5 Essential Items for England

After living in the UK for over 2 years now, I have come up with a short list of items that are required to make your life (or visit) to England more enjoyable. These are required items in my opinion:

- Sat Nav - this is the only way to find your way around non-grid England with ease. A must if you want to drive here.

- Torch/Flashlight - street lights are far and few so roads are DARK DARK. That includes finding drives and homes after sunset. Always important to have a little flashlight on you if you plan on being outside after dark in a non-town lit area.

- Sweater/Jumper - this piece of clothing will see you through most of the year whether cold winters or cool summer nights. Best version is the one you can wear on top of a light shirt so you can take off in the warmer months.

-Raincoat/Windbreaker/Waterproof - yes, there is a lot of rain and this item combined with the sweater can see you through all but the coldest months no matter how much it rains.

- Walking Shoes - a good pair of walking shoes are essential. There are so many places to walk all over the country. You must have some good shoes to enjoy.

And that's it. Nothing too exciting. Just the top items I think are required.

:)

My First Ramble

Earlier this month I decided to join The Ramblers. This is a national group that, well, walks. Great countryside walks normally from 5-10 miles.

This mornings walk was in Shere, Surrey. What a nice little town. It has those classic beamed houses that are a bit wonky looking, and a stream with ducks, and one of the best allotments around (so I'm told).




We started off at the car park and just over 2 hours later got back there. We walked through the countryside around Shere and Albury. Nice areas. I'm going to like these walks.

What a Dunce!

On Friday last week, I decided to go and get a nearby geocache that I have been putting off forever. So, about 2pmish, Penny Dachshund and I set off.

First mistake, parked in the wrong car park. I was up pretty far from where the box actually was located. But it was a nice day so not a big problem.

I was using my Garmin GPS and got to the area where it showed on the geocaching site map and on my GPS. Nothing there. I roamed around and tried to make heads or tails of the GPS which seemed confused as much as me. Finally, I pulled out my iPhone, checked the cache, and found I was 1/4 mile off. What?? Off we went.

I got to the right place but couldn't find the cache. Roamed and rooted around but nothing. Finally, I thought I should check what size cache I was looking for - duh. But as I got into the cache details, I quickly checked the last logs. Missing!! A few of the last people had reported it missing and I, like a total dunce, didn't check the past logs before I left. I mean, what a waste. A very rookie mistake. I really need to get back in gear with geocaching.

Penny and I went back to the car and went home for a nap. :p


Today, I placed another Hedgehog letterbox. Yippee. Little by little I will get these all out there.


























Penny is the worst walking dog. She was so tired out after about 20 mins, I had to carry her up a hill. Otherwise, it was like walking with a toddler - step, pause, step, pause - and 10 minutes later you've gone 30 feet. When she gets tired, she just drops and lays down on the path. Meanwhile, I'm coaxing her along. Thankfully no one came by - I mean, what dog doesn't love to walk?!

Here she is catching her breath. or is she just stopping to enjoy the sun and scenery??

My Kind of Book

The Letterboxers Literary Society has had some good picks for our books so far. I've just gotten started on the October Moderators Selection 'Three Men in A Boat' and I'm loving it. This book is so my type of humor and with all of the English place references, I can really relate to just where they are most of the time while going down the Thames. I had never heard of this book and was surprised that it is listed in the Classics section. What a great find! Don't you just love when you stumble upon something unexpected. . .!

New Boxes Out

It's been a long time since I have said that!

Finally got 2 of the letterboxes I have had out today. One of the Hedgehogs of Surrey series, and one of a new series, Penny's Friends. (If you have been reading this blog for any time, you should recall that Penny is Penny Dachshund - our 4 legged sidekick.)

I had to be somewhere by lunch so I had to hurry up and rush these out. Penny was dragging along a bit - she's not the best walking dog - therefore I ended up placing both boxes near each other. It can be a walk to get to them depending on how you go, or it could be 15 mins as I go. It just seemed a good idea to plant them both out there. We don't get many letterboxers around here. There aren't enough boxes to justify anyone going out of their way - unless they are coming to London and just want to wander around the countryside. These boxes are placed around the Devils Punchbowl in Surrey. Its a lovely area - especially on a nice day. (iPhone takes horrid photos - don't know why this picture looks so dark - it wasn't at all!)

