Hobbies and Crafts

Hello All

You have had a long walk today Ann, I am feeling tired just reading where you have both been to today. I wouldn't have been comfortable in a field with cattle though, you are obviously much braver than I am.

Kense, I was curious to hear the robin/wren bird sounds but the link said I was "forbidden", a bit strange and like Jane, I admit that I am not good with computers.

Jane, how is Thomas coping with this hot weather? I think the birds have all been visiting your feeder because ours is still full. No birds wanting to visit us today.

I keep seeing the odd ant with wings on the kitchen floor. No idea where they are coming from. I have sprayed around the floor units and skirting boards just now.

http://www.garden-birds.co.uk

go to the site, select robin or wren then tab down until you find the alarm call.

I think, once you have entered the home page, that the links I posted will work.

I didn't use that link Kense as I had to instal Quicktime to listen to the bird sounds, and we had a lot of problems when we had it installed before. Even getting it uninstalled turned out to be a bit of a nightmare.

But if you just enter something like "Wren Alarm Call" in to Google, you get offered a number of YouTube recordings. The wren alarm certainly sounds like the tic, tic that Jane described.

We had a little wren this morning, we sat and watched it from the conservatory as it went in and out of the trellis and hanging baskets. They are so tiny and so cute.

Hello All

A pleasant day here, not too hot which is fine for us two.

I think the birds have left us. We haven't seen any for 3-4 days?? They obviously are getting better food elsewhere!

Just the odd cabbage white butterfly fluttering in the borders too. Obviously I made the wrong decision to cut back the budlija earlier this year.

I had a flying ant land on my laptop last night??...no idea where that came from, but I sprayed all around before bed last night and thankfully no sign of any ants so far.

Hope Jane is enjoying her lunch with Fitz and her friend and that everyone else will have a good time today.

We have 3 Buddleias in our garden and still see very few butterflies, mainly cabbage whites. saw 2 peacocks about 3 weeks ago.

Kandj I had a lovely lunch out with my friends thanks.I am still full now so will not be having anythng else to eat today .The men are seeing to themselves this evening so I am havingtime off from the kitchen :-D

Yesterday I found a little bird sitting on one of our small tables in the lounge.I think it was a young House Sparrow.I don't know how long it had been here.I had one failed attempt at covering it with a teatowel and picking it up but it got out and flew to the top of a curtain before flying behind another and settling on the window sill.I managed at the second attempt and let it go onto one of the branches of the tree just outside .
I then discovered 'poop' down one of my walls :-S :-S..Can I get it off??? .No.
So we will have to see if we have some paint left over from the decorating last year and just try and paint over the mark.
I was just relieved that the cat wasn't in :-D

You're braver than me Jane. I love watching the birds but I am a real wuss when it comes to handling them or having them flap around me.

On one occasion, hearing noises in the bathroom, I opened the door and a bird was flapping about inside. I shut the door very quickly. When OH came in I told him and he had a look but the bird had managed to find the open window and fly out again. It had left a bit of a mess but as the bathroom was fully tiled it wasn't much of a problem clearing up.

Another time a starling managed to fall down the chimney. Luckily the fire wasn't alight and there was a fire guard in front so it didn't fly into the room but OH had to do his rescue act again.

The garden is still bird less but it won't be too long now before we get a couple of trees and some shrubs in. Then hopefully they will be back.

I think there are not many birds around at all
At the moment except the usual doves and pigeons.. Glad you had a good meal out Jane, was it a special occasion? We are hoping to eat out tomorrow lunch time for my birthday, but the weather is against us. We were going up to Webbs of Wychbold and then for lunch to the Harvester but that area is due thunderstorms and has a weather warning for flash floods so not a good idea to go driving up the motorway. So we shall have to go local instead somewhere. Mind you we are expecting rain as well so even that could be fun.

Happy Birthday Ann <3
I hope you have a lovely lunch today wherever you go.Hope the rain isn't going to be as awful as they say.
It is supposed to be due here much later today.

Thank you Jane

The forecast changed slightly to lighter rain here but so far, it is 3.30 and we have not had any rain at all so we wonder if we needed to change our plans at all.


I am having a lovely day.We went to Hobbycraft at Cheltenham and bought quite a few bits I didn't know I needed with OH's birthday money, also went to homesense there and Sainsbury's for coffee. Then we drove back and went to Table Table (stupid name for a restaurant, part of the brewers fayre chain) and had a very nice lunch, I had prawn cocktail, scampi and OH had Calamari and fish and chips and we shared a cherry and apple crumble.

