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...

Did you know that Long Tailed Tit's like stollen?

In the last few days the Long Tailed Tit's have been visiting the garden again. They fly into the garden in small groups and usually straight to the suet balls or suet nibbles. I had however put out some Stollen that we had left that was a little bit stale. The Long Tailed Tit's loved it. They usually fly into the garden eat for a while and leave until the next day. The Stollen must really have been a treat because not only did they stay longer than usual, they came back twice in the same day for more.

Long Tailed Tit enjoying the Stollen.

Long Tailed Tit.

The squirrels are getting very friendly at the moment, they are not just tolerating each other, they seem to be enjoying each others company.
The younger ones are running round like hooligans with no manners or respect for each other though. I was watching two of them a couple of days ago and I was amazed at some of their tricks, how they don't injure themselves or each other I just don't know.

Squirrels having a stand off, which one is going to move out of the way first?

Well I guess this answers the question!

The squirrel jumped over the other landed on the fence ran a few steps then jumped up into the sycamore tree. The other squirrel, when it realised what had happened, turned and gave chase.  The last I saw of them they were chasing each other through the top branches of the sycamore tree.

Today we had a ride over to Bentham to visit Tony's son and family. The weather was not very nice when we set off it was cold and icy. When we got to Bradford it began to get quite foggy. Then as we began to cross Clapham Common it began to snow. Luckily the snow did not fall for long and by the time we reached Bentham the sun was out but it was still very cold.

Just a few photo's from this mornings trip.

A foggy morning travelling to Bentham.

A lonely tree in the fog.

A wintery scene.

Now for a useless fact,

The first bomb dropped on Berlin in WW2

Killed the only elephant in Berlin zoo.

Until the next time...

Books, TV and another useless fact...

This morning it snowed,

We had been told by Paul Hudson on the weather forecast last night to expect wind and ice. That there was a possibility of a few wintery showers over the tops. Well I don't really think I would class us as being on the tops, however we definitely got the snow. It didn't last long and not a lot settled but it was very cold. This means when it freezes, (which it will ) it will be treacherous underfoot so I am staying indoors where I am safe.

Tony is watching Snooker, I think part of the reason he watches it is so he can complain about the commentators and the way they describe the players. One of his favourites is John Virgo's saying "inch perfect" which he must repeat at least a dozen times in some matches. When they start singing the praises of Ronnie O'Sullivan thats it, Tony is in his element, "that man is a gangster".

Oh well at least he has something to entertain him for a few hours to fill the hours of boredom when we don't get out!

I am reading a bit more again I am still reading Lisa Gardner but I am onto her final 2 books.  I am then going to try either Karen Slaughter or Jeffery Deaver. I have bought 2 of each of their books so I will see which draws me in the most.

I have begun watching the second series of "Broadchurch" but I am not sure yet whether or not I am liking it as much as the first. Where as "Last Tango in Halifax" has me hooked again from the beginning. 

I am also enjoying "The Voice" and I much prefer Rita Ora as a judge than Kyle Minogue. 

Useless fact:-

Nottingham

was first named Snottingham,

after a Viking called Snot.

Until the next time...

                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

Cheeky did not want to share...

The cheeky squirrel is enjoying the nuts on the window ledge, he comes and waits when he see's me coming. Before I even get the window out he will be on the fence, tail swishing urging me to hurry up and put out the nuts.
I always put a few out so he can help himself whilst I fill the other feeders and the nutboxes and water dishes.

The other day I found a few brazil nuts that I had forgotten about, so I put them out on the table at the side of the shed.
Cheeky squirrel really did get excited when he saw them. Back and forth he ran taking them until only one remained. Just before he came back another squirrel appeared, ran along the fence and jumped onto the table. The second squirrel was sniffing at the last nut when out of nowhere shot a ball of fur, screeching and spitting, the squirrel was knocked to the ground and the nut disappeared.



Cheeky squirrel with the last Brazil nut.











Cheeky squirrel a look of triumph on his face raced down the garden, brazil nut hanging from his mouth. The second squirrel shook himself looked round as if to say what happened, climbed back up to the table and the look on his face when he saw the nut had gone, if squirrels cried I think he would have done just that.

The garden is beginning to fill up with birds, the Blackbirds are back and starting to pick their territories. The Sparrows are huddling together in the bushes either to keep warm or setting up the colonies. The Dunnocks are already beginning games of chase, The Robins are singing and the Great Tits are too.

It is almost time for the :-

RSPB Big Garden Bird Watch 24th - 25th January 2015

I hope there will be plenty of birds visiting for that, I will be down in the shed, the feeders full, lots of fresh water and I will settle in with my music player and book ready for the count. Tony will probably do an hour on Sunday and I will do Saturday it is amazing how much difference there can be in the day and time.


Here is another useless fact,

Squirrels forget where they've buried
three-quarters of their nuts!

Until the next time...