Hi JW. Like others here my OH and I used to love walking but anything near 1km / 15-20mins is definitely my limit. So, I’ve spent a bit of savings on what I hoped were ‘work around’. Bought two folding mobility scooters: one tiny one that can e.g be folded up and taken into restaurants, cafes etc. The other is slightly larger - a Moving Life Atto three wheeler which I got because it seems very robust and has very good ground clearance. I’ve taken it along quite a few rough and uneven tracks and it works well. The limits are a) the motor is in the front wheel and if the ground is soft and wet, the wheel can just spin b) i took it up a sort of hardcore rough track into some hills. Never again- the vibrations were really uncomfortable and I thought they must be shaking screws and bolts apart ( in fact they were all fine).
So I went a bit overboard and bought an electric mountain tricycle. It’s a Jorvik trike - they do various electric trikes. I’ve actually only used it a few times on quiet local roads - we haven’t ventured further because my wife first hurt her back and then broke her shoulder which is still recovering. I enjoyed the few times I tried it on the quiet roads. I’m hoping that this year my wife and I will be back to longer adventures into the countryside and into some gentle hills, and I’m also hoping that buying an electric Mountain Trike wasn’t an expensive waste of money! An electric normal Tricycle might have been a wiser/ more realistic choice !!
Hi there. Not to do with scooters etc or even MS as such but does the photo of a Siskin on your feeder imply you are a bird watcher. If so then me too and I enjoy getting out to our local RSPB reserve on my scooter
Thanks for that Hank Dogs, I’ve got a CareCo Minimus which is great for using with public transport, but is lightweight (relatively speaking) and has very low ground clearance, so I’m trying to find something I can use in our local woods and when we go on holiday.
I’ll check out the atto , that might be just the thing if I can find one second hand … I assume they are pretty dear. Hope your wife recovers in time for a good holiday!
I am extremely lucky in that I have a vast number of avian visitors to a couple of feeders in my garden. At one point this morning I had 10 Siskins on one whilst the other had a mix of gold finches greenfinches as well as great tits and the occasional nuthatch. I can visit a couple of places near the forest if I want an exotic set of birds. I moved from Sussex where we would only see blackbirds gulls and the odd Robin. I had never seen Bullfinches before or longtail tits, we even get the occasional Sparrowhawk and Redpoll. So much better than telly!
I never imagined the canary yellow beauties were British wild birds. Thank you for noticing. I do hope that you get to see some amazing birds in your location.
Mick
Some Siskin ( but not 10!), Bullfinches, sometimes Redpoll, Goldfinches ( but not many this year). Used to get Greenfinches but only hear them these days. Had Longtailed Tits and Bullfinches nesting a couple of years ago which was nice. Currently seem to get a lot of Jackdaws and yesterday morning counted 18 (!) Magpies on the back lawn. Put up a nest box with camera a few years ago- interesting to watch Blue Tits hatching but certainly tests my feelings to watch the bigger chicks trampling over the smallest one as it fades away.
We used to have yellowhammers in our previous part of Glos and I just could never believe my eyes. Six of them at once on s good day. We moved and here there are none, but there are nuthatches aplenty and owls too. I’m not sure the nuthatches had seen peanut feeders before, let alone squirrel-proof ones, but they figured it out.
Not wishing to sound like a salesman I am on my 2nd Tramper (the first rusted after 10 years with me regularly taking it into the sea to paddle and leave “crop circles on the beach” they have been a total game changer and have allowed me to explore lots of places. I have been out with family and friends with dogs and horses. I have had some less than brilliant experiences but these usually relate to bad behaviour, lack of planning or dodgy terrain/weather.
If there is any way you can get outside and share the environment I’d recommend going for it.
Mick
I too have a Minimus. Great for smooth paths etc and around town ( i feel like Im on a childs toy but it’s great around shops and supermarkets and folding up to wheel into restaurants, cafes etc). The Atto is around £2,500. Like the Minimus, when folded it can be wheeled along like a suitcase.
I have begun to wonder if I should have bought a boot scooter with padded seat and suspension instead but I’m quite attached to it (the Atto). It’s got me along some fairly rough, rocky paths.
Would love to have Nuthatches in the garden. Beautiful birds.
Years ago during a long cold winter spell we had a Woodcock digging around in the leaves and bark weed-suppressant but that was a one off.
Have to say that I’m glad that I’m a bird and wildlife watcher- something I can enjoy from the windows, in the garden or going around RSPB reserves etc on my scooter
Hi Kat. Your post has started quite a discussion! It’s not an answer to every day walks etc, but have you looked at the Outdoor Mobility website? It includes details of places you can hire ‘Tramper’ scooters for day ‘walks’ in the countryside- Lake District, North Pennines , Devon etc etc
Brilliant! I’ve no idea why but we have very few this year - in the west of the central belt in Scotland. One thing we do get plenty of is house sparrows which hang round each morning waiting for food. Good to know that at least around here they are doing ok. Another bird which we know is around in goodish numbers but hear rather than see are Goldcrests - flitting around trees etc
That is interesting as we rarely see sparrows here. A bit of a treat when we do. I have never seen a firecrest although there are people in the “Wild New Forest” web group who have. I guess it is the luck of the draw.
Mick
ATM we have Rooks every evening. Lovely murmuration of them and it’s amazing how they know the time
We have woodpeckers and a sweet little squirrel that sits at the back door around 4pm waiting for me to give him some peanuts
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