Routines maketh man. It's Two weeks in a row that I publish this post. does it make it a "thing"? Perhaps.
I do realise the potential for hyperbole - something which is becoming increasingly irritating to the modern online reader. I would warn people against entitling their articles in this way however I will stick with it because there will be "amazing things" in these posts. Can there be degrees of amazing? I think so.
1. Natural Health Service!
Fortunately I am well aware of the benefits of fresh air and exercise to help my mental health but it is nice to see it written in mainstream media and with increasing pressure for it be prescribed.
Here are two articles I have read this week extolling the medicinal values of nature and getting outside... and one I published a while ago.
- Natural health service: wildlife volunteers get mental health boost.
- What's the ultimate way to defy depression, disease and early death? Exercise
- Reasons Why the Outdoors is Good for your Health
As a volunteer for The Wildlife Trusts I can heartily recommend it and I sincerely hope others will follow suit.
2. "Maybe it was because I was five feet tall, or I was a little blonde girl..."
“... but I remember that clearly — and it didn’t feel good”. This was the reaction when Caroline Gleich said she wanted to complete the “Chuting Gallery”, 90 extremely difficult and dangerous ski mountaineering lines across Utah’s Wasatch Mountains, from the cult backcountry guidebook; The Chuting Gallery.
"Follow Through" is the story of her amazing achievement, who inspired her, the losses along the way and listening to the right people.
3. Rucksack Magazine
I appreciate that this magazine has been around for a short while but it was this week that I "discovered" it. Here is a high quality "online journal and printed bi-annual magazine" which portrays the wild, and adventures, in a most stylish fashion. There are some amazing photos with a sort of haunting quality, even when looking at small details, that is reminiscent of the paintings of Daniel Crawshaw. I assume this I a policy of theirs... and I love it.
Check out rucksack Magazine here.
4. Feel Part of a Community with Twitter Chats
Occasionally I take part in a Twitter Chat; a conversation, usually based around a hashtag that takes place on Twitter at an hour appointed by the organiser. Anyone can organise it, anyone can take part. It is quite a nice way to chat with those who share a similar interest, for example I might do one for outdoor or travel bloggers, when I can. It is a nice way to learn a little and often just to talk shop - that favourite of British pastimes.
Anyway, this week I came across this great little article by @VicAdvisor listing Twitter Chats for travel bloggers and it looks like it could be a very useful resource to enable people to "join the conversation" and feel they are part of a community.
5. Forays in Foraging
Having collected sloes a few days before and then frozen them on Sunday night we started the process of making sloe gin.
"That isn't amazing", I hear you say. Bah... you're probably right, but this is pretty good: Some more boozy foraging ideas from Ordnance Survey, courtesy of @CraftInvaders.