Goals for 2019 - Update #1

I can't believe that the first quarter of the year is over already.  Where did the time go?  It hasn't been the best start of the year with a little bit more emotional stuff happening then I was expecting (like we can ever expect that), but I'm trying to see it as a positive.  After all, if the year has a bad start it can only really go up.  So here we go.

Healthy Eating

I'm just going to put it out there - I comfort eat.  In fact it's my main way of dealing with unpleasant emotions and stress.  I can even use it as a warning light that something might be bothering me more than I realise at the time and will probably be rearing it's ugly head in the near future.  So my attempt to healthy eat didn't set of to a good start.

However, I didn't want to let this put my whole year out so I drew a line under it in March and crawled back onto that wagon.  Since then I have made almost all my breakfast, lunch, and dinners from scratch (including sort of making my own gluten free bread) and doing my best to only snack on fruit, nuts, and pop corn.  

I still have my little sugar addition, mainly Coke Cola and ice cream (which has the added minus of containing dairy), but I'm working on that and this will probably be my focus for the next quarter.

I also found out during this time that I was iron deficient.  This is definitely an issue that can happen when you are a vegetarian (or vegan) but the symptoms I've been having started long before I started that journey so there is clearly something very lacking in my diet.  I had thought I was getting all the iron I needed, but I have obviously miscalculated somewhere. I am now off the tablets I was given and have started taking a good hard look at my diet to see where I can make the improvement I need.  This is another good incentive to make my diet as healthy as possible.

Reducing Waste

As I said at the start, reducing my waste is closely connected to eating healthier as my groceries are where most of my waste comes from.  I have noticed this especially when it comes to the unhealthy snacks and ready meals that I have brought when not making my own food.  I have also noticed, in this last month, that as I've improved the health of my food the amount of waste I have produced has reduced dramatically. 

There is still a major issue with plastic being on a lot of the vegetables that I buy, especially as there's not always an option of picking up plastic free fruit and vegetables.  However, I'm going to carry on looking into this so that I can keep improving as the year goes on.  I will also continue to look at other areas of my life to see where I can make improvements there too.

Learning New Skills
Work

I decided at the start of the year that the first thing I wanted to look into was learning drystone walling and, after being in contact with the Drystone Walling Society, I found some training in my area.  I unfortunately missed the training at the beginning of this year (my fault entirely, things got very busy and I let it slip by), but have booked myself on a course in July.  I really can't wait for that to happen.  

I have also been starting to practise my very rusty navigation skills when out on the mountains and this I want to keep developing until I feel very confident out in the wild.  This is definitely a good skill to have based in the amount of time I spend outside.

Home

The British Sign Language (BSL) cause has been brought for a mere £19.99 and I've already started the first few lessons.  It has been as challenging as I was expecting it to be, but I am really enjoying learning this new skill and have been practising whenever I can, even when just pottering around my home.  Hopefully I will start to get the hang of it very soon.

So it has been a little bit of a bumpy start, but it's a start at least and I'm still happy that I managed to get done the amount that I did.  I now have another three month to keep improving.

I hope your goals are going well too. 

App of the Moment: Wildlife Apps

When it comes to identifying species I am definitely someone who prefers to use a book.  I like flicking through the pages, the pictures are usually easier to see (especially if they are drawn) with almost no issue of glare, and I tend to prefer the descriptions.  But let's face, books weigh a lot and carrying them with you where ever you go is not really an option.  Especially when you're doing a long walk or already carrying heavy tools with you.  So for the day to day I tend to rely on the apps on my phone.  

And there are a lot of apps that you can choose from.  So many, in fact, it took me a while to decide which ones I wanted to put on my phone.  In the end I mainly decided to go with apps that were connected to organisations that were working on conserving that particular group of animals / plants and with the option of recording my sightings if I ever got to the point where I felt like my identification skills were accurate enough.

These are what I have on my phone:

Birds of Britain

Downloaded for free (with ads) from Google Store, this app has replaced the app of the same name I brought from Amazon.  I have to admit that I preferred the Amazon version when I first got it but didn't like the fact that you now have to have an additional Amazon app to use it and it kept freaking out if I wasn't able to be connected to my mobile data - something that happens frequently when you're out in wildlife......funnily enough.