There are a handful more of boxes I have here to plant. They will all be in this region unless I wander down to Sussex for the day. My goal is to get these all out by the end of the year at the latest. Some of them have been a box for 2 years now. It's time for them to come out the play. :)

The Weather on the Moors

Have you checked out the temperature differences on the right sidebar? I mean, we are talking about a 10 degree difference for two places about 4 hours apart and roughly on the same general latitude. 10 degrees cooler over there at Dartmoor! Even in the middle of summer, you have to bundle up. Bring your fleece, waterproof, waterproof gloves, waterproof pants with a thermal underneath, hat, something for your face, and good waterproof boots maybe even with gaiters. Yep. Sounds like you are going into a hurricane. Nearly. The weather here changes amazingly fast, and what you wake up to may or may not be what it is by even noon. Really.

So, if Dartmoor is on your agenda, bring ALL your gear. Everything. It will rain. It will blow. The temps will drop. Then, when you are miserable and had enough, the sun comes out and warms you up and puts a smile back on your face. Then you can sit down and count your stamps amoungst the sheep and horses.

Badger Cam

I saw my first live badger this year. He was crossing the road.

Then about 3-4 mths later, I saw my second one - in our driveway!!

They are the only 2 live badgers I've seen in the 2 years we have been in the UK. So, I think this webcam is too cool. . .Badger Cam

Book Club

I've started a new book club with a few letterboxing friends. It is called 'The Letterboxers Literary Society'. We will be picking one book a month to read and discuss with the option to do an LTC on the book. So, if this is your cup of tea (so to speak), come and join in. August will start the first book selection.

Loving iPhone

I love my iPhone. Look at the fun things I use it for:

1) TV Shows - I can download US TV shows off of iTunes and watch them on the iPhone. The individual episodes are released a day after they air on the networks. That's still like MONTHS sooner than I would see them in the UK, if they even air here.

2) Movies - Catch up new release movies you want to see. I use a program called Aimersoft DVD Ripper to copy my DVDs to the right format for the iPhone then just drag and drop in iTunes. (This software works great. I use it to make copies of my DVDs also.)

3)Feeds - One of my top applications is Feeds. Feeds allows you to add all the various blogs you read and then shows you when any of them have a new posting. I love this - what a quick way to keep up to date and enjoy your favorites. As my interests come and go, I update the blogs I follow. I know there are lots of RSS apps out there to allow you to follow your favorites, but I like the ease of use of Feeds.

4) Facebook, Twitter, and Blogger - I'm still trying out what applications I like best to post from, but having the option to post live photos and text from the phone direct to any of your accounts is really fun. And allows you to keep up with your friends while you're on the go. (This works well for me as Texting to my US family and friends just isn't an option!)

5) Internet Access - perhaps it goes without saying, but having full internet access is wonderful. Numerous times I've had to find a number or location or opening hours, etc., and was able to just search on the phone for them via the internet while traveling.

6) Games - I admit it. I love games. I've gone through tons via the Application Store. (Maybe I'll start a review service! haha) But I find it relaxing and enjoyable to sit down and play anything from backgammon to Mafia Wars.

7) Sports Updates - One of my favorite sports apps to use is CBS Sports. Live scores from all the major sports PLUS access to my fantasy baseball leagues.

8) eReader - reading books by phone has been going on for years - I've been reading books this way for that long anyway. It's never been a major mainstream activity. However, I've seen more products and hype in the last 2 years then ever before so look out! Personally, I have always used eReader for both the book downloads and the phone software (software is free) and have never had any issues.

9)Audio Books - continuing on with books - if reading them on the phone isn't your cup of tea, how about listening to books via your iPhone? I recommend Audible.com for your audio books. Again, software is free and everything is easy to use.

