Free-Range Living

 'Going Own Way' ----- ?

The bright yellow orb in the sky continues to be an elusive sight here at the organic eco micro-holding (small smallholding) in the UK heartlands, with December again breaking records as now officially the mildest December in UK history, and virtually as gloomy as November was. Surprising how sight of the sun can 'hearten' the soul, and remind how reliant mankind is on it, in spite of all the technological wizardry --- if the sun don't shine ---- ?  It apparently will burn out in around 50 - 70 million year's time, which whilst it might seem some way off, does remind that life is not infinite - ?

That's of course if 'life on earth' lasts that long - ? According to recent reports, some eminent scientists have recently banded together to suggest that the recent Paris climate conference result could prove to be counterproductive, in that it may over-reassure that a solution is up-coming; they are suggesting that stronger geo-engineering measures (eg. putting water vapour in the sky to create bigger clouds to then reduce the amount of sunlight hitting earth) are now needed to avert further climate degradation. Some have suggested that fairly drastic changes in consumption (i.e. in the 'advanced' countries) are needed - one scientist predicted for instance, back-along, that a planet five times the size of earth would be needed, projecting current consumption patterns into the future ----

Stormy weather ----

 Stormy wet weather does seem to be hitting here in the UK quite a bit this unusually mild winter, causing quite a few folk hardship in the form of repeated flooding. Even though it's been relatively mild, the woodstove still gets through quite a bit of wood - about half the woodpile's gone now at the end of December, prompting another chainsaw sawing event, summoning up some effort after a bit of a lazy and soporific Xmas respite - good though to have some 'switch off', 'navel contemplating' down time. Today, for once, there is some sun and some rare (in recent times) solar electric production, currently running the air-source heat pump, so 'free heat' for the two cottage daytime living rooms - can't be bad - and, having taken heat out of air, now blowing out cooler air - cooling the planet -----

 The 'wild bunch' chickens continue to 'do their own thing' but at least being now incarcerated, after their, erm, brush with Mr./Mrs. Fox in the summer, in their 'chicken Fort Knox', the little blighters are vaguely under control, only escaping intermittently, but still thankfully laying relentlessly. One Xmas period event was the appearance of the horses and hounds of a local hunt at a local town (now only allowed to drag hunt) looking splendiferous, along with a horse and carriage event :

:

 There still appears to be some residual resistance among country folk that they should be told what to do by folk, who in their eyes, don't understand or connect with rural ways. Showing signs, too, that austerity measures are biting on rural sctors.These little guys could get this carriage around pretty smartly ------

'A round of robins --- '

This mild first half of winter seems to have resulted in the wild birds not being quite so hungry - perhaps not too surprisingly given the weather - and, maybe connected, not so many overhead flights of geese as usual - ? Walking with Hipster Pipster (Scots Border Collie mate) this morning down the lane, one solitary Swan flew overhead - quite a rare sight. One little guy who has 'weathered' the storm, is one of the Robins hereabouts, who has steadily got braver and more approaching through the winter, coming now to within a couple of feet - two Robins having a wee chat  ----

 'Going own 'freerange' way ----- ?

  Maybe it's important - maybe more than ever these days - that folk need to be prepared, at least to some extent, to 'go their own way', as the song has it - ? Perhaps a little startingly, it stated in one report that official policy here in the UK is that personal borrowings should rise significantly, and that this trend together with rising property prices will form the basis of future growth. Is this, though, a form of 'skating on thin ice', in that such a basis doesn't seem to make too solid a foundation - ? (it's not that long ago, too, that the British Prime Minister appeared to be 'curtailed' pretty smartly for suggesting that people should aim to reduce their borrowings - ?).

Debt, though, certainly seems to be the 'in' thing, with personal debt here in the UK escalating to problematic levels for some due to Xmas spending, according to recent reports from the UK Money Advice Service, which has expressed concern that reliance on debt 'to make ends meet' has increased to a concerning level, with apparently one in three feeling 'pressurised' to over-spend. Personal debt in the UK currently reported at 40%+ of income is now, according to one report, apparently planned by government to rise to an (astonishing?) double that level, but there was no indication from government as to whether that such a high level of debt was/is a longer-term prudent level - ?