The good thing about this free app is that it contains good photos of the birds and some even have calls which you can use to help with identification.  There is some basic description about the birds as well, such as size, colour, range, and usual habitat.  Each bird also has a link to a wiki page for a more in-depth description, though obviously that requires an internet connection.

There is also an option where you can filter the browsing options to help with the identification of a bird you might be unsure about.  However, this part is also sort of the downside to this app as I feel that, when it comes to identifying a bird, more questions then those provided by the filter are needed to help you work out exactly what it is.  

The other, slightly strange, thing that I have found is it's easier to identify birds from a drawing of the species then it is to look at a photo.  I'm not entirely sure why that is, possibly because a drawing is a general picture of the species whereas a photo captures the additional unique characteristics of the individual bird.

Mammal Tracker

This is downloaded from the Google Store, but through the Mammal Society's website.  For the most part in Britain, the actual species identification is much simpler in mammals than it is in birds.  It's the actual seeing of the animal that is more difficult.  I also find that, when it comes to identifying mammals, photos work just as well as drawings and the photos provided for you in this app work really well on this front.

There is a basic filter that you can do at the start but it's not really necessary as you can just scroll down the page to find the species you're looking for.  Once you click on it you can then go to ID guide which contains multiple photos (including tracks), some have sound recordings, there's also a distribution map, and most importantly an in-depth description of each species.  With some they also have a section on confusion species, stoats and weasels come to find, where they describe how you can tell them apart.

The main page for each species is really to allow you to record your mammal sightings through iRecord (just be sure to put in your experience level in the Settings section) and I full intend to use this section this year.

Butterflies

Another app downloaded from the Google Store but through a groups website, this time Butterfly Conservation.  I mainly use this for the Butterfly guide section and I find that, in this case, the small number of questions in the filter section works absolutely fine when it comes to helping with the identification of a species.

When you click on each species there is a pretty good description, with a map to show distribution and information on habitat types and months of usual activity.  There are also some pretty good photos to go with it and a link for further information - though as before this needs an internet connection.  

The one issue I do have with this app is that it doesn't give you enough information about how to distinguish between some similar species (Large Whites and Small Whites spring to mind).

As with the previous app you can log your recordings through this app with iRecord, but in addition to that you can also log an actual survey you have chosen to do for

butterflies specifically.

Dragon Finder

So named because this app is all about reptiles and amphibians.  I found this one through Froglife.  This is a super easy app to use and I particularly like the identify animal section of this app as the questions are really easy to follow and pretty concise.  

I've used it a number of times to try and work out the animal I've stumbled upon, and it always amazes me just how many species of reptiles and amphibians we actually have up here in Scotland.

The species information section is also very in-depth, especially when it comes to the information on identification, and includes information about their range, ecology, and threats that each species faces (in case you were wondering about adders the threats are birds and humans).

You can also record your sightings in this app and the information gets sent to Froglife to be used in their conservation work.  In this case it doesn't seem to be through iRecord.  I have to say that, even though amphibians and reptiles aren't my first chose in animals, I've really enjoyed using this app and it's definitely helped me appreciate these important animals more.

Lastly, British Trees

This one comes from the Woodland Trust, but I downloaded it from Google Store.  I would really recommend this app if you're wanting to learn about about trees.  

The identification section is really easy to use (though I sometimes found the colour section a bit confusing - purple for bark?!) and the information you get on each species is in-depth enough to help make your final identification but not too much that you get really overwhelmed by it.  I also like that they have information about the myths and legends surrounding each species and what we use / have used them for.  It helps build a connection to a group of living things we can easily see as inanimate.  

You can also log the trees you have identified with a location reference on a map that can then be seen by you in the future and other app users (unless you choose for it not to be shown).  

I also like that the map on the app also includes trees that were recorded in the Ancient Tree Inventory.  Add an extra treasure hunt to an outdoor trip and I'm definitely going to see if there are any I can find next time I'm out in an wooded area.

I am definitely hoping to increase my ability at identifying the species I see around me in the future.  Hopefully these apps will be a good starting point and maybe, one day, I won't even need them - wishful thinking. 😃

Cruising in Norway - Part 2

The next four days took us all along the very north coast of Norway.  Though the coast of Norway could all be described generically as mountains and fjords, this area has a very different feel to the rest.  Though it could be described as 'stark' I actually found it the most beautiful region with its towering, pointed mountains and everything bathed in whites and different tones of blues.

