Going nowhere fast...

 

We are still here and going nowhere fast, the weather is so cold so even if the lockdown wasn't on we still wouldn't be going anywhere!

I was notified on my NHS app that I had been close to somebody who had tested positive to Covid-19 so I had to self isolate. It is strange Tony didn't get one because we go everywhere together. It didn't make much difference we have to stay at home anyway.

So now I have finished my 3 minute moan lets move on.

I have discovered Hazel had moved all the nuts again, but had not put them in the bird house this time. I searched round the shed but I could not find them anywhere. I filled up the container and put a few monkey nuts in shells on top to see what would happen.

When I went into the shed a couple of days later the monkey nuts had gone but the rest of the nuts were still there, maybe Hazel had worked out that whenever the container emptied it was filled up again, there was infact an endless supply of nuts. So I had another hunt about, and I found the missing hazel nuts from the time before.

The first time Hazel took the nuts she carried them from the red container to the bird box with the purple top. Remember Hazel emptied that over night, how long must that have taken?

The next time it was emptied the nuts were carried 9 feet to a bag at the opposite side of the shed. Just imagine how many times Hazel must of crossed the shed to do that?

I have left the nuts in the bag I didn't have the heart to move them after all the hard work Hazel had put in.

The squirrels are being. their usual mischievous selves, one of them has found a unique place to bury his walnuts,

At least the magpie isn't watching him there and coming and digging them up as soon as he goes.

One of the squirrels was having problems with a crow yesterday, the crow was trying to take some nut so the squirrel kept chasing the crow away, even at one point jumping on the crows back. The crow left after that but I am sure it will be back another day.

We had a visit from the female great spotted woodpecker today. She was on the upright bar of the crossbar still as she could be. She does this when she thinks there is danger near by. I don't know if she had seen me in the shed, or if the sparrow hawk had flown by (he has a few times in the last couple of days) or if she was just checking before she got settled. Something must not have felt right to her she made a quick grab at the peanut butter then flew high up into the sycamore tree.

Lynsey my youngest daughter as you know has a cat named Biscuit, for some unknown reason he likes pizza boxes. When Lynsey has finished with the box she puts it on the floor and Biscuit sits in it. Biscuit will not let anyone take his pizza box and if Lynsey's other cat Pepper tries to get near it Biscuit slaps him. So that gives you an idea how much Biscuit loves his boxes. However I think this is taking it a bit too far!

Lynsey was eating her pizza with the box on her knees, when Biscuit jumped up and sat on the box as if to say "my box don't forget". Lynsey took the snap before pushing him off and telling him he had to wait until she had done .

Keep safe and well

Until the next time...

I'm glad I'm not a brass monkey...

 Well, here I am again like the preverbal bad penny!

I am feeling a little stir crazy agin at the moment because the weather has stopped me being able to go out. This means I cannot go to visit Mum, I think she is feeling abit the same.

I have discovered I have a new friend in the shed. We have decided to call him/her Hazel. Hazel got the name because I have a metal container in the shed that is for kitchen utensils, I have it full of hazelnuts so if the squirrels come I can entice them with the nuts. Anyhow I went into the shed and the container was empty, I knew it was full last time I went in. I looked around wondering if I had put them somewhere else and forgotten, like I do, but then I spotted them! The bird house on the side ,there was a nut poking out of the hole. Sure enough the bird house was full of hazelnuts, I didn't put them in there, I know I didn't. Then I got to wonder I started to  look around the shed. I returned the nuts to where they should be and then began to look in that corner on the work surface. I moved a few things nothing, then I pulled the shelf that has been on there for a while and out shot the cutest little wood mouse I have ever seen. 

I have no pictures of it yet but hopefully soon I will, Tony put the trail cam in the shed and he caught it on there. I felt quite guilty about putting all the nuts back when I saw it.

The snow never stopped all day yesterday, it hasn't snowed anymore today but it is so cold I just don't function properly. I am a bit like a crazy chicken who doesn't know what to do with it's self, a bit like this

I helped Lynsey with some work on the computer three days its taken me, what do I get when I email it to her, nothing, I said is that what you wanted I get a "yeah". What happend to the "thanks mum, that really helped mum". Pfff next time she can do it herself.

Well I hope I can get out soon in the mean time I suppose I will just have to imagine that I am.

You can believe anything if you try hard enough.

Keep safe & well,

Until the next time....

Early shopping was a good idea,

This morning we left home early to do some essential shopping. We decided to go to Rothwell to call at Lidl there. On the way I took a couple of photos of the sky, it had beautiful pink, orange and lilac colours from the sunrise.

It was a very cold morning, the car dashboard read -1ºC , on my phone app it said -1ºC feels like -4ºC.

On the way home when it was a lot lighter Tony pointed out the moon in the sky, (well where else would it be), I took a quick snap not knowing if it would turn out or not.

I don't think it is too bad. I have cropped it slightly but not too much to spoil it.

Soon after we had settled in at home this happened...

Take care & keep safe

Until the next time...

Happy New Year

 Well 2020 is over but the pandemic is far from over. 

I think it's going to be along time before that ends if it ever does.

I hope it does, but in the meantime I hope that everyone stays safe and well.

Here is my photographic summary of the last 12 months. 

There are always squirrels! I was amazed how many photographs of squirrels I have.

 Then we have the birds , all the usual suspects were there, a couple of surprises  as well. 

The Jackdaw who visited a few times, and several young Woodpigeons. 

There was lots of Ladybirds in the garden.  I found a few in the  shed in the corner of the windows.

 A lot of the photographs didn't turn out very well, but I thought that these were OK.

