Hobbies and Crafts

I don't mind about sheep, just cows because they are so big.

I don't know what a wren sounds like. Have you googled it. Wrens are brown and really tiny, smaller than bluetits and very fadt running around in and out of plants. I love them.

I won't even walk in fields with Sheep .There is just something about lots of animals in a field that suddenly become interested in you (puts the wind up me) :-S
We had what I think might have been a little Wren on the patio earlier.Do Wrens make a very loud 'tick tick tick' sound ?

No my birthday is next Thursday Jane. If I had seen the cows when we went onto the footpath I would not have gone that way :-D they were hidden round the cirner although I did remember they were there once before. The thing was they all turned and walked towards, then past us which was a bit tense for a moment. One stopped and looked at us so I sternly said, 'go on' and it did. They were young Fresian heifers.

Just realised it was another Ann's Birthday :-S

LOL Ann you have walked far more than me .
Did I see it was your Birthday????...If so I wish you a very happy birthday (even if belated)
I would not be happy meeting a herd of any cattle.I refuse to go in any field with cattle in.The ones you met were obviously waiting for their grub LOL..Good job too, otherwise they might have been after you !!!!!

Beautiful day here today but a day off from gardening for us.

We went out quite early this morning to drive down to juncton 13 of the M5 before the traffic, however it was still almost grid locked when we joined at 11a. Anyway we went to Saul Junction on the Gloucester Sharpness canal again and, after a coffee in the cafe there, walked to the Frampton church bridge (Splatt Bridge), then around Frampton village. Walking on a footpath through the common by the church we were met by a small herd of heifers, they seemed to be very interested in us until a van appeared at the end of the path which obviously had the farmer in it with their food. I do not like cows. We had a small glass of cider in the Bell, then back along the tow path to Saul Junction. Had a short walk around there trying to see how far the Stroud Water canal goes now as we might think about walking that another time. then back to Highfield Garden Centre at Whitminster for a bowl of soup and a roll, then home down the A38. Since I got up today I have walked 14,832 steps. (5.79 miles according to my Vivofit2 and IPad.. :-D :-D :-D Now I am shattered!

Hello All

Sun is shining and it looks a promising August day, fingers crossed it stays that way.

Bedding on the line and garden watered early this morning. Bird baths refilled too.

Vera, you will be kept busy planting in your garden. Glad that Humphrey is still there.

Thanks Ann for the photo blog. You do much better than me, I usually cut peoples heads off ha ha. Enjoy this lovely Summer day everyone.

A few ladybirds on various pot plants but hardly any butterflies but, of course, at the moment I don't have much planting in the garden to attract them. (For anyone who doesn't read the gardening thread, I am currently completely rehashing our small garden)

When it is planted up it should have, amongst all the other plants, 32 lavenders, a crab apple tree and a hawthorn tree so hopefully the bees and butterflies will find something to attract them. I am also thinking of trying a couple of those miniature buddleias in pots.

The only bird life at the moment are a couple of young blackbirds who like pecking in the bare earth and a pigeon who comes and drinks from the little tiny pool put down for Humphrey the frog. I am delighted to say OH has seen him this morning near the pool so he is still around, though I suppose by now it could be son of Humphrey that we see. :-D

Hello All

Summer has arrived today as the sun is out and not a cloud in the sky (for a change!).

Seems like all the cats are busy doing what cats like to do..... I will google a shrew Ann, I think its a bit like a m**se (those I avoid) ha ha. I will also look on your blog.

No ladybirds and only the odd cabbage white butterfly here. Maybe cutting the budlija was not a good idea after all??

Jane, all fresh and clean at your house then. Your decorator was lucky with the dry weather and it was a bonus that he cleared next doors ivy from off your walls too.

Didn't see much activity on the window or ground feeder yesterday, but all the food was gone when I opened the blinds this morning, so they have had early breakfast.

Need to clean the two bird baths and fill with fresh water.... always a job to do here.

I hope everyone has a relaxing day enjoying "Summer" today.

Ann, no Ladybirds,but LOTS of Butterflies this year.More than I have seen in a very long time.They seem to have gone now though .The wasps are appearing :-S.I was chased all over the place the other day by one :-S :-S and the cat stood on one and got stung a couple of days ago.I have never seen a cat jump so high !!!

Looks like the rain could be here very soon.It has been dry all day and yesterday which was good as our Decorator managed to get all our fascia boards fixed and painted .They look so different now after 20 years of neglect.He even stripped off the old dead Ivy from the brickwork,so it all looks as clean as a whistle now :-D :-D
Not a lot of bird activity in the garden at the moment .The window feeder is still busy surprisingly, with Thomas skulking about.OH did rescue a little bird from his jaws yesterday down the bottom of the garden.

She hasn't said if Lucas caught it.

Has anyone seen any ladybirda this year? Our beans have black fly, ladybirds usually eat blackfly and I have not seen any in our garden, together with butterflies they are noticeable for their absence.

Oh Oh !!! Fun and games there then Ann :-S............Just got Thomas in now for the night (well until 3.30 ) :-|,so I am off to bed to get a few hours of beauty sleep in :-D

And apparently at the moment Lucas, daughter's cat (the black one in the photo on the blog) is chasing a live shrew round daughter's kitchen. Daughter tried to catch it but can't so has left it to him.

I can't look at the pics of the 'killings'.It just makes me feel sick.Shame on them all who think it is fun :-( :-( :-(
Still some killings going on in our garden with the 'CAT' :-(

Ann and Jane
Unbelievable and so very sad. It ought to be banned!!

Awful isn't it. That woman with that beautiful giraffe :-(

I can't even think about the killing of Cecil the Lion and now seeing all the photos popping up on the internet of other beautiful animals killed just for the fun of it.It leaves me speechless (that happens very rarely lol)

Yes that was very sad, Cecil was such a beautufl lion, and having lived in a protected area was probably not frightened of humans. How evil to pay money for the 'pleasure' of killing beautiful beasts.

Hello All

Kense, you were very good to handle the swift and help it to fly away. It's not something I could see myself doing. I don't like fluttering birds near me, and certainly wouldn't be at all happy to have any flying into the room.

Jane, if I was your friend I would have to close the terrace windows and hopefully distract the swifts from flying around inside the room (perish the thought!).

Poor little sparrow, it wouldn't stand a chance of getting away from a hawk or kestrel.
Nature can be very cruel at times. Has Thomas brought you any kills recently?

I am just reading up last weeks newspapers and can see that some beautiful wild animals have been killed by men who think it is fun to bag a trophy..... sick or what?!!

Sounds like the Swift will be flying high now then Kense :-D.I have a friend who often gets them flying in through the big terrace windows.He said they just fly around in circles until eventually finding the way back out again.
We had a Kestral or some kind of Hawk in the garden yesterday with it's catch :-(.I think it was maybe a Sparrow judging by the little pile of feathers left :-S