Living A simple green Life: 01/09/10

Welcome

Welcome to my wee blog.My name is Andy ( The Dafthermit ) . For the last 20 odd years i have ben trying to get back to a simpler way of life and finally in my old bus up here in the Scottish mountains i am finally getting there. My time now is spent taking pictures of the highlands ,making films to show the world the beauty all around and writing something that has surprised me having had a few of my stories published , Having picked up a camera and laptop in 2008 i have really enjoyeed the journey the camera has taken me on again having had a couple of pictures in national magazines, last year three of ,my films where shown at the Loch Ness film festival. anyway i hope you enjoy your visit to my wee blog

love and light

Andy

Thursday, 30 September 2010

Link to STV programme we were on

Many thanks to Juylan at STV for sending me the link and for putting together a great wee film about us wee daft hermits

http://scotland.stv.tv/food-drink/food-places/200160-new-highland-home-for-hermit-couple-andy-and-mel/

Hope you enjoy it

peace and light from the wee rusty bus

Monday, 27 September 2010

Mel to be on the HOUR SHOW ( STV) 5.00pm Wednesday

Just got an email from Julyan at STV to let me know we will be on the THE HOUR on Wednesday hope you will be there to see Mel

click here to visit the show on line if you miss the live show

Also just got an email from Scottish filed Magazine to say my wee picture Emergence has been chosen to be in the November issue

peace and light from us in the rusty wee tin can in the highlands

Thursday, 16 September 2010

Naked From The Heart ( SOD U CANCER )

A wee film dedicated to my wonderful beautiful strong wife Mel and to my home Scotland ,after fighting three lots of cancer including two lots of breast and one skin cancer even after spending three years living with a wrong diagnois of bone cancer . with the help of the Scottish mountains she is still here so daily we both shout loudly SOD U CANCER .peace and light from the daft wee hermits

The soundtrack is once again our friend Sally and Jezz

www.sallyhope.co.uk

Monday, 13 September 2010

I GOT BELIEF

I was asked to do a full length film using the track " I Got Belief " by my friend Sally Hope so here it is and i hope you enjoy the latest wee film from The Scratchy Heed Studio..

more of Sally's music music at here site

www.sallyhope.co.uk

Saturday, 11 September 2010

LEAD ME OUT TO SEA.

This is a wee film this time using as a backing track the amazing song by Whos Edna and Lead Me To The Sea

They are a band i have only just got to know from Edinburgh

The film was taken in and around Loch Broom , Ullapool

i hope you enjoy the film

Andy the Dafthermit

Friday, 10 September 2010

ENABLE Scotland - Homepage

ENABLE Scotland - Homepage

another great group of people

ENABLE Scotland is a dynamic charity run by its members . We campaign for a better life for children and adults with learning disabilities and support them and their families to live, work and take part in their communities.
We run a growing range of flexible person-centred services
We make sure that children and adults with learning disabilities and their carers are at the heart of everything we do. Read our statement of beliefs and principles.

Find out more about what we do and how you can get involved by clicking on the sections on the left.

Join ENABLE Scotland as a national member online today Click below to find out more

Albannach Music - Listen Now: Albannach - Albannach (2006)

Albannach Music - Listen Now: Albannach - Albannach (2006)

simply what SCOTLAND is all about ,hope you enjoy

Thursday, 9 September 2010

Wednesday, 8 September 2010

YouTube - STV CAME CALLING today an INTERVIEW for the HOUR SHOW

YouTube - STV CAME CALLING today an INTERVIEW for the HOUR SHOW

We had a great day being filmed and interviewed for the Scottish television show The Hour ,it was to do with our way of life our crafts and how we use aternative energy to live without bills ,the best part of the day was seeing Mel perform her poem A Winters Morning , the interview will be shown within the next three weeks ...The film is part of a series to do with Scottish characters..Living in an old tin can in the Scottish highlands miles from anywhere it never ceases to amaze me the people you can meet via the laptop from all over the world .. Early night tonight as i am up at 4.00 am to head of to the beach to make a film for a band and our friend Kisty WHO.S EDNA ,i love working with musicians and if my wee film can help to get them noticed to me it is worth more than money..

Monday, 6 September 2010

A SIMPLE LIFE

My latest wee film really enjoyed this journey and i hope you enjoy this wee film

Andy the dafthermit

No Fixed Abode and Max the Staff..........: Gone 'full time'..........

