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Beautiful scenery and insights, @Kotishka!

The plogging walks have returned....my new enemies...the cans...It is a great exercise to practice both patient, equanimity and loving-kindness because I still get thoughts of: "f*cking human beings, dirty pieces of ..." and then I return to compassion and also tell myself to not be so quick to judge others. Finally, one must realise that harbouring and generating negative thoughts is useless. Better just pick up the trash and keep walking.

This was today's view.

I saw a pair of wood ducks in my tree this morning. I couldn't see them clearly through the branches, and ducks don't usually perch in trees, but they looked like ducks. We normally see mallards, here, but I got my bird book out, and wood ducks have very distinctive heads, so I was pretty sure that is what they were, and then when I read the book and it said wood ducks frequently perch in trees, that clinched it. Beautiful ducks!

I watched the 2024 movie Civil War ...It's about the perspective of the journalists moving through a collapsing United States. As they travel toward Washington, D.C., what they encounter is like snapshots of different mini-conflicts rather than one coherent war.

I have a good news story to share. In the Netherlands we have decided to get the nation off natural gas, as an effort to reduce climate change impact and also because it’s getting too expensive and unreliable, with our gas supply coming from Norway, Qatar and Russia.

So we have had a notice from the local council that our neighbourhood is due to have gas supply terminated in 2036, and that we need to update our house to find other ways of cooking and heating than by gas-fired central heating, for example. There was a meeting at the council offices, where the plan was explained to us.

The plan for our city is to sink a number of geothermal wells in our local area, from which warm water will arise at 70-80 degrees C which will be used to heat homes, bath water and so on. This will be distributed through so-called ‘warmthnets’ which will be laid under the ground. The company responsible for running the warmth nets will be owned 51% by the local council.

Sometime in 2028-2030 the warmth nets will come online and we will get a proposal for what it will cost us to get connected. Then when the connection is made the gas supply will get turned off, so the house will have to be prepared for that. That means quite a large renewal of the kitchen and the electrical arrangements. It’s going to be quite expensive.

But exciting times, to be at the forefront of the entire nation shifting away from a dependence on fossil fuels for warming houses.

Dopephins having a puff on their waterproof spliff

A humane, non-toxic approach to controlling ant infestations:

Start by placing a small amount of bait that the ants are attracted to. Observe their movement and follow their trail back to the point of entry. Gradually move the bait closer to this entry point over time.

Once the ants are consistently taking the bait near their entry point, wait for a lull in activity. At that stage, apply a thin smear of Vaseline over the entry point. This creates a temporary barrier that ants are unable to cross easily. If there are multiple entry points, repeat the process for each one.

This method encourages the ants to relocate and seek food elsewhere, rather than eliminating the colony.

If needed, for ants already inside, a simple spray can be made using hot water with a small drop of washing-up liquid. Shake well and spray directly onto the ants. The solution breaks down their protective outer coating and kills them quickly. It leaves no toxic residue and also helps clean the surface.

This is a temporary measure, however it can in some instances deter them for long periods of time.

I tried always to stick to humane methods but nevertheless I am faced with a little killing.

I think your intentions are good, your thoughts are wholesome but unfortunately life implies death. To live we need to kill certain beings even if we do not desire to do so. Poor ants, but also poor you. I don't think living in a house infested with ants will bring much good to you.