Day 5 saw us sailing from Stokmarknes to Skjervøy and we started the day with a lecture on the Sami culture, looking into where they came from, the treatment they have had to endure over the last few hundred years, and the steps that they have taken to be recognised as one of the only indigenous people in Europe.  It was an introduction into their culture and a good starting point for learning more about them.

Today's Point of Interest was an island just outside of Tromsø (the day's longest stop) called Rystraumen.  Due to the currents that run around this island it is possible to see whirlpools forming, but it wasn't really the right conditions this time though there was some movement in the water.  The island also has an interesting connection to some oxen that were brought over to Norway and which lived on the island for a while (which didn't turn out very well for the oxen or local people wanting to use the island).

The main square of Tromsø is beautiful with it's centuries old wooden buildings and we had a lovely few minutes looking at the Domkirk (church) right in the centre.  This was particularly interesting to see as we knew that no buildings like this existed further north in the county of Finnmark as most were destroyed during WWII when the retreating Nazis carried out a 'scorched earth' policy.  We knew that the Polar Museum was unfortunately going to be closed when we were there and we weren't too interested in looking at modern art, so we headed for the Perpektivet museum.  Unfortunately this turned out to be closed as well due to repairs to their windows and by now it was far to late to get a bus to the Tromsø museum on the outskirts of the town.  In hindsight we should have just gone straight to the Tromsø museum from the cruise, especially as it had an exhibit on Samis, but we know for next time.

However, on our wanderings around Tromsø we did get to see some amazing snow carvings, found a lovely coffee shop to have a hot chocolate in, and get some wool for my Mum and a knitting book for me which contained some patterns of the traditional gloves you see sold everywhere here and which I wanted to give a go myself.....at some point.  It is written in Norwegian adding an extra challenge to this, though the lady who sold me the book very kindly gave me a sheet that contained translations for the most common Norwegian knitting terms - so well organised.  We had really put on the layers for this trip (again) and I found myself stripping off almost everything whilst walking around (again).  But after this I finally learnt my lesson and started wearing just what I needed based on the amount of activity I was expecting to do.  

We did have a little disappointment on Day 6 when the strong winds we were dealing with meant that we weren't able to do the trip to the Fishing Villages we had hoped for (there is a Christmas shop there and I had hoped to get some traditional Norwegian, wooden Christmas decorations there) as the road was unsafe.  

However, that did mean we were able to actually see the northern most city of Norway, Honningsvåg and I'm glad about that.  It was a lovely place to potter around and the museum was definitely worth a view as was a shop called West of the Moon which contained work from local artists. 

I wasn't able to find the statue of Bamse (a dog during the war that saved many sailors lives), which is a shame but, if I'm honest, I didn't look as hard as I probably should have done.  It was mainly because I had seen the statue of him in Montrose and thought it would be nice to see the cousin from across the North Sea.

This day saw us sailing from Øksfjord to Berlevåg and saw us dragging ourselves out of bed again during the early hours of the morning when the Northern Lights call came.  But again we only saw the grey, almost cloud-like feature with no real colour and we were beginning to think that we would never actually see the Northern Lights in their full colours.  Then in the evening we watched a documentary about Vardø and Pomor Trade.  The Pomors were from the northwest of Russia and they traded goods, especially grain, for fish from those living in Finnmark (the northern most county of Norway).  The coastal inhabitants of Finnmark were particularly poor at the time so this was a hugely important source for them and an interesting subject I had never heard about before.

The weather got particularly rough that night and the boat was swaying around, even with the stabilisers on.  There's something very interesting about feeling yourself being ever so slightly lifted off your bed and then plonked back on.  Not necessarily the gentle rocking you want to send you to sleep.

Day 7 was the day that saw us almost reaching the boarder with Russia as we moved from Båtsfjord to Kirkenes and then back around the north coast with the final port for the day being Berlevåg again.  We arrived in Kirkenes a lot later then expected due to the bad weather and this gave us a lot less time to spend there.  We did, however, still get to go on the excursion we had booked which was to look at the Snow Hotel.  This is built every year for over winter and each room in the hotel has it's own separate and unique carvings on the walls.  Apparently they tell the artists what they would like in the reception and bar area and then leave them to do their own thing in the bedrooms that they have.  

