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!

It's over

The end of 2012, a year I will be glad to see the end of, it has been a strange year...

The London Olympics
The Queens diamond Jubilee
The Royal Wedding
William & Kate's announcement of their pregnancy
All good things

The terrible floods throughout the country leading to deaths and devastation
murders
suicides
missing people
homelessness
hunger
poverty
all bad

The Government causing so many problems for so many vulnerable people,
but thinking they are doing great things...

But now the year is over, time to move on into 2013, to look ahead...
It has to get better,
Didn't I say that last year???

 I have given the Blog a make over for the New Year, a bit brighter and it fits in with all the reading I am doing at the moment.

 Happy New Year...

It's nearly over...

Tony had cold for Christmas and shared it with me, he is so generous!
I am just about getting over it now, I have a few snuffles and my throat is still a bit sore, but on the up side I have lost 4lbs in weight so it is not all bad.
We are both still coughing specially on a night I have to sleep sitting up, I think I may have a dose of "the man cold"...

Elvira came and stayed 2 nights at christmas and as far as I know she has not caught cold from us. She seemed to enjoy herself and we enjoyed her company.

The garden is still a bit bog like, the squirrels are still not bothered.  We bought them hazelnuts and pecan nuts for christmas, they even got some chocolate and extra peanut butter so they were happy.
The birds were not left out either they were treated to left over pastry from the sausage rolls and mince pies.
I am pleased to say there has been no sign of the rat

He/she might be cute but was not welcome in the garden.

The Goldfinches and Greenfinches have been feeding in the big fir tree outside my bedroom window so I managed to take a couple of shots of them which I was quite pleased with...

Apart from that the garden is still very quiet.

So it's nearly all over, just new years to survive and things can get back to normal, whatever that is?

Well it didn't happen...

The end of the world never happened then, we are all safe until the next time its threatened...

The rain is still causing problems, the garden is slowly becoming a swamp.  The squirrels don't seem too bothered by it, they still visit every day, the birds however do not seem as keen.

Christmas is almost upon us, we have done all the shopping we are going to do, so if we have forgotten anything we will do without. The few presents that have been bought will be wrapped tomorrow and taken out on Monday.

Tony has just about finished the office apart from a couple of arty little touches, he was cleaning up the hoovering being the last job of the day and somehow managed to smack himself under the chin with the pipe (I did try not to laugh) he has a bruise appearing so it must have given him a hefty whack! I just don't know how he does it.

I have had a go at baking some cakes,( under Tonys supervision for safety reasons, ) I made some date and walnut cakes and I am very pleased with how they turned out. So I decided to try a Pear & Mincemeat Crumble Cake. I am pleased with that too, and the sausage rolls.
Who knows what I may try next, of course the first sign of a twitch, burn or anything else and it will stop again.

Oh well time to go until the next time...