Supermarkets are not my favourite place...

I hate supermarkets they are noisy smelly crowded and make me feel physically sick. I would be quite happy if I never had to set foot in one again as long as I live, but we have to go in and do the shopping at least once a month, and more when we forget things. Today we were only going for veg but came out with a mountain of things.

We called at the Hospice Warehouse again, it was open today. The refit was finished and it looked very bright and clean. The problem was the prices had risen to pay for it. To say it is a charity it is really expensive, take the books for instance, they use to be 3 for a £ now they are a £ each a pretty big jump.
I dont mind giving to charity but you have to draw the line somewhere...

The rest of the day I spent reading, this book "The Witches Ladder" gets spookier by the chapter! Every time I think I know who it is killing them that is the next person to get killed...

I also watched a film I recorded a few weeks ago called "The Knights of the South Bronx" which was about a school in America based on a true story where the children learnt how to play chess and won the national finals to get sponsorships to gain collage places.
 It had a similar story line to a few other films but I still enjoyed it.

Todays photo of the day was taken in the supermarket car park

Seagull standing guard.

The squirrels went wild...

The squirrels must have thought it was spring all it took was a little bit of sun and they went wild!
Three of them ran round the garden up and down the tree over the walls, in and out the gardens, only stopping every so often to grab a nut from a box in passing. This carried on for at least an hour or more then it stopped just as if they had never been there.
I had not anything to show for it they all moved too fast for the camera so all I could do was watch, I was exhausted by the time it was over, it was a good job I had a flask in the shed with me I needed a coffee after all that.

Well after I had got my senses back together (what sense I have) I managed to set up the cameras I didn't expect to see any squirrels after that display so I settled myself down to watch for any birds that might appear.
It wasn't long before a flock of Sparrows arrived, one of the male Sparrows appeared to be acting as look out, he stayed in the bush high up on a twig watching all around, maybe for the Sparrow hawk or cats there has been sightings of both recently.
The next to arrive were the Blue Tits and Great Tits closely followed by a Robin then a few Starlings. It was good to see the garden so alive for a change. Then I heard a soft thud the sound of the nutbox closing, there was one of the squirrels back. I glanced over to the side I couldn't believe it all three squirrels, one on the fence and two in the tree, I guess all the running about had made them hungry and they knew there was sure to be food here. I took plenty of photos but as usual never managed to get any of them all together. I did get some of two of them but not good enough to be made public so I will keep trying one day I will manage to get a shot that I think I can show.
I have put a couple on flickr of the squirrels and a couple of bird shots, a Song Thrush made an appearance a beautiful bird, so the thrush is on flickr, but not my photo of the day.

My photo of the day is a picture that brought a smile to my face and also to Tonys,

The Head-banging Starling

If that is what peanut butter does for him he should leave it alone!

I have started reading a book on my iPad  called "The Witches Ladder" written by Dana E Donovan.

It is a little bit spooky, includes the paranormal, witches, paganism and other weird happenings. It is set in New England in America. It is not my usual kind of reading material but I just thought I would give it a go, strangely I seem to be enjoying! I will let you know how I go on with it...

After all the other squirrels had gone this afternoon and the garden had gone quiet there was one last visitor...

She is very timid, I think the other squirrels are too rough for her she likes to wait till everybody else has gone, then she comes to get something to eat when it's nice and quiet...

In the kitchen...

We have not been out today, so as promised Tony got his pie, in fact he got two.

I spent most of the afternoon in the kitchen (at least it is warm in there). I made an Apple pie, some Berry Muffins, a Spiced Fruit Loaf (which didn't turn out quite right) and a Black Pudding, Sausage-meat stuffing and chorizo pie. (This is the one Tony wanted)

I dont mind being in the kitchen Tony keeps popping in to make sure I haven't cut off any fingers or thumbs or broken anything, or had a twitch and thrown anything up the walls. So far I am doing ok no accidents or mishaps, when I feel anything like a bit shaky or I feel not right I sit down and wait a bit read a few chapters of my book until I know I am ok to carry on.

So because we haven't been out and I have not had chance to really use the camera todays photo has to be...

Apple Pie 

after Tony had a slice

(hahahaha only kidding I had one too)

I have finished my book "Nothing but trouble" by Roberta Kray it had a very cheeky twist that I did not see coming. 

I have to wait now as I have read all the books I have, I am expecting delivery of two more during next week both by Roberta Kray. Until then I will have to find something to read on my ipad.

I dont mind reading books on the ipad but it's not like holding a proper book it just doesn't have the same appeal, but it will do as a stop gap.

I watched the squirrels through the kitchen window earlier today, there were three of them in the garden. I think word had got around that the nutboxes had hazelnuts, pecans and monkey nuts in. They were back and forth for the nuts then just went wild playing chase round the garden up and down the tree it wears me out just watching them.

I will try to take some more interesting photos if I am going to put a photo a day on I really do need to start going out more, if only this weather would improve if not you might be seeing a lot more of Tony than you want!!!

Down in the shed...

