Wednesday, 21 December 2016

Merry Christmas and a Happy New year


I see I have been keeping this blog going for 3 years and I think it is time now to call a halt.

Although I appear to get plenty of visits, according to the record which comes up each time, I do not get much real response. I have asked that anyone interested can contact me via my own yahoo web address but not much has come from there either.

The problem now is, as some of you in our area will have heard, the train service is as good as suspended due to strikes, cancellations and gross overcrowding on what few trains are running.

This is a dispute between the various factions as to whether the train driver or the guard open the doors at the stations. I won’t go into detail – it is almost unbelievably stupid and has been going on for months with no end in sight! So I am not getting my occasional days out with my bid-watching friend, who anyway has disappeared again – maybe back to Australia to join his family there.

I will keep our website going – see earlier blogs and may adjust that from time to time.

So, I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Au revoir, Jane (and Chris)

Monday, 7 November 2016

reference contacts

Julius and others. Always pleased to hear from other like-minded addicts - but please contact me first on                                me_blindfolded@yahoo.co.uk           there is a  _  between me and blindfolded!
I can never get off a reply via the 'comments' section on this blog!
Jane

Tuesday, 18 October 2016

18-10-2016


Mid October. Sorry I have been remiss in updating this blog. I have had to abandon any genuine blindsimming now for the time being. As I have explained before, to go blindsimming, I take a train from my home town to Lewes before starting blindsimming, in order to get a far as reasonably possible away from where I might be recognised.

(see earlier on this blog or go to : meblindfolded.wix.com/blindsimming-lady.)

Even on the train I might easily meet someone who knows me.



Once in Lewes and away from the station, then I am confident I can become genuinely blind and spend a pleasant morning or so. I have described all this before, of course.



The problem now is, as some of you in our area will have heard, the train service is as good as suspended due to strikes, cancellations and gross overcrowding on what few trains are running.

This is a dispute between the various factions as to whether the train driver or the guard open the doors at the stations. I won’t go into detail – it is almost unbelievably stupid and has been going on for months with no end in sight!

Thankfully, I can still finish up blindfolded twice a week as usual, including Wednesday afternoons in Chris’s office as now, or in just a few minutes. So I will try to keep my blog going – if anyone is still interested?

.

Jane.

Mid August 2016




Only 5(!) readers last time. So holidays now until October. No blindsimming unfortunately until then. Might get some blindfolded leisure in if I’m lucky though.



Jane

Wednesday, 3 August 2016

My fourth blindsimming 'friend' 3-8-2016


What I meant last time was - Are there any active blind-simmers out there who smoke while they are blindsimming!?

As I do, as I’ve said from time to time. Tony, my bird-watching guide accepts that I need to pause and enjoy a cigarette occasionally. On our walk around the bird reservation we eventually come to a ‘hide’, a wooden hut where bird watchers sit inside to observe birds through windows but are not visible to the birds to frighten them off. I’ve been into them elsewhere when not blindsimming so I know what goes on. Obviously not much use to me when blindsimming, so Tony usually finds me somewhere to sit outside while he goes in to talk to people and see what’s about (birdwise!) Then I enjoy a cigarette and listen to the birds and, with luck, absorb some sunshine perhaps even for a half hour or so.

Thus it was one sunny morning a month or so ago. Tony had sat me somewhere near the water’s edge close to the ‘hide’ (he told me) and I could hear him and others talking to one side above me. Then I suddenly heard someone complaining they could smell cigarette smoke. Surely, he said, anyone would know better than smoking in the hide or even outside, for that matter? I groped for my ashtray and stubbed the offending cigarette out! Then I heard Tony apologising on my behalf, saying that his companion outside was totally blind but extremely good at recognising bird sounds.

The other man then became quite apologetic himself and said in that case not to worry about it. But I thought it best not to relight my cigarette!

