Brownie scouting autumn 2021 style with Remembrance

This week we return with the on and off annual series of posts connected between scouting and what that means to me.

In both cubs and brownies you can earn you photography badge which apart from feeling great does teach you some useful tips in taking great pictures.

The preferred way to hold a camera, providing it has a viewfinder for the most stability and hence sharpish images involves cradling it against your face, using a camera reliant totally on the screen means tucking your elbows well in while holding it straight while hoping for the best!

I was out exploring the woods which is more challenging with the light but with the colours of the Fall around well worth it using a spot of fill in flash as needed.

The majesty of trees in the fall against brilliant sunshine is a great sight to behold as as here a few leaves have utterly fallen.

Meanwhile near the woods that golden autumnal sun illuminates these leaves well as you feel invigorated for your exploration.

This coming week is always a bit special cos that's when my thoughts go back to those who served this country and those who got caught up in the conflicts as warfare has moved beyond the battlefields since WW1.

The Eleventh of November was Armistice Day, the very day, month and hour we mark the end of that conflict and the Sunday after does happen to be Remembrance Sunday where events will be held across the UK not least at Whitehall, London.

It is important to think about what happened to all those who did serve, those who died and those who returned some with physical and mental scars serving our country.

Lots of people were involved during WW1 and 2 people who kept things running while the men went to war, boys and girls in scouting who helped with message relaying or doing countless other things to help.

Beyond reflecting, there are other ways to explore what it means and to pay tribute as this Scouts and Girlguides from Bridgnorth, Shropshire did with art  apart from much excellent material being made available by the Scouting movement to explain to children and young people what it was like and understand how war affected children like them at that time.

Like many I'll be paying my respects too.

Autumn Post

It's what would be the Autumn edition so what what I may be referring to is a bit ahead of time but is kind of relevant.

Everybody remembers what last year felt like and what those extreme restrictions felt like as beyond the everyday things many of things we'd love to do such as stay at friends or for those of us who are age regressors/dysphoric and feminine boys the chance to spend a bit of time with more people like us face to face just were not possible

This year at least here in Great Britain we can do more and so I was able to get away and spend a few days with regressors who accept my feminine boy side and we hope to have a day fun event in late October.

That's why we need to give thanks for those who've helped us through this troubled period, the people looking after our medical needs, the people who took care of us, checking we were okay during the darkest of days even if they didn't get our thing and the people in online communities what enabled some sort of contact.

It won't be long before fall will be upon us and I'll be out taking in fresh air enjoying time just being me.

Reflections on being away

 

As I do mention I go away from time to time for a meet up and have only just arrived back a little lacking in spoons on Tuesday afternoon from South Shropshire.

It may well of been showery when this picture was taken, but that wasn't the internal meteorological forecast because actually it was sunny inside for doing what I feel is the more important thing when you're away like exploring and visiting places and things.

 Not only did I behave myself, I found reserves of fitness as impacted as I am by my disabilities to do the things that until recently I'd of thought twice about like actually walking there and back to the castle in the background, enjoying the Whitcliffe Common Nature reserve along the way surrounded by trees.

It certainly wasn't easy for me with hilly terrain with some mud from the overnight rain difficult to walk through but I actually did it.

I like the things you can do indoors such as quizzes, colouring, arts and crafts and even the odd spot of cookery that connect to littles life in various sometimes not so direct ways but perhaps for me something more like a Brownies camp  in feel and activities is what is more needed?

Going back to being a Brownie

 

Brownies on parade making the salute are part of my memories of the 1970's and early 1980's although this picture is a more recent one from a country where the poat 90's uniform changes here in the UK didn't happen so the brown tunic remained.

Although being socialized as a boy back then meant I knew more cubs and scouts, Brownies and Guides were more my thing and for me a resumption of much of that makes sense.

Sometimes though as important as any and all the things elsewhere are, somehow you feel overwhelmed by it all and that was both a major trigger in the regressed side of my life and connected to some changes around this blog.

For me the walk down that road wasn't the easiest thing to do and indeed physically walking isn't for me but it was necessary to go beyond that busy core where one could instead focus more calming sounds, smells and warm colours and yes take a breather.

The spirit of Scouting lives through me being mentioned from time to time through my explorations and adventures.

Scouting attire for the little sissy girl

 Time marches on and we have entered Winter which is when I love to get out and about.

The practicality of the traditional boys scout uniform is evident I feel in this photograph that shows the pockets of the shirt and short trousers with a notch to hold say a knife although today especially in urban centres you need to careful about displaying knives.

Shorts don't have those issues of both knees in long trousers becoming worn through kneeling or caked in mud where bare knees can be easily cleaned.

The only real advance I feel on shorts for scouting for gurls like me would be a fitted skort with pockets where the inner short provides the modesty that can be difficult to get in a skirt much  above the knees in the field.

 

A skort is a pair of shorts with a part-elasticated waist and a buttoned wrap-over front panel and these also features two back pockets and a handy zip pocket on the side.

I feel such a practical but feminine item is better for gurls.

Taking a walk on the wild side

When one thinks about this life it is not just a matter of just sticking on a dress but more how the whole you feels

Health does matter as does alertness.

I find walks in the countryside to keep myself fit of great benefit  as on your travels you see grey squirrels, wild flowers, butterflies and even whole families of ducks crossing pathways.  

Being out of doors places constraints on what you can wear with both terrain and the possibilities of getting tangled up in hedgerows or plants with sharp points on their stems so anything that my blow or get caught up doesn't work.

I usually try to ensure I have a gender neutral coat on and soft girls woollen gloves in the winter  months and ensure I am wearing the most feminine knickers I have and where possible cute socks  with shorts to make this as much a time for being feminine as I can.

I find it helps to integrate switching off from devices and situations with bringing out my more feminine boys side.

 It's a great relaxant.