Hobbies and Crafts

I've not been on since just before my daughter got back from her travels. It's so lovely to have her back but I had a houseful with her boyfriend, his mother, and my daughter's best friend who'd just returned from Aus so we've been busy and very active. One of the first tasks was to get a pub lunch in as her boyfriend was craving a pie and a pint. We have a local that serves from the wood and does homemade pies with meat from the farm round the corner - so that hit the spot. I think they're ready to start varying their menu again now - I've done all the classic Sunday roast, full English breakfast, cream tea and various other good British classics that they were missing. and this is my first quiet, do as little as possible day. It's 'orrible weather so that should help me feel that I just want to snuggle by my aga. I may make a fat ball again though now it's properly autumn. I don't make them in summer as the heat melts them and it's a waste of time.

Having seen the deer twice in the garden I reckon that won't happen again till next year. Apparently one of their favourites is windfall apples and since it's cleared those up now and scoffed any that were hanging on low branches I reckon I'll have to wait for more such close up views. But we still see them in the field over the back so that's good.

Having taken ages to attract them, we are now seeing loads of goldfinches. There are a number of perches for them on the feeder but the rest have to queue up in the buddleia nearby. And we are still seeing our few greenfinches too so hopefully they will gradually increase again too.

This year's ducks are making me laugh. As before they've learnt to come up to the patio to fetch us, but I tend to take the food down to the garden for them as pecking from the grass is softer on their beaks than the paving flags of the patio. As I go down the steps they fly past my ears in formation, but not being so expert yet they all crash land onto their chins in their rush. Only one has so far worked out that as you land you have to run to stop that happening.

My grape vine has saved itself from my wrath and has quite a lot of bunches ripening on it. The grapes are too small for eating and are quite pippy, but we are also not too enthusiastic about making wine, so I'm trying to make my own raisins. I know when to gradually pick bunches as they ripen because the ripe ones will have a few taken by the birds. It's a job and a half de-pipping them so I'm trying a different method with this batch by letting them part dry first and seeing if that makes it any easier not to lose the middle of the grape. Bob Flowerdew says don't bother, use them crunchy, but I don't fancy that. I'm hoping that I will also hone my growing technique next year and have fewer bunches but bigger grapes which might be worth the eating if raisins don't work out.

Oh well onto the next thread for a catch up...

I will look forward to seeing more pics on your blog Jude.I have nothing new to send you at the moment.
There was a dead Badger in the middle of the road this morning.It just looked like it was having a sleep.We have a couple of setts in the field opposite us,and when I walk down the lane with Chester in the morning I can see the track leading from the wire fence going through the field to the Sett.

Love cormorants....always remember a film where the china man (and advert) teaches one to catch the fish for him:o))

Robins are still about here:o)

We also had something attack a c/dove early this morning, loads of feathers down bottom:o( but since then the dove has appeared, we knew it was he/she cause he/she was missing rather alot of feathers!!
We still have quite a few (12 - 15) c/doves here, could be this yrs and last yrs young:o))
Anything resembling a cream cake.....noooo never for Madoc, carrots,cauli/ brocco storks and natural yogart are his favs:o)))
Its good lanto still likes to play, bless him.
Played with Rosco next door earlier, would let him in with madoc but too playful for him.
Moorhens are so cute:o)
jude

Hope to have some bits on blog later:o)

Well this morning we had 2 Moorhen .I know they have come over from next door.This the first time in months that they have been here.
I also saw a Cormorant earlier .We are in the middle of the country!!!!

You should have seen our Robin this evening.It was in the birdbath right up to it's middle in the water(with all the rain).It was in there for 20 minutes just enjoying a good old wash and splash about.I tried to take a pic but it was rubbish.

A pair of collared doves have taken to visiting again, not on a daily basis, and it remains a mystery where they have all gone to, but glad to see one pair back here. We have a robin that lives around the garden and sings all day long. I have often heard a robin sing, but never like this one - he never stops. Plenty of sparrows and chaffinches, a pair of greenfinches, and a few blue and great tits visit daily.
I saw a lone swallow on the 27th, which surprised me as I thought they had all gone.

