The trouble with cookers

A few days ago when Tony turned the cooker on there was a loud bang and the main oven decided it would no longer work. We both decided this was something that could not be a long term arrangement. I need the main oven to bake bread, Tony needs the main oven to cook his delicious meals that he cooks for me and sometimes my Mum, or Elvira.
So off to the shops we went to try a find a cooker we both liked. After much measuring, muttering and shopping we found one.
Today the cooker was delivered installed and the old one taken away. We were sorry to see it go, it was Tony's Mums cooker and it is one last connection to her that has gone.

The new cooker in place in the kitchen.

Very clean and sparkly (Tony's job to keep it that way :) )

Until the next time...

Dentist, Doctors and Down in the garden.

I have had an interesting few days!
On Monday evening I lost a filling, so on Tuesday morning I rang the dentist. I was given an appointment for Wednesday lunchtime. I was happy and surprised to manage to get one that quickly.
Wednesday morning I got up and discovered I had overnight developed a surprisingly large lump on the right side of my face. I also realised that it hurt quite badly. This was just what I needed, an abscess under the tooth that had lost the filling. I knew the dentist would not work on the tooth while that was there.
I arrived at the dentist in time for my appointment, the lump had grown a bit bigger during the morning and the pain had grown along with it. The young girl on the reception desk looked at me and just said "ouch!".
The dentist I usually see was on holiday which was not a good start, however the stand in was very good he had been told that I was anxious about visits to the dentist and did his best to put me at ease.
I told him what the problem was, he had a quick look, straight away he said "it needs to come out". The magic words, no messing about with fillings or caps just take it out. "But, I cannot do it today" he said. He told me the abscess had to go first. So home I went with a prescription for antibiotics and an appointment to return the following week when the offending tooth will be removed.

I had some blood tests done at the doctors at the end of June, on 11th July (last Saturday) I received a letter asking me to make an appointment to discuss the results. I looked on line for the first appointment with the doctor I like Tuesday 21st July.
This coming week is looking pretty full up already,
 I am meeting Emma on Monday for a late birthday gift, (her birthday was on the 12th)
Tuesday it's the doctors
Wednesday is the dentist.
Elvira mentioned a day out, you had best pick a day quick Elvira we are down to Thursday or Friday this week!

Coming home from the dentist we crossed Heath Common. There is a resident Gypsy camp there, the Gypsies keep there horses on the common. The adult horses are tethered but the young horses are not.

As we drove along Tony had to brake quite hard because two of the young horses were playing chase and one of them ran out into the road.

Young horses on Heath Common.

They were only on the road for a matter of minutes before running back into the grass to carry on playing.

Running back to safety.

I was glad to get home.

Now what has been happening elsewhere?


The new squirrels are getting cheeky, they even pose for their pictures taking now.

Who me, pose, never.

They come up very close for a look when I am in the green house.

On the wall next to the greenhouse.

On the wall next to the greenhouse

If the foods not there they come to look through the shed window to see if I am in there.

Looking in the shed window.

I have had a walk round the garden to see if there is any flowers or plants because Tony will be getting the lawn mower out again soon and they will all disappear when he does. However there are not many any way. Just a few buttercups, a couple of asters and of course my lavender bush (thats safe though ).

I got a little bored the other day there was no birds or squirrels in the garden so I decided to photograph whatever I could find, nothing much was kept apart from these.

Lavender 

I don't know why I kept it, I just like it.

Daisy

Just a little bit of playing, told you I was bored!

Until the next time...

New squirrels, noisy blackbirds and a charming robin.

The garden has become home to more new squirrels. There are at least 3 of them. As usual there is one that comes to visit the most, who is excitable, frisky and downright nosy.

I put some raisins out for the blackbirds, the young squirrel obviously did not know what they were. He crept up on them, in the usual squirrel way. They walk sideways tail up and very slowly.

Creeping up on the raisins.

As he got closer he stretched as far as he could and sniffed, just to make sure they were safe.

The squirrel decided that the raisins were not going to hurt him, grabbed one in his mouth and ran to the wall to eat it.

Next he had a look at the nutbox. He didn't know how to open it. 

He looked from above,

Put his nose into the gap in the back,

He could smell the nuts, he could see the nuts, but still could not get the nuts.

He thought very hard about how to get the nuts.

Then it came to him in a flash.

 He lifted the front of the box, up went the lid, there were the nuts.

Squirrel was happy now. He knew how to get to the nuts!

The sparrows are sunbathing now instead of taking showers,

Mrs Blackbird is making a noise looking for Junior, however he is away doing his own thing,

Mr Blackbird is on the lookout too with no more luck.

One of the woodpeckers is calling in again,

So are the greenfinches,

and the robin is being his usual charming self.

Until the next time...

