not allowed to bite anyone above. You see so many people with dogs that do not have control over it. The dog thinks it is number one in the pecking order and there in lies the problems.
I've had dogs all my life and loved every one of them but at no time did I ever let the dog think it was above me or any other human in the pecking order. I might add I have never been bitten by one either, and have handled some pretty nasty specimens in my time but even with them, the answer was to make sure they recognised their place and give them lots of love and attention.
A cat can be ignored and it will happily find other ways to amuse itself. A dog wont and if you cannot give your dog a lot of your time then maybe you should think about changing it for a cat.

Charity begins at home

I appreciate that many groups work hard to help people in other countries and a lot of money is collected but I wonder? surely the UK is not the only country that runs these appeals, so just how much is collected throughout the world. I would have thought it was a farely large amount of cash.
I would like to see a "balance sheet" produced that showed the money collected, where it was spent and how much went on expenses in running the various appeals.
Every day we are on the end of begging letters or phone calls or tv ads that show our £2 a month or whatever will do wonders. What we don't see is the wonders performed. I've a feeling there are a lot of highly paid staff and organisers within these collection agencies. Don't get me wrong. I know a lot of very good people that do remarkable amounts of very hard work for various charities. Those people are the genuine ones and they have my admiration.
Have you ever noticed that the politicians in countries where many are starving never look thin. They don't walk everywhere or live in run down hovels. It seems that the world cares but those running the countries don't. All done for profit or am I just being scepticle.

Israel said they did not want to hurt the general population of Palestine, only Hamas. OK if thats the case then they could go in with all the aid needed for that population and rebuild the homes destroyed, working with the general population of Palestine. That would prove that their words about not wanting hurt them were not just empty. They were keen enough to build on the same land for their own people.

Did anyone else notice that even though oil prices continue to go down (OK a little blip yesterday where it went up a few cents) the petrol companies have started to creep the price back up.

I've been looking at my web site (www.tour-devon.com) and wondering what I can do to get some help with the cost of running it. My pension doesn't go very far and it is becoming too much of a struggle to keep the site going out of it. Seems that many thousands of people want to use the site and get whatever info they require from it but no one wants to help with the cost of keeping it going.
I've tried getting sponsors without any luck and appealed on the site for help. I think I will keep it going for another few weeks but if no help is forthcoming I will pack it in.
As much as I love the North Devon area and like to promote it there is a limit to what I can spend on it.

Time for an update

Yet again we mourn the loss of more of our brave lads fighting a war that should not be happening. Now it seems that two of those deaths are through "friendly fire". Someone made a bad mistake and I imagine that person will be going through mental hell. War sucks and accidents happen. I think it's more important to praise and support all of our boys and girls over there than it is to start trying to blame anyone for their mistakes. I know the majority of people hope and pray that the conflict will end soon.
In the old days the king was always at the head of his troups when they went into battle. Maybe if we were to put the politicians that call up these wars in the same situation they would think a lot harder about starting one.
I'm very puzzled about one thing. For many years the Jews fought for a home land. For many years they were persecuted. In the end they succeeded and the persecution was stopped. You would think that would make them more understanding about the Palestinians desire for a home land and make them less likely to persecute anyone. I don't know who is right or wrong about what is happening over there but I do know that what is happening is wrong. Both sides need to put away their weapons and start to talk properly with a determination on both sides that they will reach an agreement. Once again the civilians suffer most in a needless conflict. Both sides claim to be religious and both sides are breaking their own religious teachings with their actions. I'm not a believer but if I were I think I would be arguing that in the end their god will make them suffer for their sins. Why is the rest of the world sitting back and letting them kill each others children. The UN should be a force to be reckoned with and in these sorts of situations both sides should be told to pack it in or face the consequences and if they don't then a UN force made up of troups from every country in this world should go in and separate them, by force if necessary.
The more time goes on the more it seems that the world is becoming a worse place for our children to grow up in when it should be a better one with all the advances over the past century.
I would love to get some responses on this but although many people read the blogs- no one wants to bother to comment.

Time for a general moan and ramble

I see the tv companies are in a bit of trouble over their revenue drop. Shame, maybe if they gave us decent programs and less repeats they might get the audience and then the advertisers would see a value in placing ads. I don't know about anyone else but my viewing has dropped to virtually zero as it gets harder and harder to find a program to watch that I havn't already seen a dozen times.
I've just changed broadband supplier again. all these companies advertise how good they are but none of them seem to be able to get their act together and make a change over smooth. BT have an online ordering process but they forget to tell you it doesn't work and you will end up having to do it all by phone. I think all these companies have one thing in mind. Get you signed up and then forget about you. The last thing they want to do is give you any sort of service.
I'm getting on in years and remember when the companies did try to look after their customers.

I've had my website for a while now and am thinking of changing it a bit - or maybe a lot. Anyone have any ideas I could use? I would love to hear from you if you have.

A few changes

The tour-devon.com website may be off line for a few days, some time between the 9th and 18th January as I am changing broadband suppliers. Fed up with dropped connection and slow speed and lack of service from talk talk. Promised solutions that don't happen and promised phone calls that also don't happen. They offer a free service but that's only if you live in the right place. If not then they are one of the most expensive on the web and if you try to phone them you wait for hours to get an answer. When they eventually do, the person on the end is as helpful as they can be but probably need to pass you on to another section and that proves to be another long wait. So I've had enough of them and am moving.
If anyone wants to get in touch during the change over they will have to phone me land line.
There are more changes in the pipe line. the site is going to be re designed. It's been the same for a couple of years and has proved to be very popular so a bit of modernising is needed. Not sure yet how it is going to turn out. If anyone has any suggestions I would be glad to get them.
I'm going to try and keep the blog a bit more active this year so watch this space. Meanwhile I hope you have a Very Happy and prosperous New Year.