I actually managed to go down to the shed today!
There wasn't much to see though, the light was still dull and damp so the squirrels were not about and birds were in short supply.
I filled the feeders, the trays, put out fresh water and then waited.
What happened the caretaker in the schoolyard came out with his leaf blower! So that was it for the next hour nothing came near. I made a cup of coffee, watched the garden a couple great tits flew in and out, a blue tit, then a robin but nothing stayed long enough for me to photograph.
Finally the leaf blower stopped great I thought now I can get a picture, but every time I just got ready to take the shot something banged and off the bird shot.
After about 2 1/2 hours I gave in I had 4 pictures, the squirrels had not come back I was cold I needed to sit down so I packed up and went into the flat.
Back inside I had a bath to warm up, then looked at my photos there was not much but I have got a photo of the day are you ready...

A Blue Tit

The squirrels of course came into the garden 5 minutes after I came back in doors, I am sure they sit somewhere watching me waiting for me to leave just to wind me up...

I am still enjoying my book, I haven't managed to work out the plot yet even though I am more than half way through it!

We have not been anywhere today so it has been a very quiet day, tomorrow I am doing some baking.

Tony has asked for a pie...

When will I be warm again?

I am sooo cold, from the tip of my toes, the ends of my fingers and the top of my head I am just sooo cold.
I have on 2 thermal vests, thermal leggings, 2 pairs of socks 2 jumpers, a pair of trousers, a wooly hat but I am still cold, and that is indoors.

Tony and I took some books I had finished with to "the Wakefield Hospice Warehouse" today which as always they were pleased to take. I thought while we were there I would look for some more and maybe find a Biology workbook that Lynsey needs, but no they were shut to the public buying anything until tomorrow. So where did we go? Go on Elvira guess where do you think we went?
Yes bloody Ikea, alright yes I know I agreed Tony before you say anything it was better than just going home and doing nothing, and of course it gave me a chance to play with my camera and maybe get some photos.
The day as usual was cold, grey and damp, the light was practically non-existant so I played around with the settings on my camera, Tony telling me a few things to try, then I clicked away.
We browsed round Ikea for a while, found a few ideas for the house for another day (oh no!), then we moved on to Tesco, I needed a chocolate fix.
When we arrived home I spent the first half an hour or so trying to put a book onto Tony's Sony Reader, I finally found one that I could put on and so Tony will be able to read again tonight.

Next I looked at the photos I had taken , well they were certainly different! I only kept two of them, One of them was a man jogging down the road which is a bit spooky looking but my favourite is the flying pig... I have put them both on my flickr site but I have to do it,

Todays photo of the day

THE FLYING PIG

Now I am going to try and get warm where did Tony put that hot water bottle?

Just to get out of the flat...

Tony and I took a bus ride to Leeds this morning, just to get out of the flat.
The weather was not too bad at least it was not raining but it still felt damp and dismal not really a day to be out but we were getting some fresh air (in Leeds ?).
I bought a few things Tony just browsed then we caught the bus home, we were back at the flat by lunchtime.
I decided to venture down to the garden, taking a camera although the light was not really good enough I thought I would give it a go. I knew it was a bad idea when I could not open the outhouse door!
I called Tony on the radio and he came straight down (isn't he good) and within a few minutes he had the door open for me. The birds and squirrels would be fed thanks to Tony.
The squirrel must have been sat somewhere watching no sooner were the nutboxes filled and I was back in the shed when one appeared. He went straight to the nutbox and took a pecan up the squirrel stick and away. Less then two minutes later he was back for another. He ran back and forth taking nuts digging into the box looking for the pecans, as he ran along the wall after a few runs his tail suddenly began to swing aha another squirrel I thought and yes there appeared a cute little girl she ran down the fence and to the other nutbox picked out a monkey nut looked again and swapped it for a pecan, she turned and looked at me then shot up the fence and  disappeared across the school playground.
There was not enough light to take any photos so I packed up my stuff and came back into the flat.
I changed into my PJ's and decided to just chill for the rest of the day.

I am reading books by "Roberta Kray" She is Reggie Kray's  widow and as you would probably expect writes books about crime and the East End of London features in her novels. If you like Martina Cole then you will like Roberta Kray.
The book I am reading at the moment is called "Nothing but Trouble"
It centres around the murder of a young girl 15 years ago, journalist Jess Vaughan has asked Detective Harry Lind to help her find out what really happened that day...

This is the second book I have read with Jess Vaughan and Harry Lind as central characters I enjoyed the first which was called "The Lost" and I am enjoying this one I find it hard to put down.

Now here is your photo of the day I struggled to find one but I found one which I liked
This is a birthday present form Christopher and Hannah (made by Hannah's sister)

Hopefully the weather will improve and I will be able to get out with the camera to take some photos to show some better photo's of the day,

so until the next time...

2013 A new year what is it going to bring?

More rain...

My mum called today!
It's always nice to see her and I really don't see her enough, I should make more of an effort. usually the trouble is catching her in. She seems to have such a busy life for a ## year old. She is usually never at home, maybe the "Grump" indoors has something to do with that. Anyhow with the weather being as it has I think mum was starting to get a bit of "cabin fever" and needed to get out. I was pleased she came to visit us like I said at the beginning I don't see her enough, it also gave me the opportunity to give mum a date and walnut cake because I forgot to take one at christmas and had saved one in the freezer for her.

Tony and I are feeling a lot better and we are thinking about venturing out ourselves tomorrow, we may have a ride out to Leeds just to get out.
So the first photo of the year what have I got for you let me think...

CHICKEN & CHESTNUTS

This evenings dinner.

Tony washing it down with a beer!