Another erson hits the road soon everyone will be off the grid lol

No Fixed Abode and Max the Staff..........: Gone 'full time'..........: "Gone 'full time' now. I have sold caravan, just the sprinter van to sell and that's it! I was a bit nervous at first, but now, I am loving..."

Sunday, 5 September 2010

Shelter Scotland - What you can do

Caring for ex-Service men and women

Caring for ex-Service men and women

an amazing place , never mind about Politics

Living a simple life off the grid WHY ????

I have led what you might call an alternative lifestyle for over twenty five years now ,ever since leaving the army and apart from a couple of times trying to lead a NORMAL life well in the eyes of family and friends at the time ( which resulted in my house being broken into three times in one year by a friend i found out later ,simply because i worked hard at stating a business and done well

the people around me at the time got jealous and decided to help themselves .

so one day i got myself a wee caravan and headed back on the road and with NO regrets i travel the road of simplicity and wake every day free from debt and look forward to the next adventure like a wee boy at Xmas.

With the rise in technology it has made things easier and easier , but i only pick and choose what i want to make life simpler and greener for example solar and wind power a no brainer for me ,the thought of being tied to some large company that has control over my power both in supply and cost makes no sense and scares me , when i hear of some old person that has died simply because of the fear of turning on the fire or lights it annoys and at the same time reaffirms by belief in living green, yes at first the cost of the equipment is expensive but then i have sacrificed and saved hard to get the things that will carry on and produce power at no cost both to myself or the environment .

So at the hermit hovel i have both solar and wind power and a good supply of batteries .

another of the things i simply can’t get my head round WATER bills

so for the past 25 years i have collected my own water from streams or the rain that falls from the sky

So why do i live a simple green life ???????????????/,

easy freedom, freedom from bills and at the same till trying to look after my wee bit of the earth i happen to living on at the time .

to ability to up and go and not be tied down by debt

peace and light

Andy the dafthermit

Saturday, 4 September 2010

My Frog Blog: Beautiful Frog from Scotland

This is my friend Catherines wonderful wee frog blog

My Frog Blog: Beautiful Frog from Scotland: "Hi Everyone Hope you are having a great weekend. I wanted to post this picture as it was taken by a dear friend of mine Andy who lives in t..."

Friday, 3 September 2010

FAIRY LULLABY WITH MOUNTAIN ECHO

This is my latest wee film ,living the simple life i get so much time to think and while messing about on the laptop i came across this piece of music Fairy Lullaby not sure of the artist . anyway i hope you enjoy it

peace and light from the wee rusty tin can

A wee film about us on STVs the HOUR SHOW click on STV logo to see the film

Andy the Daft Hermit lives 45 minutes outside Inverness with his wife Mel in an old bus parked in a layby. This current home of theirs is the longest they have ever stayed in one spot. “I’ve been travelling now 25 years,” said Andy Lowe. “Mel’s been travelling 15. One of the reasons we’ve come and stayed up here is because of Mel’s health. I wanted to bring her to the mountains for fresh air and clean water and just a slower pace of life.” Mel has had breast cancer twice, skin cancer once, and for three years believed she had bone cancer after being wrongly diagnosed. Andy’s belief in the restorative powers of the north made them pack up ‘The Black Bus’ that they live in and cross the border into Scotland. New Highland home for hermit couple Andy and Mel “I think we both believe in trying to get to a more simple way of life,” said Andy, “but it’s strange for us because we are sort of hermits, or we like to live separate, but it’s not being anti-social… it’s just the way we are that allows us to be creative.” Andy first began travelling when he left the army. Fed up with bureaucracy he packed a rucksack and left for France and has been travelling ever since. By investing any money the couple have earned into solar panels and wind generators they now live a self-sustaining existence, without electric bills, and collect rain water “straight from Heaven”. “It’s not easy,” said Mel. “There might be time when there might not be enough facilities around, but you always find a way, you know?” Rather than rejecting technology, Andy blogs about his travels online and collaborates with artists from around the world via his ‘Scratchy Heid Film Studio’, which he runs from a static trailer next to the couple’s bus. He explained his philosophy: “My belief is that if you can go through life and you drop dead and you’ve got a balance there that slightly outweighs the good than the bad, you’ve done alright. “Yesterday, with what Mel’s been through with the cancer and all that, I had a woman on one of my sites there that thanked me for the writing, for the positive things, and to me that’s worth everything. You can keep your millions, we’re not interested. That is what we do.” To check out Andy’s artwork and video projects check out his website. MORE FROM THE NORTH

