Six weeks is a long time...

It's been so long, I hope everybody had a good Christmas!

Since I last wrote things have moved along nicely. I have had an operation, which I am recovering from very well thank you. The hardest part is not doing anything. Being told you cannot lift anything heavier than a half full kettle, or stand for more than 10 - 15 minutes at a time is quite difficult to do. This means using a camera in the shed is very difficult. Tony is supposed to carry my bags to the shed, set up my big lens on the camera body, then on the tripod, which then has to be placed where I want to use it and not moved from that spot, unless Tony returns to the shed to move it. I can of course turn the camera on the tripod just not lift it.  I have to sit in the shed where I would usually stand to take photographs. Then when I am finished Tony has to come and carry everything back upstairs to the flat for me. As you will have guessed I have not been to the shed much, not because Tony is not willing but because it takes so much of the fun out of it and stops Tony from doing whatever it is he is busy with.
Six weeks this has to carry on for, I am not to do the washing, because I am not allowed to lift the laundry basket, no baking, because I am not allowed to stand up long enough to knead the bread and I cannot do it sitting down, no hoovering, because I am not allowed to push the hoover. I never realised how boring it cold be not doing such mundane things. Roll on the 26th of January when I go back for the all clear!

I did go down to the shed today for an hour, the squirrels had been on the shed window ledge looking in the window. They had been missing me Tony said. I think it was more a case they had been waiting for the special nuts they get at Christmas.
I did not disappoint them, I filled the nutboxes with the usual monkey nuts in shells, then added a few hazel nuts, cob nuts, brazil nuts, almonds and walnuts. The squirrels were happy again.

Squirrel with a walnut.

The birds were not left out, they got apples, gingerbread, chocolate cake, extra sunflower seed and they will probably get some christmas pudding in the next few days when it is cheap in the supermarkets. The blackbirds loved it last year.


The family all seemed happy with the Christmas gifts they recieved.

Until the next time...

On the look out for cats and hawks!!!

There have been more doctors and hospital visits over the last few weeks.Tony has been given cream for his leg and some Tubigrip bandages to wear. His leg swells up and is very painful. He has some form of eczema that is connected to his veins, I cannot remember the name. (how unusual for me!).
I have had my MOT ready for my op. Everything looks ok and it is ready for the off, I can't wait,(that sound you can hear is my teeth rattling or my knees knocking).

The garden has been fairly quiet of late. Maybe it is the Sparrow Hawk that is making the birds stay away. He/She has flown over the garden several times, once or twice flying into the bushes where the sparrows all congregate.

This has resulted in a guard being posted to look out for the hawk.

Sometimes a Sparrow

Sometimes a Blue Tit.

Some of the birds just don't care and they are not taking care at all, the Dunnocks, for instance,

A Dancing Dunnock,

The Squirrels are coming in pairs now catching up on gossip and watching out for cats.

Always look before you put your head in the nut box, check there are no cats.

In and out as quick as you can grab a nut and run.

Last Friday (13th) there was a beautiful rainbow over Wrenthorpe, just before the heavens opened and the rain came down, the road outside our house became a river, the wind blew and it even thundered a little.

It was nice to see the rainbow.

I just thought I would leave you with this, I saw it and it just sums up how I feel I don't want to be normal I want to be unique! 

Until the next time...

Bad weather, Dark nights and Keeping warm.

The weather today has been wet and windy. Not the sort of day for taking photographs. So I decided I would spend a bit of time tidying up in the bedroom.
I had a couple of empty cereal boxes that I had been meaning to cover, so I did that. I now have two black boxes on the cabinet at the side of my bed to put in papers, books or anything else that is usually just laying about.
I moved some other boxes from in front of the wardrobe to the side of the drawers so now I don't have to move them every time I want to open the wardrobe doors.
Then I read the gas and electric meters and submitted the readings online.
That was it then I was on the computer for at least a couple of hours, just looking at my emails, checking the Fibromyalgia website I go on and Google+ to see what Lynsey had put on for me to see.
I found a picture that someone had posted online that amused me, so much that I really have to share it with you.

I laughed out loud at this.

The squirrels in the garden seem to be keeping away a bit at the moment. I think the fireworks are part of the reason, cats are another and the weather.

The birdlife is increasing, though, we have had the Longtailed Tits visiting, Greenfinches, Goldfinches, Coal Tits, Wrens, Blue Tits, Great Tits, Blackbirds, Sparrows, Dunnocks and of course not to forget the Robin. With so many calling, I bought a new feeder, It has three compartments. so I filled one with seeds, one with peanuts and one with fat balls. I hung it on the shed at first and put the sunflower ball on the feeding station. However, the squirrel tried to get to the peanuts and almost fell off trying, so I swapped them over and put the new feeder on the station instead.

The new feeder.

I am feeling the cold more now the weather has turned and the early nights are here.The hot water bottle is out of hibernation, the thick duvet, my furry onesie is also in use, the Calor gas heater is back up from the shed, even the gas heating has been turned on a couple of times. I don't know what I will do when it snows? I expect the spare duvet and blankets will come out of the drawer. The only trouble is in the middle of the night I get a hot flush and the bed covers go flying and I lay on top too hot to sleep.

