Richard's blog

Tag: nature

  • The Subtle Art of Being a Morning Person During a Heatwave

    The Subtle Art of Being a Morning Person During a Heatwave

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    richard
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    Reading Time: 3 minutesI see news reports and articles that say “Don’t do sports during a heatwave”, which, to me is bad advice. It’s not bad advice to tell people not to push and overheat at the hottest point of the day. It is bad advice not to say “Try to run in the morning”…

  • The Visible Cost of Urbanisation

    The Visible Cost of Urbanisation

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    Reading Time: 3 minutesDensification, also called urbanisation, is a double edged problem. The first problem is that bringing more people closer together you increase noise pollution. The more people live nearby, the more people need to learn to be quiet. The second cost is an inability to shelter from the heat on a hot summer’s…

  • Big Timber – A Netflix Documentary Series

    Big Timber – A Netflix Documentary Series

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    richard
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    Reading Time: 2 minutesFor a few days I have been watching a few documentary series on Netflix. Big Timber is one of them. Usually I like nature that is untouched. I like to see trees that are standing tall and proud, not on their sides, ready to be chopped up into wood for housing.  It…

  • Colza, Sheep, Metamorphosis and Mindfulness

    Colza, Sheep, Metamorphosis and Mindfulness

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    richard
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    Reading Time: 2 minutesYesterday I took a picture of brilliantly yellow Colza with the Jura looking dark due to storm clouds overhead. If you walk at this time of year you will see a lot of cola. At the moment it is brilliantly yellow and at it’s prime. Later on, the colza will be passed…

  • The Sound of Bells and the Smell of Colza

    The Sound of Bells and the Smell of Colza

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    richard
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    Reading Time: 2 minutesWhat do you hear and smell when you go for a walk in Vaud at this time of year? You hear the sound of cowbells and you hear the sound of cows mooing. I like the sound of cow bells A few days ago I could hear mooing from a distance. As…

  • Call of the Re-Wild

    Call of the Re-Wild

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    richard
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    Reading Time: 2 minutesEurope wants to bring back top predators like lynx, bears and wolves. In the US national parks brought back certain wild animals and it helped to control the population of elk and other herbivores, and to control the biosphere.  The challenge, with Europe, is that it is tiny, compared to the wide…

  • Trees Turning Green

    Trees Turning Green

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    Reading Time: 2 minutesTrees are currently turning green on the Jura. Leaves are growing and so the colour of the Jura is shifting from brown to green at last. Trees suffer in Summer at the moment, due to the lack of rain. That lack of rain results in them changing colour sooner. Yesterday I went…

  • A Spring Walk

    A Spring Walk

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    Reading Time: < 1 minute

  • Repotted Orchids

    Repotted Orchids

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    richard
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    Reading Time: 2 minutesRecently I repotted Orchids and now they seem to be doing fine. I see evidence of new buds and suspect that they have continued to grow despite my intervention. For months I considered repotting them but I was afraid that it would kill them. I waited until they were between blooms but…

  • Grapes and Apples

    Grapes and Apples

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    by

    richard
    in ,

    Reading Time: 2 minutesI have seen combine harvesters at work over the last two days. Yesterday I saw them harvesting colza, and today I saw them harvesting wheat. At the moment you see grapes that are still in a juvenile state, and apples that look a little more mature, growing on their respective plants. When…