10) Maps & Geocaching - ever get lost? even in your own town? I've used the Maps app and others to pull up my location. It's fantastic. Also, use the Geocaching app to pull up caches around you along with the description, logs, hint, and map. I haven't used the iPhone to find many caches yet. (Problem with the durability of the phone out in the wild.) But I'm going to test it out on 2 easy local caches and see how it works out. Maybe investing in a hard weatherproof shell is cheaper then buying a Garmin. . .

And there you have it. 10 things I love to use on the iPhone (in no specific order). Perhaps you're wondering about all the time it takes for these. . .well, for me, I seem to have some many blocks of time where I'm waiting. Waiting on kids, waiting for an appointment, sitting on a train, etc. Time just marches by in bits and I use it catch up with all the things I enjoy with my iPhone. (Plus, Mr. usually hogs the TV for his sports so I never get to see movies or tv shows that way anyhow.)

What are you waiting for? Go get one.

Good Summer Read

I have a recommendation for a summer read: 'Queen of the Road' by Doreen Orion. The book details Doreen's 1 year adventure RVing around the US with her husband on their custom bus.

It's an easy read. Not as funny as it could be but enjoyable.

Mostly it tugs at our inner nomad. The desire to have all of life's pressures taken off of us and free to roam about. Read it and see what I mean - you will be thinking about buying or renting an RV/caravan for sure. :)

She has a web-site too with a blog. The book certainly appears to be doing the book club circuit.

Enjoy!

Getting a Green Thumb

My thumb is getting green. I'm having these urges to grow some plants really bad. Specifically, growing vegetables. Problem is, I am a complete rookie when it comes to growing most anything.

Actually, there is another side problem. As we are renting, where will I plant? In the UK, a big thing people have here are allotments. Rental gardens if you will. Not sure I want to do that. I'm sort of thinking of doing container growing. But as a newbie, I'm wondering if/when do they have to come in the house at some point? If so, I'm not sure where I would put them. This gardening thing definately takes some planning.

After digging around a little, I found this store that looks promising. Help in the form of holding your hand most of the way, and sales. That works for me. Let me study on. . .

Wanted: Letterbox Stamps

Since I need to get out there and plant letterboxes - taking the 'if I plant them, they will come' approach - I'm asking for any stamps you might have to send. New or used. Just something good for others to find.

I hate carving. Mostly because I think/know my carving skills are substandard. I'm leaving it to those who are good at it and enjoy it. So, if you have something you would like planted over here in Surrey, England, drop me an email or comment below and I'll get the address to you.

Postage for one (or two stamps) in a No. 10 envelope should be very minimal - $1ish. Now if you want to include a logbook or even the box, that's up to you, but it will be costly to send. (But I'd to receive!)

Anyway, bring them on!

The Going Gets Green and Tough

I've been reading the new James Rollins book 'The Doomsday Key', and it has me thinking about a lot of future events. Key to the events in the book is the whole concern about global warming and population growth. With uncontrolled population growth will come food shortages. Unfortunately, this is not just all fiction. The upcoming G8 meeting has as its main topic of discussion - food. Yes, there is a lot of concern over future growth, supplying enough food, etc. In fact, if you want to look at from a financial point of view, we all know stocks/equities have been down. Will they get better? Maybe. But what we are in now is a commodities cycle. For the next 10 years or so, commodities will be the investment of choice. It all ties into supply and demand. And brings me back to wondering what does the future hold? I've been digging around various websites and reading about lots of interesting things - growing your own food, living off the grid, living in eco-towns, car and transportation options, etc. It is an amazing amount of information. Should we be concerned about things like food in our lifetime? Our generation is one of the few who have never been touched by such concerns - I mean in relation to war and global effects. (The US I'm referring to here.) Or even local issues - what about the after-effects of Katrina?

What do you think? Are you taking any steps to protect yourself in case of future problems? Will there be anything to worry about in our lifetime?

Missing Boxing

I've been missing letterboxing this week. Reading about events. Special stamps. Summer walks. Signnn. :( Only option here is to get over to Dartmoor.

But here's the thing with Dartmoor boxing - it's a vast vast open area right. No special trails or fun places to hide boxes. Just grid references. Yawn. I'm just missing the American style of letterboxing. Not grid or GPS references. Real written directions - 'go to the yellow trailhead at XYZ Park', 'continue down the trail until you come to the split with the red trail', etc. And boxes hidden in trees, stumps, signposts, and so on. Not just the same rocks or moss.