Oh well, that's life with the menopause I suppose!

Until the next time...

An old favourite...

I went into the shed this afternoon to use the sewing machine. I am making some trousers to wear with my boots. I also took in the side seams on a dress that Lynsey bought me quite a while ago as it was too big. I am losing weight a couple of pounds a week and have been doing for the last couple of months (yippee).
While I was in the shed I spotted something moving on the roof of the school, I was amazed. Just a day or so ago Tony and I had been saying it was a long time since a Grey Wagtail had been in the garden, low and behold there it was. I could not get a decent photo because I did not have my big lens, and the light was too dim. Hopefully, it will come again.

Grey Wagtail in 2011

Grey Wagtail in 2012

No Grey Wagtails had been since this photo was taken, so I am really pleased that I have seen one again.



Until the next time...

He arrived by Royal Mail

Time has been taken up by doctors appointments for both Tony and I. We are both ok, I have a date for my op. A bit sooner than expected but at least I should be well on the way to recovery by Christmas, (oh joy).

Lynsey told me a while ago she had taken out some insurance with comparethemarket.com She had been told that a meerkat would be sent which one would she like? She chose Sergi knowing I liked him best.
Today Sergi arrived.

He has his own place on my bookshelf in the bedroom.

If anyone would like to send him some friends they would be very welcome.

Until the next time...

Garden visitors.

The garden is playing host to new birds at the moment. I think they are just passing through. I am still trying to ID them so bear with me and when I know what they are I will let you know too.

This was the first to appear.

It is about the same size as a Blackbird, it arrived yesterday on it's own.

Today two of them were in the garden.

Then today Tony spotted some more slightly different birds in the garden,

 The colour and throat markings on this one made me think it might be a Redwing. I just could not get a shot or a clear view of the underside of its wings to look for red patches.

This bird was a different colour to the one above, however it could be from the same family looking at the throat markings. This one is also smaller than the one above.

The photo's are not very clear they were taken from the kitchen window. The birds could be related to the thrush family. I have sent the pictures to a website to see if I can get them ID'd. 

This is Lynsey with her new cat Biscuit.

Lynsey still has her cat Pepper, who is not overjoyed with having another cat moving in to compete with. She discovered Biscuit living in a hedge outside her house a while back. Lynsey said he did not look old enough to be away from his mother. At first the kitten would not go to her, however she continued to coax him and eventually managed to bring him inside. Lynsey moved home a couple of weeks ago Biscuit moved with her and Pepper. Biscuit is very timid, he will continue to be a house cat. Pepper is getting use to the idea but gives Biscuit a slap on the nose now and again just to remind him who the boss is.  Biscuit doesn't really care.

Pepper had to draw the line somewhere.

Until the next time...

I love my Docs

Today I became the proud owner of some new Dr Marten Boots.
My red boots had died a while ago and I had wanted some new ones since then. Tony made it possible. I had a camera that I very rarely used so he came up with a very good idea.
Tony offered buy me some boots and give me some money in exchange for the camera. I of course jumped at the chance. I didn't even want any money the boots were enough.

My New Boots

I saw some more boots that I liked so I am going to be treating myself for christmas I should be able to save up enough by then. The other ones are not as high in the leg as these and are more colourful.
I told you I would grow old disgracefully, well it begins now!


Until the next time...

A Bull and some Landscapes.

I didn't take many photos in Scotland compared to the amount I usually take.
One thing that caught my eye was a Bull in a field along the road we travelled along most days.

He was a big bull

A handsome bull

He was not a very well mannered bull

However the cows seemed to like him.

The other pictures are still waiting to be looked at, except for a couple of landscapes which I don't usually bother with but I quite liked these.

I was surprised by the next picture because I thought it was just a bale of hay. So when I downloaded it to the computer and saw the trio of pheasants in the background I was amazed. 

Not a great photo but unexpected.

Until the next time...

It's been a long time coming...

I know you have all been waiting for this, You have all been wondering what has happened to me . Well truth be told nothing really. According to Tony I am just too lazy to write a blog, I suppose I have to agree, sometimes it just doesn't seem worth it because I have nothing to say!
However from now on if I have nothing to say I will at least manage a couple of lines or a picture. It might not be every day but at least 4 times a week.

So where do I start?
I will not bore you with the hospital appointments we have both had or the doctor appointments.
I will go straight to the week in Scotland we have just had.
We were called upon to care for the Pride so that Bassman and Matchgirl could go away for a jaunt.

As we drive up the A9 we pass a small campsite

We have seen it for the last few years but never known what it is, the sign in the car window made me find out.

