Rocking chairs, thinking and reading.

Tony and I rearranged some furniture a couple of days ago. Some items were taken to the shed from the flat and visa-versa. I have my rocking chair back in the bedroom now, that will be where most of my reading will take place now.
After we had finished moving things about I decided to stay in the shed for a while, just an hour or so to see if anything appeared to photograph. I haven't  been to the shed much recently we have been trying to find a cupboard for the landing but hopefully now we have found the right one.

I spent a few hours over the last few days looking at some poems I wrote a few years ago when I was in a very bad place. A few people told me I should do something with them and write more.

I copied most of them on to the computer, along with a few more with meaning and a couple that are complete nonsense. I thought if I put them all together and made a book, to see what it would look like, maybe build up my confidence to believe  it would be possible to publish a book. I would show it to a few close friends and family to see what they thought, any criticism would be taken or ideas even compliments, which I don't usually expect.
I even thought about finding some pictures to put in to go with some of the pieces, not all because I think that would be too much.
If the people I showed it too thought it was any good the next step would be finding out how to get it published.

Anyhow enough of this waffling back to the garden and shed.
 The Blackbirds are picking up leaves, grass and similar materials, the big Crow is pulling twigs off the surrounding trees to take back to the nesting site. The Robin is is singing his heart out. So is the Dunnock, the wing waving has started in earnest now. The sound of Sparrows can be heard from the bushes as they chase through them chattering as they go. The Starlings are singing and dancing trying to attract a mate, the Wood Pigeons are soaring in the air doing ariel displays, landing on the fence beside a female bird bowing to her and fanning out his tail feathers for display. Woodpeckers are drumming in the distance, but they move nearer as the day shortens.
The problem is sometimes I am so busy watching and listening I forget to take a photo.

Here's one I managed.

A Dunnock with a very small wing wave.

 

The tree's are in bud, the flowers are blossoming. Margaret's garden is a rainbow of colours. Ours has a few yellow primroses, some snowdrops and a very few daffodils, they won't last for long because it is almost time for the strimmer to make an appearance! I know this as York Racecourse Car-boot Sale begins tomorrow, the strimmer usually appears soon after.

I am still enjoying reading 'Jeffery Deaver' (probably more in my rocking chair). I am reading
"The Twelfth Card" at the moment the sixth in the series of of "The Lincoln Rhyme" novels. I enjoy them because they keep me guessing most of the way through.



Until the next time...

Singing Robins and Greedy Squirrels...

The garden is coming to life. Today the sun was shining, the birds were singing, or at least the robins were.

The wren was flitting from one side of the garden to the other barely stopping to draw breath.

There was one very greedy squirrel in the garden that had discovered the hazel nuts on the fence and tried to take them all in one go.

Here he is trying to fit in a second nut

Now a third nut

Now he is struggling to breathe.

Now he has lost some, what a surprise.

He took them away now he is back for more

Just stop for a quick scratch first.

Hey what are you doing over there?

While the squirrel had been away I had moved from the shed to the greenhouse with my camera. I was standing against the wall between our garden and a neighbouring garden when I took this picture. The squirrel looked so surprised to see me there.

The blue tits are busy taking nesting materials into the nest box. The crows are taking stuff into the tree tops as well. The sparrows and dunnocks are all getting amorous, so it won't be long before the garden is full once again with the squeaking and wailing of the baby birds that we all love so much.

Oh and we have another pregnant squirrel so that means more mouths to feed, the price of peanut butter is not cheap so all donations will be gratefully accepted.

Now for some useless facts,

1)

The Scots king who succeeded Macbeth

was called

Lulach the Idiot.

2)

The most expensive coffee in the world

is made from

the dung of Thai elephants.

lastly,

3)

When taking photo's

the French say ouistiti (marmoset)

the Bulgarians say zele (cabbage)

the Estonians say hernesupp (pea soup)

and

the Thais say pepsi

instead of 

cheese.

Until the next time...

An Avon call

Well it's been a while so here is a quick run down of what I have been doing.
To be honest not a lot!

The garden is beginning to bloom, there are a few clumps of snowdrops about and a couple of crocus plants. I guess that means the strimmer will be out before long, Tony usually cuts the grass when some colours begin to show.
I planted some bulbs in a big pot in the greenhouse yesterday. I have no idea what they are! Margaret gave them to me ages ago,  I came across them in the shed with long sprouting stems on them. I decided I had better plant them, so it will be interesting to see if anything grows and if so what!

The squirrels are still coming and eating everything I put out for them or running away to bury it somewhere for later. One of them is particularly fond of apples at the moment.


                                                                    Enjoying an apple

Although he did have a slight problem getting the apple, he almost fell off the table he was in such a rush to eat he had some nuts and seeds, before finally eating some apple then taking the rest and hiding up in the sycamore tree.

                       





Today we had a ride over to Barnsley to call and collect my Avon from Chris and Joanne, (she wasn't there she was at slimming world although I don't know why?)
Of course I got to see my youngest grandson Logan.
He is just about ready for crawling, his legs want to go but his arms are not quite ready for it. So when his legs move he lands flat on his face.

Logan trying out his crawling skills

Life's a lot easier laying on your back, letting some one else bring everything to you.

Logan with his Daddy.

Of course living in Barnsley you have to learn the right position for the self protection technique of 

"dropping the nut on"

I think Logan is learning that very quickly with the help of his daddy.

Now for the useless fact.