They are absolutely amazing and I would definitely like to stay one night.  The weirdest thing was that the walls didn't feel wet at all or as cold as I was expecting, though you would still need the sleeping bags that they provide.  Fun fact about the Kirkenes Snow Hotel: they don't have a room 13 (or a cabin 13) as no one ever books it.  People are funny little things.

There were also some reindeer at the hotel (but only neutered males as only Sami are legally allowed to own reindeer of both sexes which aren't neutered) and a whole lot of huskies as they also do husky sledge rides there.  

All absolutely gorgeous, though some more friendly then others, and my favourite named pair were the ones called Sorry and Dynamite.  We decided not to do any of the husky sledge trips, especially as my Mum would spend the whole time feeling sorry for the dogs.

We did get to see Kirkenes as we drove from the port to the hotel, but not as much as we had hoped and it would be interesting to return to see what it really looks like.  It's also a shame we didn't get to see the museum, which contained items by the Sami artist John Savio, but another time perhaps.  I had also planned to do the Ice Sea Swimming that was going to be available when we reached Vardø, but the delay due to the bad weather meant that we couldn't stop there long enough to have time to do it.  I would have loved to have been able to say that I had swum in the Norwegian sea, north of the Arctic Circle, during winter but it wasn't to be.

In the evening we got to have story time with one of the Expedition Team, Haakon, who told us two stories from his childhood.  One was the the seven fathers of the house and the other was, of course, a troll story where a troll was tricked by the young boy into doing all his work and eventually killing himself.  Haakon even did voices and so deserves credit for that.  The funny thing for me was that I recognised these stories from my childhood as well as we actually spend about four or five years in Norway until I was 12.

Of course, the best thing about that day was the Northern Lights.  After story telling we got all bundled up in our gear ready to spend a very long time outside as the forecast was a good one.  And it was good, in fact it was absolutely spectacular.  I took some photos with my phone as evidence that I actually saw them and then just stood back and watched. 

They are completely mesmerizing and very serial, and I can completely see why the Vikings thought that they were bridges to Valhalla.  That is a memory that will stay and a sight I don't think I could ever get bored of.  We went to bed cold and tired but very happy travellers.

And so onto Day 8.  The night was a lot less choppy and tiredness probably helped with the whole sleeping side of things.  This day took us from Mehamn back to Tromsø just before midnight.  Our longest stop was at Hammerfest (which I think sounds like a battle metal band or metal concert), but before we reached there the Point of Interest for the day was the island of Melkøya.  Melkøya is where the natural gases collected from the Snøhvit gas fields are processed before being sent to the mainland.  Surprisingly interesting talk despite the fact that I'm not really into the collection of natural gas and oil.

We hadn't booked any excursions at Hammerfest but I decided to try and tackle the zig zag path that takes you up to 'Mount' Salen.  This turned out to be much more difficult than the possibly icy path I was expecting, with snowfall cover a section of it so deep that you couldn't even see the hand railings.  It required a bit of climbing to get to the top and only me and one other fellow cruise member (or nutter) gave it a go, practically everyone else went to see the church.  However, it was worth the scramble and the freezing winds at the top as the views were spectacular and the feeling of being alone after seven days on a cruise amazing.  I spent as long as I could based on the time we had at Hammerfest before descending down the long route back to the ship.  I did quickly pop into the Polar Bear museum beside the port, mainly to look at the shop as I had no interest at looking at all the stuffed animals and animal skins they had there.  You can also become a life long member of the Polar Bear Society, which sounds fun but I didn't have time to join up before the ship left the port.

We did then have a very interesting, and one I was looking most forward to, talk on Norwegian polar explorers.  These included the well known Roald Amundsen (even us Brits know about him - the man who beat Scott to the south pole), an interesting man called Fridtjof Nansen who we don't learn about in Britain but really should, and most interesting to me was a woman named Cecilie Skog who I definitely want to find out more about.

The forecast for the North Lights wasn't particularly good for that night, but we decided to stay out and have a look for them anyway.  We still got some sightings and they did produce some beautiful colours, but nothing like the night of day 7.  We were spoilt that day.