I found this link on google,

http://www.thecourier.co.uk/news/local/perth-kinross/a9-camper-charles-ingram-evicted-1.902794


In which I discovered the man had been evicted only a couple of days after we passed. I felt quite sorry for him. However I then read more about him.

http://www.thefreelibrary.com/DUNBLANE+FEAR+OVER+TOP+SHOT%3b+Marksman+is+banned+from+keeping+guns...-a083782132

I didn't know what to think. Then I watched this and I began to think the man was just not quite right.

http://youtu.be/57GWhgW3Gao


I don't know what you think?

Until the next time...

It could have been written for me.

I have not taken many pictures over the last week because the garden has been so quiet there really has not been a lot to photograph. We think the black cat and the tabby cat are to blame for a lot of it. The black cat was seen jumping over the fence too close to one of the baby squirrels not to have caught it. There has only been one baby in the garden since and mum.

I did manage one picture however a very colourful

Peacock Butterfly.

The butterfly landed on the old wall at the bottom of the garden so I could not resist taking the shot.

I have had a tooth removed and I was due to go back to the dentist tomorrow to have a false one added to my already existing false ones on a plate. However I have lost yet another filling so I am hoping instead of messing about she will just pull that one as well. I am guessing the problems with my teeth are somehow connected to my being low in iron and vitamin D. Or maybe all the tablets I take or it could be the menopause. Or maybe it could be connected to some of the other problems I have! Who knows?

I have been referred to a hospital in Leeds to see a consultant for a new problem, is this the start of a new round of hospital visits. At least the appointment has been quick in coming, next week, so lets see what happens then.

Lynsey found a written piece on the internet that sums up how I feel most days.

I DON’T LOOK SICK

I don’t look sick, but my legs often feel like wet spaghetti and will go numb and give out on me without warning.

I don’t look sick, but I live with an intense deep exhaustion that makes every movement feel like I’m trying to move at the bottom of the ocean

I don’t look sick, but I suffer from an extremely sensitive heat intolerance that makes me feel light headed,ill,faint even in what feels like normal room temperature to you.

I don’t look sick, but my nerves often give me “phantom itches” that make me scratch myself raw an itch that doesn’t actually exist.

I don’t look sick, but inside my bones often feel like some one is using a jackhammer on them, especially during a change in the weather.

I don’t look sick, but if anything even something little stresses me out or worries me, my body rebels and symptoms flare up just for the fun of it.

I don’t look sick, but it’s extremely difficult for me to concentrate on anything and as a result my memory suffers drastically.

I don’t look sick, but the simplest tasks can take me 5 times longer and take 5 times as much energy to finish than a “normal” person

I don’t look sick, but you’ll never know the struggle beneath the surface.

I cannot read the name on the bottom of the piece of writing but I could not have written it better myself, people look at me and people like me and because we don't look sick or ill in any way they think we are ok.

 However people need to take into account that there are thousands of people out there that look ok, but maybe they are not, so just think before you speak or accuse somebody of being a  benefit cheat things are not always how they seem.

I have to re-apply for my DLA (no it will be PIP now)soon and I just know I will have to fight for it. 

I have been trying to get my disabled bus pass renewed  for the last 8 weeks, it expired yesterday and I still have not received a new one. 

Oh well C'est la vie

Until the next time...

Squirrels, Magpies & Blackbirds...

Another new face has popped up in the garden, (well two really but I have no pictures of the other one).

This is a very greedy little squirrel so he should fit in very well.

One of the new faces.

The squirrel was on a food hunt. S/he had been round the nutboxes and the seeds but was still looking for something else. Then the squirrel spotted something. It did the usual sideways walk with the tail to one side over to the place it had seen something.

There it found some left over cake, (a very unusual happening in our house)

A very unsure squirrel.

It didn't take the squirrel long to decide it was food and it was safe to eat it.

The left over cake was a hit.

The squirrel had his/her fill and looked round for something else.

What had s/he found now?

Squirrel found a filbert.

The squirrel found a filbert, I don't think s/he really knew what it was but s/he gave it a try anyway.

Then the squirrel smelt something. His/her nose went up in the air what could that smell be?

Squirrel could smell something delicious. 

The squirrel had to find it, so s/he jumped up the leg of the crossbar and there it was!

Peanut Butter

The squirrel clung to the post there was no way that peanut butter was going to be shared.

Squirrel fiesta. 

Squirrel was not moving until that hole was licked clean.

Drunk on Peanut Butter.

Of course if somebody over indulges they have to pay the price! Squirrel ate so much peanut butter s/he had to hold him/herself up on the crossbar. S/he looked quite green around the gills.
The squirrel never even noticed the young magpie pinching the cake while it had the chance.

A Young Magpie helping itself to the left over cake.

There is a female Blackbird still chasing round the garden collecting food for one of her young. The other day she had a beak full of worms but still managed to call out.

Mrs Blackbird calling the young for dinner.

I have been a bit adventurous this week, I have almost finished a pair of trousers I am making for myself. I altered on of my hippie type shirts to fit Lynsey so she could go out in it last night and I am already working out a pattern for a top for myself or maybe a skirt.
Tonight I will try out the new cooker, I am baking bread, insomnia is not a bad thing when baking as electricity is cheaper during the night.

Until the next time...

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...