It has been a while so you can have two today,

1,

Ancient Egyptians shaved off their eyebrows

to mourn

the deaths of their cats.

2,

Christian names in the Philippines

include

Bing, Bong, Bambi, Bogie, Girlie, Peanut and Bumbum.

So some of the names you hear shouted out in town and around housing estates don't sound so bad now do they?

Until next time...

What a difference a rail makes!

I think the highlight of the last week must have been getting a stair rail on the outside steps.

It all happened very quickly. I received a phone call on Monday asking if a person from the disability department of the WDH could come out to see me. Of course I said yes.

A lovely young lady came out on Tuesday to see me asked a few questions, watched me walk up and down the stairs. Straight away she agreed a rail was in need and even suggested a half step at the bottom, because the bottom step is very deep.

The next day (Wednesday) I received a phone call from some body else from the council saying that there would be a joiner out to fit the rail on the following afternoon.
As promised Thursday afternoon we heard some drilling on the stairs, the workman fitted the rail and left without us seeing him.
The rail is a real help to me I find it so much easier to get up and down the stairs now.
'


Tony saw the Sparrow Hawk in the garden on Friday. I did put a very short video on here of the sparrow hawk that Tony took. However I have removed it because for you to see the film I had to remove the safety feature and Blogger then put up a warning saying
"This Blog contains content only fit for adult viewing"
It was a bird on a fence having a dump for goodness sake!
Any how that is why it is no longer on the blog.

The Robin is trying to attract a mate he is singing his little heart out.

Mrs Blackbird comes into the garden when she can, or until Mr Blackbird see's her and chases her out again.

Well I don't know what I put in there but I don't think she liked it!

Now for todays useless fact:-   

In ancient Rome,

when a man testified in court,

he would swear on his testicles.

Until the next time...

Rugby, Jeffery Deaver and Raw carrots!

The writing of this blog has been very hit and miss of late. I have been very unsociable, however I do try and I will try harder. We just have not been going any where or doing anything to write about.

The Six Nations Rugby is about half way through. England are doing well, they have won both the matches they have played and are at the top of the table.(for the moment).

I am reading my second "Jeffery Deaver " book and I pleased to report that I am really enjoying them. I have a list of his books written down so whenever we are out I can always look for one or two if we pass any shops.

Lynsey is enjoying her new job, although she has a day off tomorrow as her friends father died suddenly last week . His funeral is tomorrow, Lynsey has known the family since she was 9 years old and is going to the funeral, I hope they don't play 'Stairway To Heaven' by 'Led Zeppelin' or she will be crying buckets.

I have been going down to the garden even though it has been very quiet, I think it has  been a bit cold for the squirrels. They did show up a couple of times however, the Robins and Blackbirds came along too.

One of the Squirrels enjoying a nut.

Robin ready for take off.

Robin looking a bit over awed by the apples.

Blackbird enjoying the apples.

The last photo I am putting on is one I received in an email from Elvira.

The message read something along the lines of ...

A road sign made specially for Yorkshire people.

Now for the useless fact:-  

The average Briton consumes,

8 cows, 36 sheep and 36 pigs in a lifetime.

For the vegetarians,

A raw carrot 

is still alive when you eat it.

Until the next time...

The wildlife needs feeding no matter how cold it is...

The weather is not making me happy. It is so cold, my aches are aching.
I have not spent a lot of time in the shed, although I am not neglecting the birds or squirrels. I am still feeding them, just not staying down in the shed as long.

The birds come early on a morning and about 4-4:30pm so I try to make sure there is plenty for them. The squirrels appear at any time so the nutboxes are filled on a morning with plenty of black sunflower seeds out around the garden as well that way they don't wreck the feeders.
If I am feeling really generous I put out some chocolate near the peanut butter. The squirrels love chocolate for a treat.
Everything that comes into the garden loves peanut butter, there was even a crow trying to get some the other day but I just didn't have a camera to hand, so that was another picture I missed.

Robin is always first to appear.

Blue Tit never far behind.

Long Tailed Tit always a pleasure to see.

Starlings sharing peanut butter from the log, that makes a change they usually fight over it.

A Starling having a bath, I had only just cracked the ice and added more water seconds before.

Another Starling watching over the garden, on the look out for cats and Sparrow Hawks.

Squirrel almost missed the table when he jumped

However he managed to hang on and reach the food on the table.

Now for a useless fact, (I was asked where it was on the last entry so I thought I had better remember this time.)

If you fed a seagull Alka Seltzer,

It's stomach would explode!

How do they know these things?

Until the next time...

The snow fall in Boston

I did the Big Bird Watch, on Saturday, I hope you all remembered to do it as well.
We had the usual candidates in the garden,

 The Robins.

 The Great Tits and the Blue Tits, even The Long Tailed Tits put in an appearance.

 

 The House Sparrows,

 and

The Starlings,

Once again were there in the greatest number, both came in with 11.

We have more new squirrels in the garden, it really confuses them when I am in the Greenhouse and not the shed. One of them climbed into the little tree to have a closer look.

  She wasn't sure at all.

 Another one just stood still on the  fence pretending it wasn't there.

Today it has snowed on and off, of course we had a grumble.

It didn't snow that much really just enough to cover the garden.

Tony's sister May lives in Nashua, Near Boston in New England USA. She sent me an email this morning with a photo attached of her son Bill clearing their drive,

Bill clearing snow from the drive of their home.

That is a proper snowfall and they are expecting the same again overnight.  What would happen if the snow fell like that here?

There would be a total shut down.

Until the next time...