Tuesday 13th March 07

Such a lot has happened today. I woke very early, with my new column racing round my head and I obviously couldn't get back to sleep so I slipped downstairs and started writing. Within an hour I had the bones of my introductory column for the Yorkshire Post, and by 9am I'd typed it out and sent it in.

Went back to bed and read NewScientist, and fell asleep, only to be woken by an annoying phonecall from a company offering cheap foreign holidays for my employees....

So made best use of the unseasonably warm and sunny weather and loaded more stuff into the Compostumbler, and spent a little while managing a logpile. I split open a large treestump which had some old, rotten wood within and several quite large beetles and their even larger larvae fell out. I looked in my old Oxford Book Of Insects and found they were (probably) Lesser Stag Beetles. The book suggested that they were uncommon and found south of Nottingham. I contacted the Yorkshire Museum and the entomologist I spoke to sounded quite excited, as they may be a new record for this far north. They'll be looked at tomorrow afternoon, so I put two adults and a selection of different sized larvae into a tub with some wood frass and bark bits and look forward to meeting a fellow insect enthusiast.

Lunch was nice as usual, especially as I'd been up so early. And before long it was 3pm and time to cycle to school and pick up my boyos, who cycled back really fast, to look at the beetles and watch Shaun the Sheep on TV.

Had a visitor at 4.50, a Freecycle member who was wanting houseplants. Gill knew her from years ago when they both worked with 'Accessible Arts', and it was lovely to meet up again. She took a small Papyrus and 4 types of succulent, all of which propagate easily.

Tea was yesterday's pumpkin soup and a veg stirfry and tomato/feta salad, with home-grown chard, standing well through the winter, and chives, growing fast now.

Before the boys went to bed, our friend Claire came to pick up a Freecycled portable CD player she wants to take to France for a 4 day walk, and a sack of potato sacks, used but folded flat and she doesn't know what she'll use them for. Doesn't matter, as long as they are reused, as I've got loads and loads. I don't compost them as they might contain copper as when I burn them, they have green flames.

Later in the evening I did my emails again, and I got a very disappointing email from the Yorkshire Post saying that they'd decided to keep green issues in the main paper, not in the Life and Style, so my column was off. What a let down. I emailed back asking them to reconsider, stating that Green issues were very much part of current Life and Style, and that many people were wanting to do something to make a difference. I also asked them to consider using my ability and knowledge in the main paper. I also suggested that if the fee they'd offered was too high that I'd be happy to negotiate less as the message was so important that I didn't need to make lots of money, just some would be nice.

I don't hold up much hope. But one day my writing ability may bring me some profit or acknowledgement, even if it isn't in the mainstream media.

Hey what a day. I look forward to tomorrow's workshop about trees at Askham Bryan Agricultural College.

Monday 12th March 07

A good day, although woke early, too early for my liking, and as is usual, I cannot go back to sleep, so I got up and breakfasted and helped my wife get the children ready for school.

The good day really started when I rang the Yorkshire Post, re their offer made provisionally last week offering me a regular column. Yes it's amazing, but my 'low impact lifestyle' and ethical approach is of interest to readers of the Yorks Post, according to the Associate Features Editor. She rang me back and confirmed that they'd like me to do a fortnightly 500 - 600 words for their Wednesday 'Life and Style' supplement. I asked a lot of questions and am satisfied with the arrangement. As well as a fee, I'll get a subscription to the YP so I can see what's in the paper and make my column current and topical. I read out the 30 or so subjects I could write about and she seemed pleased I'd already thought about it. I suggested an introductory column, setting out my stall, and then emailing a 'bank' of a few pieces for them to choose from.

It will be a lot of work initially, and my blog might be a bit thin for a while, as I'll be concentrating on work!!!

However, nothing should stop me doing my regular compostables collections and today was no exception. After picking up the boys I went to visit my Bishophill friend to drink her coffee and chop her woody bits she gleans from neighbours and skips for her small Clearview Stove. Then my usual Out Of This World pick up, and then the Hes Rd pick up, lots of lovely sad veg and unloved fruit to put in the Compostumbler.

I made pumpkin soup earlier in the day and I had this along with a potato and veg pie with a cheesy scone top that Gill had invented. Great. Vegan ice cream and banana and home-made chocolate cake for pud. We're well-fed here!

Hopefully an early night to compensate for the over-early morning.

Plenty of writing to do.... exciting times ahead. I'll do ANYTHING to promote sustainability!