I’ve spent the weekend without a car.
I’d love to be able to say that this was deliberate and part of a return to a more sustainable way of life (in the manner of John from Musings of Murphyfish). Unfortunately it wasn’t. It was because the engine of my (admittedly elderly) car blew up on Friday. I was driving home from Birmingham on the motorway when the crankshaft failed, with the end result that the engine welded itself into a lump of metal with smoke coming out of it.
So it goes. I spent the weekend looking for a new car. Mrs BWM feels that it is time for me to get a motor that reflects my smart executive status. She also insisted – quite rightly – that I get a car with a heater. My last car didn’t have this luxury feature and it caused some hardship during the winter. As for me, the only requirement I have for a car is that I can fit a bale of hay into the boot!
Now, part of my philosophy as a (very) amateur naturalist is that I study the wildlife within walking distance of my house. In that respect, not having a car shouldn’t have held me back. However, the search for the perfect heated/executive/agricultural vehicle kept me preoccupied for the weekend and so I’ve had no time to get outdoors.
I’ll do better in the future, I promise.
Tales from the Wood - The Diary of a Badger Watching Man 
Trouble is in this day and age we cannot be without a vehicle when living out of town. If something ever happened to turn the clock back, i.e. oil runs out, next ice age arrives, then we can start to live how we would like to live.
Regards, An ex west Sussex lad who lives in a forest and has been looking at the woods for a long time now, but being wild is fun.
Hi there and welcome Le Loup
Unfortunately you’re right. I need an executive car to support my executive lifestyle, and I need the lifestyle to pay for the car. Makes you wonder, doesn’t it?
Mind you, I do try to avoid using it whenever possible. That’s why I make a point of sticking to my local patch. I feel that if everyone really got to know the wildlife in their local area – I mean really got to know it – they’d be surprised at how much there is within walking distance.
Love the blog, by the way. I admire you for keeping traditions alive – so much has been lost that would have been just plain common sense two hundred years ago.
All the best
BWM