It does seem it could be quite a potential burden, particularly when high (compared with base rates) interest rates  are levied, presumably much of it being plastic credit - ?  Again, it could seem pretty important for individuals to take a 'freerange' stance to the question of debt levels to ensure personal safety, particularly when the 'big' government view appears to endorse high levels of personal indebtedness - ? It can't be too much fun, for instance, losing the roof overhead due to mounted debt - ?

'More thin ice ---- ?'

 Could it be pretty 'thin ice' too then for individuals, who presumably don't then get too much protection 'from the system' if they get into financial difficulties - ? If the average debt per household does then rise to , say, 80% of their income (figures do seem to vary) as appears to be the policy, that means that on average around £30k * 80% = £24k per household of personal debt will be incurred. If this is mainly plastic debt, at, say, averaging around 25% yearly interest charge, which would then add not far off £6k onto household yearly expenditure - i.e. almost 20% of family income would disappear on interest charges, presumably then resulting in 'non-viable' levels of spendable income for quite a few - ? Even allowing for the possibility of part of such debt being at lower interest levels (for, say, motor purchase), it's clear that the yearly interest burden would still be considerable.

  Considering a near zero base interest rate,  an average 25% plastic credit rate might appear to many as a bit of an excessive rate - maybe another non too generous ploy of the financial sector - ? ( why, for instance,  isn't there low rate plastic credit for those low risk bank customers - the banks should know who they are - ? Checking with an accountant contact, the relevant rates seem to be around 29% yearly interest for not-so-good credit rated individuals and around 18% for good credit rated people, which still seem outstandingly high rates for low risk lending from a base rate close to zero - ?) 'Heavy consumption' could of course be said to be the name of the game in a 'consumer society', and 'the system' appears to be geared to this end ( it wasn't that long ago in the UK, for instance, that borrowings were hard to come by). Is, though, a 'heavy consumption' culture sustainable in the longer run? If individuals run into trouble, they won't be 'heavy consuming' in the longer run; if 'the ice breaks' the culture itself could well be struggling, and, of course, the environmental cost to the planet would seem to be ever more pressing ----- ?

 There seems to be a fairly common perception in the UK that a 'wealth and power' class has emerged creating conditions to significantly benefit themselves (wonder where older notions of 'leadership' went - ?)  Just lately, for instance, UK politicians have been criticised for using the honours system to reward political favours, there's a proposal to exempt larger-scale landlords from a new property tax, there's still reports in the papers suggesting that large concerns are 'escaping' tax committments and just today it's reported that senior managers in the cash-strapped UK National Health service are to get wage increases bigger than an average nurse's salary ------ .

'Freerange' frugalists to the fore ----- ?

 From the 'consumer society' point of view, a trend of rising personal debt may be seen as beneficial, facilitating higher levels of sales and bigger bank profits, but such a 'macro' trend does not necessarily help the 'micro' individual struggling with significant debt levels. Again the message for 'freerangers' presumably needs to be that it may be 'personally wise' ('wising up' rather than 'dumbing down' - ?) to summon up the courage to resist any 'mass' trend of liberal personal borrowing (not necessarily the easiest thing to do if everyone else seems to be then 'getting more goodies - ?), and to then self-responsibly manage their unique affairs in a long-term sound and viable manner - ?

 Might it yet prove prudent, for instance, to 'save some for a rainy day' - ? Or to, for instance, introduce a trend of 'economically purchasing', maybe even frugal buying, which besides then giving the individual more security by a 'living within means' approach, also offers the dual possibilities of satisfactions gained by gaining that security, and also by solving life needs at an effective and economic level - ?

 Maybe even following the advice of Henry Cole , who on one of his 'World's Greatest Motorbike Rides' TV programmes spoke about living 'according to my needs, rather than my wants----- ?'