I can see I REALLY need to get to a US event soon. If it weren't so dang expensive to fly. . .

On a plus note though, I still have some boxes here to plant. I think you'll see these out in the wild before the end of the year. Finally.

One blog or two?

Need some advice. . .for the few of you who read my blogs, was wondering if I should continue my separate non-letterboxing/geocaching blog or just incorporate it all into this one? If I incorporate, it will be much more day to day and thoughts and opinions then actual activities. But on the plus side, you would see many more posts here. Hmmm. Let me see if I can post a poll and see what you think. Thanks! (and Thanks for continuing to read!)

Fantasy Football League

It's that time of the year again - the English Premier League Football/Soccer starts up again next month. If you'd like to join in on our fantasy football league this year, send your email to: teamkinguk@gmail.com. I'll send you the link to join. There is no cost. It's all just for a bit of fun. I'm working on getting a few more UK friends involved so it should prove even more challenging this year. Yikes!

Anyway, give me a shout if you are interested!

Time for Some New Blogs

Ah, she lives! Yes, alive and well and thinking I need to make more comments on here. The only thing that holds me back is that I have this blog under an old account - which means always having to log out and back in all the time. Yawn. Oh well. I'll try to keep you entertained with my ramblings.


You know how I love to find interesting blogs. (Keep sending ideas!!!)

Here are some I'm reading now:

http://thedarwinexception.wordpress.com/

http://www.cleeseblog.com/

http://mistressofallevil.blogspot.com/ (scroll to her awards show fashion commentary posts with photos - hilarious!)

http://lordlikely.co.uk/ (parental guidance on this one!!)

http://scaryduck.blogspot.com/


That's all for today. Should give you a laugh or two. None of these are serious content. Give them a read and give me some feedback. I always like the quirky ones that make me laugh. :)

And don't forget for all you crossword fans out there. . .this weekend is the big tournament in NY that was featured in the film 'WordPlay'. http://www.crosswordtournament.com/

New Year

Well, here we are again. If you were reading my blog in 2008 to find out about our letterboxing activities, you were surely disappointed. Only twice did I get out to Dartmoor. The last time ended on a bad note as I got dis-oriented in the mist and it made me leave feeling not very good about Dartmoor in general. I don't plan on going back unless I am either with someone, or have an event lined up where I can enjoy the company of others. I just didn't enjoy it on my own.

So, letterboxing in general has just sort of slid off the radar for now. The long drive to get the other boxes in the UK just hasn't appealed at this time. Maybe this year, who knows.

I would like to put some more effort into geocaching in 2009. It is pretty popular in this region of the UK. Tons of caches out there for me to find and not too far from home which works out nicely. I keep looking out for a local group I can involved with but haven't run into one yet. Penny dachshund needs the walks too so a good daytime activity for us.

Will probably be concentrating on my sports blog more this year. But if I do get out caching, I will update on this Wellie Boxing blog. Also will keep the Letterboxing England Yahoo Group going. Not a whole lot of talk on there as there aren't that many of us, but at least keeping it open gives everyone the option of contacting each other and posting news/events/comments.

I STILL have a few letterboxes that I have not planted. I guess not having any boxes in the area has just put me off planting in general. I remember the early days for me when I couldn't wait to plant a box because I knew there were folks around who would be racing out to get it immediately. That was really fun. I miss that. Maybe caching will have to take that place. I haven't placed a cache yet, but maybe this year will be a start.

So, that's the updates for now. Have some cleaning out to do - selling my old Garmin 60CS gps and some geocoins this year. May look into the Garmin Colorado in place of my current Garmin 60CSX. Thought maybe the iPhone would be a good option in place of a gps altogether, but it just doesn't work as well. I prefer my Garmin. That hardy little thing has withstood being out in the constant rain of Dartmoor more than once and it keeps on ticking away.

Happy New Year! Hope its a good one for you. Happy Boxing and Caching!