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A Royal Chuckle

Queen Elizabeth II Laughing

A funny and true story about the Queen:
Around 2005, the Queen and her Personal Protection Officer, Dick Griffin, were walking alone one afternoon in the hills near the Scottish royal castle, Balmoral.

Two tourists approached them, and engaged in conversation. Griffin recalls:

“There were two hikers coming towards us, and the Queen would always stop and say hello.

“They were two Americans on a walking holiday.

“It was clear from the moment we stopped that they hadn’t recognised the Queen, which was fine.

“The American gentleman was telling the Queen where they came from, where they were going next, and where they’d been in Britain.

“I could see it coming, and sure enough, he said to Her Majesty: ’And where do you live?’

“She replied: ’Well I live in London, but I’ve got a holiday home just the other side of the hills.’

“He said: ’How long have you been coming up here?’

“She replied: ’I’ve been coming up here ever since I was a little girl, so over 80 years.’

“You could see the cogs whirring, so he said: ’Well, if you’ve been coming up here for over 80 years, you must have met the Queen.’

“Quick as a flash, she said: ’I haven’t, but Dick here meets her regularly.’

The hiker then asked Griffin what the monarch was like in person.

“Because I was with her a long time, and I knew I could pull her leg, I said: ’Oh, she can be very cantankerous at times, but she’s got a lovely sense of humour.’

“The next thing I knew, this guy comes round, puts his arm around my shoulder, and before I could see what was happening, he gets his camera, GIVES IT TO THE QUEEN, and says: ’Can you take a picture of the two of us?’

“Then we swapped places, and I TOOK A PICTURE OF THEM WITH THE QUEEN.

“And we never let on, and we waved goodbye.

“Afterwards, Her Majesty said to me: ’I’d love to be a fly on the wall when he shows those photographs to his friends in America, and hopefully someone tells him who I am’.”

RIP, Your Majesty

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A Closer Look at Omega-3 Absorption — Fish Oil vs. Krill Oil

Fish Oil vs Krill Oil

A large review of 26 clinical trials compared how well your body absorbs omega-3 fats from fish oil versus krill oil.

Krill oil raised omega-3 levels in the blood more efficiently at lower doses, while fish oil needed much higher amounts to have the same effect.

Krill oil’s unique phospholipid structure allowed it to slip into cell membranes more easily, making it a safer and more effective option for many people.

Unlike most fish oils that spoil easily, krill oil contains astaxanthin, a natural antioxidant that keeps it stable and resistant to rancidity.

Clinical trials show krill oil helps reduce knee pain and stiffness in people with osteoarthritis, improves skin hydration, elasticity, and barrier strength, and lowers liver fat.

Finish reading:  https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2025/10/06/fish-oil-vs-krill-oil.aspx

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Quote of the Day

“Employ your time in improving yourself by other men’s writings, so that you shall gain easily what others have labored hard for.”  Socrates – Philosopher (469 – 399 BC)

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How Curcumin Can Help You Hack Your Genes And Avoid Disease

Turmeric and Black Peppercorns

Adding turmeric powder or fresh turmeric root to multiple things you eat throughout the day, such as sautéed veggies, curry dishes, smoothies, and “golden milk,” could be a great way to take advantage of curcumin’s health benefits. The challenge is that turmeric is only around 3% curcumin, and the bioavailability of curcumin is low – meaning our bodies aren’t able to absorb and use it very efficiently. But there are several things you can do to boost the bioavailability of the curcumin you eat.