Dylan the Pathfinder It has now been a few days since Dylan died , we want to thank all the people for the wonderful comments online and offline ….. To us the comfort comes from being able to let Dylan die in a natural way ,well away from vets etc He died at the side of the burner with his mates aroon him and at the moment when he became scared oor voices were enough to reassure him. To us he has lead the way as he has done through the time we spent with him . The idea that he has been laid to rest in the mountains at a spot that the deer pass nightly and often rest for the night , the fact that he is at rest with a view across the mountains and a view of the the open road a road he travelled many thousands of miles on living in buses ,cars .benders ,buses etc . gives us great comfort and joy.. The greatest joy is the fact that his body will break doon and become part of the mountains he will turn into the water become a cloud that gently wanders the sky , he will return as that first snow flake that lands on the earth his favourite time of the year and eventually become part of the night sky he will travel the vast distances of space and therefore become immortal in the true sense … Love and hugs wee man and many thanks for the wisdom you taught us in only the way you could .. Andy, Mel ,Custard , Wilkie and wee Chloe xxxx

http://www.facebook.com/badponymedialtd http://www.badponymedia.com/ Based in Glasgow, Scotland, UK, Bad Pony Media Ltd/Bad Pony Television are one of Scotland's premier independent Production Companies. Specialising in our own unique brand of quality entertainment for both broadcast television and online, we're proud to have a unique Scottish flavour - with dynamic and compelling multi-platform programming across all genres. Recent awards and nominations include; BAFTA Scotland, "Best New Scottish Artistic Company" (Scottish Sun Variety Awards 2011), "Rising Stars" (Business Insider, June 2011), and awards at the worldwide 48 Hour Film Festival two years running for "Best Film" and "Best Line of Dialogue". Our own dedicated Bad Pony TV™ channel launches in 2012 across online, on-demand, interactive television, satellite/cable and mobile. Bad Pony TV™ is the exciting and engaging new Scottish multi-platform channel set to launch in 2012. The best new independent content across all genres will be produced wholly in Scotland - with powerful brand partnerships allowing audiences to interact, engage and be entertained Find out how you can get Bad Pony TV™ for free - www.badpony.tv. Projects currently in development for Bad Pony TV™ include series drama 'NINETY EIGHT PERCENT' (9x1hr), magazine show 'ALL DOLLED UP' (6x25min), and children's intreactive series 'TELL ME A STORY' (5x12min). A full list of projects and productions can be found here.

FREE COLIN NORRIS ( please click on the picture )

This Website has been set up by the family and friends of Colin Norris. Colin was convicted on 4th March 2008 of 4 charges of murder and one of attempted murder by the injection of large doses of insulin, leading to death by hypoglycaemia. The crimes were alleged to have taken place in hospitals in Leeds, over a 6 month period. We believe that Colin is innocent of these crimes and is a victim of a gross miscarriage of justice under a flawed legal system. Colin is now serving life in HMP Frankland high security prison. Colin himself has always claimed his innocence and continues to do so, and he also believes that it is possible that no crime was actually committed but that these women may well have died of natural causes as was the accepted medical prognosis at the time of their deaths and was the recorded reason on their death certificates.

Making a wee wodburner from a gas bottle is simple . no need for welding and to be able to install a heater for under £5.00 is music to my old wallet.and the real beauty is it takes very little to heat up the truck. and with all the insulation i have fitted the heat is retained throughout the night.

The next step will be to convert a wee botle to an oven to fit on top and above that will be a water tank .. grab as much energy from one wee log as possible

I hope you enjoy the wee film love and light from all in the wee mobile hovel here in the Scottish mountains.

the music is by

Catriona Watt

check her oot here :

http://www.myspace.com/catrionawattband

Greengypsies Photography

Greengypsies Photography

OOR FRIEND FRANK:

My name is Frank Pickavant and I've been a keen amateur photographer for many years. I love the beauty and diversity of the British landscape and how it changes from season to season. Over the years I've accumulated many photographs that few people ever get to see, so I decided to create this website to share with family and friends and anybody else that happens to stumble across the site. I hope that you enjoy my photographs and also enjoy my musical slideshows that incorporate my favourite shots with music that I think will help viewers appreciate the mood of the photographs.

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Thursday, 30 September 2010

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