A few minutes later a voice nearby asked if he could join me. I recognised it as the complaining voice from the ‘hide’ and started to apologise. He was now most friendly, sat down and chatted a bit and mentioned Tony had told him I was blind but good at bird sounds and so on. He then said he had the same trouble over smoking and would I like to walk up to a nearby seat where we both could have a cigarette! Providing he told Tony, I said, which he did. I gave him the usual few words that I’d prefer to hold his arm and walk just slightly behind (I have soon learnt that most people faced with a blind person think that they must do the holding, which is not so helpful.)

Anyway it was like the old days, when the fisherman used to sit on the bench and light my cigarettes -see some of my older blogs! My new friend said any time that Tony wasn’t around, he was here bird-watching more often and gave me his mobile phone number to ring. He wasn’t used to helpless blind people obviously but I got him to put it on my mobile which has a separate number code to use first. Thanks to Chris’s ingenuity. Chris is 1, Tony is 2, and my new friend is now 3. I might get round to trying himout?!

The fisherman doesn’t carry a mobile. It might ring and frighten the fish perhaps!

Jane


Wednesday, 20 July 2016

No trip today - too hot!! 20-7-2016


I've admitted in the past that I smoke, not too heavily – 10 to 15 a day- ordinary tipped tobacco cigarettes. (One never knows what other people are smoking these days!)

When outdoors, visiting friends or places, I have carried around for many years a pocket ash-tray to avoid leaving ash or cigarette-ends about the place. It is 2 inches or so in diameter, silver-plated with a hinged lid that fastens shut and a place to lay down a lit cigarette between puffs, when open.

Very handy especially these days when blind-simming. It slips into my coat pocket with my phone. I have got very skilled at smoking when blind, lighting my own cigarettes and carefully stubbing out before moving on.

 Right at the start of my recent 'bird-watching' trips, a friendly fisherman used to join me on a bench at the waterside and offer to light my cigarette when he saw me about to smoke.

This worried me at the time, as I have described in our web-site accounts, as I imagined that he would peer into my dark glasses and notice that I was, in those days, wearing patches. Anyway, I've overcome all that now and Tony, my bird-watching guide (who doesn't smoke!) is quite used to my smoking-breaks from time to time. Smoking outdoors hasn't been banned (yet!).


Why am I telling you this? Mainly because, having undertaken two years or so ago to write a blog of interest to fellow blind-simmers, I assume this might be the sort of thing to attract your interest?

Are there any active blind-simmers out there who smoke? I’d love to hear from you if so.

But Chris is waiting now, at 3 o/clock, folded scarf in his hands for his small thrill of the afternoon, so the rest will have to remain till next time.

Jane.

Wednesday, 13 July 2016

wednesday, 13-7-2016


(1) reply to comment from Bobbie. Thanks for your encouraging words. I tried to reply on the blog page but it doesn't seem to work for me to comment after someone else's comment. Found the same in the past. I like what you say about bad conscience as I raised the matter then and now have a fourth 'trusting' acquaintance to have a concern over. Thanks again.

I could always reply direct if you, and anyone else of course, would like to contact me at -me_blindfolded@yahoo.co.uk-





(2)You may remember that I was (bravely!) trying out some solo birdwatching trips last summer in
the absence of Tony (lost? In Australia!). After a few such trips, I was proud that I could go blind at a quarter of mile before reaching my starting bus-stop and then blind for a few hours eventually arriving at Eastbourne pier before seeing the light of day again. See my blog, 2nd September last year (2015) – quite a long one!

The 'slight hiatus' that I referred to last time occurred on the different trip that I had been taking from time to time, getting off near the reservoir for some 'bird watching' after walking up there from the bus stop. (again see my previous blogs) As I asked the bus driver to drop me at the then usual place, he said that particular road was closed for some reason and the bus would be making a detour and wouldn't go past that place from where I had been getting off and walking up to the reservoir. I had to think quickly! I decided to go to the previous stop which was in the village and wait for a returning bus, missing out on my nice blind walk up to the reservoir for that day. That I did and managed to find the returning bus stop there and return home as usual from there. I'm not afraid to ask passers-by for help – always cheerfully supplied. Again, I was proud to remain blind the whole time from start to finish.
More next time, Jane