No more to eat today although we brought home half a bottle of wine so shall drink that this evening I expect. :-D :-D <3

Ann you have been lucky with the weather then :-D.It seems to just be starting here :-S.The wind is blowing and the rain is getting going.
My Sister spends a lot of time in Hobbycra** Cheltenham .
If you fancy a really nice meal in Cheltenham sometime .I would recommend Raymond Blan* Brasserie .It is in what was part of Queens Hotel.We went for a Sunday lunch the weekend before last and I have to say it was the best meal ever :-D
I hope you enjoy the rest of your special day <3

Thanks for that tip Jane as we would never have considered going there. We went to Raymond Blanc in M Keynes and had a very infifferent overpriced meal. So that is good to know.

And maybe, one time that youa re in the area, we could meet up. (I know these visits are usually full on and filled with other things, but worth remembering. We are 20 minutes from Cheltenham by bus (don't usually take the car in. And about the same by car from Tewkesbury.

Glad you are having a good birthday Ann. You seem to have been lucky with the weather. It started pouring here about 1.45, rained quite heavily till around 4, then it stopped for a while but at the moment it looks as though the heavens are about to open again. At least we won't have to water the pots tonight :-D

Yes Ann that would be nice to meet up down there .My Sister retires at Christmas and we have been talking about me going down on my own (without OH ) for a few days in the spring.So that might be a good opportunity to meet :-D :-D That would be nice.

Look forward to it Jane.

Vera still no rsin here to speak of.

Happy birthday to you
Happy birthday to you
Happy birthday dear Ann
Happy birthday to you...... tra la la la la

Sorry, a bit late in the day but I hope you have enjoyed it received lots of cards
and some nice pressies today.

No rain at all here today. Perhaps it is going to come tomorrow?

Vera you and I are the same. Anything flying around too near and I get out of the way FAST!

Good to know that all went well for your lunch yesterday Jane. I can imagine that there was lots of chattering going on. Nice not to go back to cooking in your kitchen

Thanks Kandj and how lovely you sing!

Yes had a great day, i tend to get money/ voucher gifts these days with family living away but I don't mind. I did get a rather nice brooch from my friend though. Money to spend from OH as he doesn't know what to buy and he knows I enjoy a good spend in hobbycraft. He did buy a lovely card though and he always chooses the words well.

You have reminded me there Ann.I have a voucher from my daughter that she gave me last month for my birthday.it's for a facial.I must ring and make an appointment .I think I will have it done just before our holiday to Lake Garda next month.

Not much activity bird wise at the moment ,although the Blackbirds do a lot of running around the lawn early evenings.I'm sure having the cat must put some off from visiting the window feeder.The last few days he seems to have been sticking closer to home and we haven't had any rabbits brought back now for a few weeks :-D.My neighour said to send him along there as she has 6 in her garden the other day !!

My Neice ,OH and Children were 2 hours off from setting off to Turkey on Friday and the dogs were being put in the car to go to the kennels when tragedy happened.
Bo the Shar Pei somehow broke loose from his harness and jumped out .He was hit by a car and killed :-( :-( :-( My Nephew (in law) picked him up and ran with him to the Vets which was not far but Bo had died.He had open fractures and massive internal injuries.
What a terribly sad thing to happen just as everyone was all excited about going on holiday.The little girl didn't see Bo but Finn did and he was so traumatised.They nearly didn't go but my Sister said that they had to and that she would take care of the other dog rather than him go to Kennels .She already has 3 dogs !!.
I just hope that they will all be able to somehow enjoy their break .
I feel so sorry too for the poor lady who hit Bo.It was just a dreadful freak accident.
I know these things happen, but for it to happen just when it did was just so dreadful.

Hello All
Glad that you enjoyed your birthday Ann. You are sure to enjoy spending your birthday money and vouchers on items that you will use.

Jane, that is such an horrific start to your niece and families holiday. Poor dog, and poor lady driver who ran over Bo. These freak accidents happen from time to time. I just hope that the little boy won't remember all the trauma and everyone can enjoy their holiday now.

We had loads of Starlings here today. Everything went from the ground feeder in seconds and about 8 Starlings settled on the window feeder fighting for the food. Needless to say that they emptied it very quickly and also managed to dislodge the window feeder in the process....... Starlings...... don't you just love them...... NOT!!