#LifeHack #CarHack Get a trickle charger.

You can get a cheap and simple trickle charger.
This thing is a simple 12V DC transformer that plugs in with crocodile clips for attaching onto car battery.
It takes a good few hours to charge but plug it in and leave overnight and battery will be fully charged without the need for bringing the car on a big drive.
I had one originally for a motorbike which is long gone but it has rescued us in the car a few times over the years.

A few weeks ago before covid-19 we got all ready for hike, hike clothes on, boots, some food for picnic . . . 

We all piled out to the car . . .

Which refused to open! Not a geek out of it!

We used the key to unlock the driver door.

Key into ignition and turned . . completely dead .. no lights .. nothing!

Got a friendly neighbour to help jump start it . . . 

With their car running and attached with jump leads to ours the ignition lights went on ... but our car still han not enough oomph to start.

We postponed hike until next day.

Attached trickle charger.

In a few hours it started a bit reluctantly.

Left it attached overnight.

Next day it started grand.

We drove nervously around for the next week or so.

Battery is absolutely fine still (even though our car has been sitting doing nothing all week except for a shopping trip close to home).

HIKE

We did manage to go hiking . . . the next . . WEEKEND!
Over to the loop around Kilbride army camp - Seefingan tomb Seehaun hills,
Confirmed using viewranger, google photos, google maps location timeline . . . yes, the car battery fafooo was Sat March 14, I went for a local MTB three rock on March 15 and the NEXT weekend we went around Kilbride.
.

Got it! March 15th.

Google photos pic of the dashboard lights found.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/GRAzjdC5eeyHsGeFA

Kia Carens ignition lights . . battery was dead, recharged over-night with trickle charger.

Here is the Seehaun Seefingan Kilbride circuit on Sat 21 March:

https://my.viewranger.com/track/details/MTM1NTIzNzQ=

Corvid-19 restrictions just starting, exercise outdoors permitted.

We went to a quiet spot, it proved to be a good plan.

Around this time popular spots(Glendalough, Ticknock Three Rock, Knocksink in Enniskerry) were becoming VERY busy and problematic).

4 of us(me F D M) except Kate came.

We got jammed in tree fall on way up to Croghan.

Found an old fragment of map from a big run to Kippure and beyond.

Saw a dead rabbit near top of Croghan! :-o

Visited the tomb.

We put my bike near Seefingan at end of hike. I cycled back for car at end.

29 Feb visit to Knocksink, Storm Jorge. 3 Rock Scout Survivor we had to cancel! :-(

https://my.viewranger.com/track/details/MTM1NDUwMTI=

Fionn and I cycled to Knocksink and back and did a run.

I was interested in discovering ramsons(wild garlic) and lords and ladies growing close together.

Learning some new plants. A little wood anemony starting to appear In Knocksink woods near Ennniskerry. Pretty. Feb 29, wild garlic(edible) and lords and ladies(poison!) leaves emerging from the ground beside each other in places. Wood anemony related to buttercups, poisonous also. Mostly the wild garlic not in same place as the lords and ladies but in a few places they are and when very young can see how bits of the lords n ladies leaves might have been gathered by mistake. Be careful! Not sure what vthe big spear shaped leaves beside the ferns on wet banks are. Our scout Survivor we cancelled due to Storm Jorge orange wind warning for a time Sat afternoon weather was very windy and wet. We met 2 people with rucksacks who were beading to bivvy. Knocksink was very sheltered from the W/SW winds but it might have been an interesting afternoon/evening!!

Hart's Tongue fern and regular fern and spears of wild garlic appearing at base of tree. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asplenium_scolopendrium

More Hart's tongue fern. A hart being a male red deer. Ferns with simple, undivided fronds. As Gaeilge(Irish name): Creamh na muice fia. Creamh = Ramsoms = wild garlic. Muice fia = pig-deer, huh?. So, the ramsoms of the pig-deer. http://www.wildflowersofireland.net/plant_detail.php?id_flower=341&Wildflower=Hart%27s-tongue Latin Asplenium scolopendrium, scolopendrius=centipede, The sori pattern is reminiscent of a centipede's legs. A sorus (pl. sori) is a cluster of sporangia (structures producing and containing spores) in ferns and fungi. 

Be careful. Ramsoms, wild garlic. Edible. Lords 'n ladies(i think they are) very poisonous. Also ivy leaves and moss. Lords-and-Ladies / Cuckoo-pint / Arum
Arum maculatum / Cluas chaoin
Family: Araceae https://www.irishwildflowers.ie/pages/4a.html Ramsons / Wild Garlic / Allium ursinum(bear) /Creamh
Family: Lilaceae https://www.irishwildflowers.ie/pages/282a.html

Drive to Bray and walk Bray head on Sunday 23 Feb. With Fionn & the girls.

https://my.viewranger.com/track/details/MTMzMDQwNzI=