The hot weather is having an effect on the garden.

The garden has been very quiet over the last few days. I think it has just been too hot for the birds and definitely much too hot for the squirrels. On Wednesday we got a bit of a break when it rained, the garden came alive for a few hours.

The Sparrows took advantage of taking cooling showers. The bushes were full of them all along the garden in front of the shed and in the sycamore tree. 

The Robin had also enjoyed the rain sitting on the wooden frame in front of the greenhouse shaking himself to remove some of the water from his feathers. After his shower and shaking he flew into the bush where he tilted back his head to sing a beautiful song to all the garden.

Squirrel had been struggling a bit climbing the fence, he decided he needed a break.

The Squirrel looked very soggy sitting on the fence shelf, where the rain had been falling onto him giving him a cooling break from the sun beating down. He had been just sitting there enjoying every minute of it he looked like he was almost smiling.

Yesterday I was happy to see the Goldfinches had returned to the garden again! There was about four maybe five of them, I took some photographs and I was very happy with the results.

I can tell you that the cat situation seems to be quiet at the moment, maybe it is too hot for the felines as well. I suppose it will not last, either the weather or the cats staying away. 
I am struggling a bit as well my eyeballs are like jelly again, swollen, watering and very sore. Not that I am complaining of course!

Until the next time...

A day out at Roundhay

Yesterday Elvira took me to Roundhay Park in Leeds. I have not been there for a while, in fact I think the last time I went it was with Elvira.
Elvira picked me up from home just before 10.00am, Tony waved us off, (he was probably glad of the rest) at least he would have some time to himself.

The weather for a change was really good, the sun was out a bit of a breeze good weather for strolling round the lake.

First we visited "Jeans willow tree" where Elvira placed some red roses. (Jean is Elvira's daughter who died from cancer a few years ago).

"Jeans Tree" had grown quite a lot since I last saw it.

The lake had some beautiful swans with cygnets swimming along, in front of them. 

A family day outing.

The large male swan came out from behind some reeds and put on a show for anyone who cared to watch.

Swan Lake Ballet.

He was an enormous bird, it is easy to see why the male swans can be so intimidating. However they are so graceful at the same time.

There were lots of coot's with babies on the lake. I have to admit I think these chicks are one of the ugliest of all the chicks I have seen. However they do change a lot as they grow, coots are quite cute .

Coots and their chicks.

 

As we walked we were getting quite hot the sun had become hotter, we sat on a bench and Elvira bought me an ice-cream. It was delicious. The ice-cream on the cornet had been dipped into caramel which had set hard on top. The taste reminded me of the Caramac bars we used to eat when we were younger. I would love to find another ice-cream van that sell's them. (I hope the one at York car boot sale does!)
We set of walking back in the direction of the car, watching all the people jogging, skipping and riding bikes. One person had caught our eyes. This person was quite over weight, he had ridden past us 2 or 3 times, this meant he had ridden his bike right round the lake that many times. The lake is about 1.5 miles round so he had traveled  about 4 - 4.5 miles it doesn't sound a lot but for the size of him believe me it was a lot.

As we approached the cafe the sound of people became louder, the seagulls hanging about in the air waiting for bread that young children were throwing, the laughter and chatter of all the children excited by their day out.

The seagulls hanging in the air waiting for food.

The black-headed gulls stood along the edge of the water waiting for anything that might be thrown to them, or simply resting in the sun. In amongst them was a young bird that was making itself known by shouting at the top of it's voice.

A young gull on the right made sure it was noticed.

The most unusual bird I managed to take a picture of was a cormorant. This bird had been swimming in the water with just a head showing, then all of a sudden it climbed out of the water, climbed on to the post and spread out it's wings to dry.

Cormorant

I enjoyed our day out, the company was excellent, the weather was good, the ice-cream amazing, I got the chance to take some different photo's. Of course the day would not have been complete with out the last picture.

A wild squirrel

yeehaa!

Until the next time...

All who enter the garden must know the rules.

The garden is certainly full of wildlife at the moment and the cats are not being too much of a problem, with the exception of one small tabby who will just not learn the rules of the garden. The main rule being, 

 DO NOT HURT THE SQUIRRELS!

We have young Great Tits

We have young Blue Tits

A very scruffy Blackbird

We have very energetic squirrels

We also have solved the mystery of the nutbox.

The hedgehog on the right is the one that goes inside the nutbox. Tony was taken by surprise last night. As he was watching one hedgehog in the garden, the nutbox lid flew open and the other hedgehog sprang out like a "Jack in a box".

It is good to know that we have at least two hedgehogs in the garden, Tony is putting the Trail Cam out in the hope that we might find something else. We know there has been foxes in the past and we have heard Tawny Owls. It would be lovely to catch either of them on film.

Until the next time...