Just as well Madoc likes his bath if he returns home with mud on him. Ianto has always had an aversion to water, very strange for a labrador. His sister loved it, and you couldn't get her out of the sea or river once she was in. He doesn't help unpack the shopping Jude, but does investigate the bags when they are brought in. Goes hysterical if he detects anything remotely resembling a cream cake - he has a thing about them.
We only go for short walks now, and he appears to be happy to go where I take him, instead of taking the initiative as he once did when he would choose the beach, mountain, or the woods, and I just followed.
The old boy still has a sense of humour, and still enjoys a play. I suppose neither of us move as fast as we once did lol.

Sending a big cwtch to Madoc.

Tec.

Welll...we now have 2 new bird table fingies, the little one from lidl's is great and most birds use it now, been up just over a week l think and the lates is one of those hanging thingies, made of metal...went up yesterday and already birds are using it...Yehhhhh:o))
l think Hopalong is back (woodpigeon) not seen him in ages.

Madoc is as good as gold. Had a shower this morning, came back from walk caked in mud....he just jumps in the bath, loves it:o)

Tec...hope all is well your end??

jude
PS Jean...you'll have to let us know which road that is:o)

When we go down a certain road in the car, not too far away, there is always a flock of goldfinches flying about. they stick together in this one area, and we cant see any difference ti the hedges there, but to them there must be.

I just had a little panic as I couldn't find the thread .
Still not much action here Bird wise,but lots of Squirrel action.They are scampering around with their mouths full.

Perse Lol!!!!

Jean no access to our garden for scrumpers.

A few years ago we had collared Doves that made their nest on the top of our security light on the back wall of our house.If I leaned out far enough from my bedroom window I could watch the progress of the chicks.The nest was only about 8 ft away.I managed to get a photo of the time the chicks took their first flight.It was amazing.Trouble is I don't know where the photos are now !

Or being trafficked...

Sometimes the birds just don't know.

A couple watched as a thrush made her nest on the sloping brick ledge outside their bedroom window. Very precarious and in the open. She sat on her egg or eggs whilst the couple tiptoed around their room like parents of a newborn. Then along came our big storm and sadly now all is gone.

On the other hand a bird has made her nest in a red traffic light at a busy intersection, she has the overhead cover of the traffic light for warmth. Not sure what her babies will make of living in a red light area.

Persey

I used to scrump apples when I did my paper round .The bag was brilliant to put the apples in lol.Nearly got caught a few times but legged it quick.I remember me and my friend Ann after a good scrump would fill a jumper full of apples and go down the woods and sit on a fallen tree over the stream.We would chuck the cores in the water and then go home with tummy ache lol
Not a lot of birds to speak of ,but that squirrel we have is so funny.It keeps trying to dig holes in the lawn to bury the conkers or whatever it has in it's mouth ,but then the dog spots it and WHOOSH it's gone lol
Just off to have a look at the blog.

Just added photos on blog...from Jean (Monmouth)

jude :o)

lol....like it:o)

Jean....those were the days:o)

Ann....we have loads and loads here from neighbours tree's at bottom of garden. l'm feeding next doors fish and he has loads too...pain in the butt..lol

jude

Anyone near you who could be scrumping?

Before we came away we noticed that our apple crop is a lot lower this year than previous years. Then I see in the paper today that a bumper domestic apple crop is expected this year. Wonder what happened to ours?

We have two apple trees, one of which has had branches weighed down with apples. Having been away for a week I thought I'd get them harvested and store them now we're back but I think the deer's been enjoying our bounty while we were away as I didn't collect vast numbers today, certainly not enough to pass them round to the neighbours like last year. I think it must have been around more times than we know actually because last year we had a lot of windfalls and whilst the ducks do like to peck at them we still had to clear a lot of them up last year. But this year although I sometimes saw some on the ground and thought I'd have to go and see to them before we got wasps buzzing round them I never actually had to worry, so I think it's been having a bit of a feast. It certainly came out from under there this morning. We also have a massive weeping willow which it can hide under and we'd not know it was there.

Been out to the pub quiz tonight and came home after 11pm. The moon and stars were so bright it didn't seem properly dark and we could hear the tawnies again, it was so peaceful walking home.

Anyway - up the wooden hill to bedforshire for me now. Nighty night.

Where we used to live we often saw deer running with the sheep in the fields. They liked the sheep feed! Have sometimes seen them moving across the road to drink at the river. Havent seen so many of them when we use that road lately, getting wary of the traffic, which is increasing.