 

This last lot of pictures are just a few that I  thought I should put on, some because I like, one because it's different and one just for the hell of it. I will leave it to you to decide which they are. 

Keep safe & stay well,

Until the next time...

It's been so long...

 

I think this situation is finally sending me crazy. I saw this on the internet a while ago and I know I have used it before but it sums up just how I feel.

I haven't written anything for so long, because when you are not going anywhere or doing anything, there really is nothing to write about.

I decided that I would just let you know I am still out here and to wish you all...

Hopefully I will write again soon, in the meantime stay safe & healthy.

Until the next time...

Covid-19 has been taken over by the heatwave and thunder storms...

 

The heatwave has given people something else to talk about, it is no longer just covid-19.

I have noticed however that there are more people gathering in neighbouring gardens. The ones that should know better as well. One neighbour who works at Pinderfields hospital had a paddling pool out in his garden yesterday and today with of course children in it. He doesn't have any children of his own, they are children who live further down the street. I don't think I would want my children in a paddling pool with other kids at the moment or in the garden in a large group including somebody that works in the hospital. He is a porter so works in all areas.

Thunderstorms are another topic of conversation at the moment. We have been given warnings but so far have not really had any. There was some rain and a little bit of thunder last night but nothing to worry about, in Wakefield anyway. We have been very lucky, up in Scotland a lot of areas have had floods, de-railed trains, buildings struck by lightening causing them to catch fire. So far it has not been where my brother lives so hopefully it will pass by him and his wife.

Covid-19 of course is still high on the list of conversation, some of the areas near to us have been put back in lockdown, we are on the concern list, so if things don't improve we could be next. I hope not, even though neither Tony or I are really bothered about going out much it's just knowing if you need to you can. Of course I have started visiting my Mum and I don't want that to have to end again. 

Lynsey is not dealing well with this heat, as I am writing this she has had a seizure in town and is in A&E waiting to be checked over. The daft thing is she was only in town because she had a Dr's appointment. 

GARDEN UPDATE

We have twin young squirrels,  they both have brown bodies and grey striped tails. I know one of them is a boy I don't know about the other one yet.

Meet The Twins.

The young dunnock is still in the garden on it's own, I have only seen one this year and I never saw it getting fed by any parent bird.

The Young Dunnock.

Tony took this photo of the Collar Dove family they usually visit on a morning and an evening. There was six in the family but the Sparrow Hawk has taken a couple. We think it was the Sparrow Hawk but we are not sure we think one of them could have been taken by a Peregrine.

The Collar Dove Family.

Tony is not too bad at the moment, he has his good days and bad days, he gets frustrated because he cannot do the things he wants to do. I can understand that because I feel exactly the same. I am having problems eating at the moment but that is something that won't hurt me I could do to lose a few pounds or even a stone or two. I know I need to eat and I do and when I can't manage solids I have soup, rice pudding, porridge or ice cream, lots of ice cream.

Well I am beginning to ramble, stay safe and well,

Until the next time...

 

I just don't know how I feel anymore...

I was quite happy staying at home, going out once a week to do whatever shopping was needed, if Lynsey needed any we would pick her some up too.

Then, Boris has to go and change things, now you can go to the pub, you can go to cafes or restaurants, you can go out in larger groups. Is he mad didn't he realise that it was all too soon, it would backfire on him. Well now there are towns going back into lockdown he will have to think again.

Tony and I still only go shopping once a week, I go to see my Mum once a week (I just could not wait any longer). However apart from that the garden is the only place I spend anytime outdoors. Our neighbours, mix with who ever they want, they have barbecues with numerous friends, that doesn't surprise me because the grandparents have never stopped coming from day one. 

The favourite thing round here at the moment seem's to be hot tubs in the garden.

One of our neighbours has one in the front garden, they have had it for the last year or two. They are not bothered what other people think and can be seen regularly reclining in the tub, weather permitting. The couple across the road have also acquired a hot tub which is also in the garden but is screened by a fence and a roof. There has been stories in the local papers and on-line of hot tubs being stolen over night so I hope they have plenty of security, I would hate for them to loose their enjoyment and  in one case the therapy for medical ailments.

Tony is getting along quite well at the moment no major changes, I am still waiting for my injections, no surprise there.

The garden is busy we have four young squirrels bouncing about like idiots. There doesn't seem to be much birdlife though. We did have some doves taken a few days ago but we are not sure what by. The sparrow hawk usually plucks it and eats it where it takes it, unless it is disturbed, however this time there were very few feathers and it happened so quickly we think it might have been a peregrine. It was about the right time for the Wakefield Cathedral Peregrines to be learning how to fend for themselves. The peregrines have been spotted out this way before it is not far to here from the cathedral as the crow flies or peregrine in this case.

Now for a few photo's...

1.

Squirrel trying to get to the peanuts at the other side of the feeder.

2.

Squirrel with it's head stuck in the peanut butter tub.

3.

  Young squirrel doesn't know how to use his tail as an umbrella yet.

   

4.

  This squirrel had just been having a nosy under the shed.

5.

Ooop's that was close she almost fell off.

 

6.

Mrs Blackbird picks out all the sultanas for herself.

7.

  The female great spotted woodpecker loves the new peanut feeder

The other birds are not too sure of this feeder yet so the woodpecker family have it all to themselves.

8.

The bees are really enjoying the lavender in the garden.

I have my first Buddlia bush this year and it has some gorgeous blooms on it so I am hoping for some shots of butterflies soon.

9.

A regular sight on the roads near us and very nice to see.

I always take a photo, the man tips his hat smiles and waves. He is a real gentleman of the road.

Keep safe and well

until the next time...