Consuming turmeric in its whole food form (fresh or dried as a powder) can enhance the bioavailability of curcumin seven to eight times.
Adding black pepper has been found to boost curcumin’s bioavailability by 2,000%.
When consumed with fat (think eggs or flaxseeds), curcumin can bypass the liver and be directly absorbed into the lymphatic system.

https://foodrevolution.org/blog/health-benefits-of-curcumin

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The Remedy Oak

The Remedy Oak

The medieval Remedy Oak, 1200 AD. I have waited years to be able to do this. I go back every autumn hoping to find acorns so I can grow them from this most magnificent piece of history, that just continues to stand there quietly and gently, like it has done for the last 800 years.
As you may have noticed this year has turned out to be a ‘mast year’. Fruit and nuts and seeds in abundance right across the countryside. I was thinking this may will be the year for me to get lucky, so I jumped on the bike and blasted on a 110 mile round trip (by the time I stopped and looked at all things of historical interest).
I was doubtful even though it is a mast year as this oak is hanging in there. Producing a large crop of seeds requires significant energy from the tree.
A mast year is a temporary drain on the tree’s resources, which explains why they do not occur annually. With this oak being ancient it may well not have the energy to produce a bumper crop – I was wrong.
To my delight this beautiful tree worked its magic and littered the floor with its crop ❤️
I bag some acorns up, bagged up some soil from the middle of the tree. Thanked the tree and went on way to go and prep some plant pots. I can’t wait to see what happens.
If I can grow some saplings then I will plant them on my friend’s manor (dates to 1212 AD) and will record them so they can be entered into the manor’s records. Hopefully our descendants or locals will one day sit under its shade….
👇
Here is its history. The Remedy Oak was one of four boundary marker trees of the Shaftsbury Estate, home of the Earls of Shaftesbury. A huge limb from this amazing relic collapsed.
It can sound dramatic and catastrophic, but trees have a fantastic ability to keep living as a normal.
Most of a tree trunk is dead and serves only to support the weight of the tree crown. The outside layers of the tree trunk are the only living portion. The cambium layer produces new wood and new bark – that’s all it needs to continue to grow.
It has been supported by wires for many years now and it has been struck by lightning, set on fire and hit by a lorry and heavens know what else since 1200 AD 😐
Legend has it that King Edward VI (1537-1553) was supposed to have sat under the tree and “touched for Kings Evil”.
Kings Evil was a custom that started in medieval times whereby the King (of England or France) heal them.
It is located on the Horton Road in Woodlands, next to the B3081 between Verwood and Wimborne, Dorset.
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Three best forms of exercise to ease insomnia and improve sleep

Yoga Pose

Insomnia affects about 22% of adults worldwide and raises the risk of depression, Alzheimer’s disease, and cardiovascular events, while also draining energy, focus, and overall health.

A review of 22 clinical trials found yoga, tai chi, and walking to be the top three forms of exercise for improving sleep quality, duration, and efficiency in people with insomnia.

Walking stood out for reducing insomnia severity the most, and moderate-intensity walking is safe to repeat daily without the health risks linked to excessive vigorous exercise.

Yoga increased total sleep time by nearly two hours per night, while tai chi improved both subjective and objective sleep measures, with benefits lasting months or even years after training.

Benefits from walking and tai chi were seen in as little as four to 12 weeks, showing that consistent, moderate activity is more effective for long-term sleep improvement than intense, high-volume workouts.

https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2025/09/22/best-exercises-for-insomnia.aspx

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Kill Your Lawn and Plant Native

Lawns Contribute To Flooding

Turf Grass has a place and a purpose … Sports fields, movie-night-in-the-park, a place for a dog to do their business but making mowed turfgrass the norm for both private residences as well as commercial properties and the margins of strip malls, retention ponds, highway embankments and all the other “nether regions” of human infrastructure is absolutely INSANE.

Even if you dislike plants or find them boring, using the native plants that evolved in your region as a “living machine” – to prevent flooding, prevent soil erosion, mitigate the effects of the urban heat island (through both evapotranspiratice cooling and shading the ground from the sun) – is just what makes practical sense.

Using native plants isn’t ‘environmentalism’, it is just ‘infrastructure*’ The plants that spent millions of years evolving in your region are naturally going to be best suited to helping the land stay alive and intact, as well as reducing the devastating effects of heat waves and flooding.

Encourage your local municipality to install natives along highway strips and around retention ponds and canals. It is just what makes sense.