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...