Hobbies and Crafts

Butterflies galore today .I don't think I have seen so many in years.Bees too.I think the clover on the lawn has a lot to do with it and the hot weather.

So counting down the days now Maryanna to retirement :-D :-D.My Sister is also counting down to hers ,but that is Christmas .She can't wait.

I hope the weather stay good for the Family do this weekend.I think tomorrow is good but not sure about Sunday.
Just watching Murray .Not sure he will get through to the final ...but you never know.

Maryanna I hope all is well with your Daughter and Bump now.That must have been quite a scare.Chicken pox is a horrible thing isn't it.But good that most Children get it when they are really young.My Gt Nephew has just had it ,he is 3.I'm not sure ,but I think I have heard of Chicken Pox Parties.So that all the children can get it all at the same time and all done and dusted.I remember my 2 having it and they were absolutely pickled :-S

My bird food is lasting so much longer now since 'killer ' arrived.But at least the little birds are still coming.I still wonder if the little Moorhens are ok :-(

The thing is we are pretty sure that the cat has been having to survive by hunting for quite a long time.I just wish he realised that now he is well fed he doesn't need to do it any more.He is becoming a proper little porker lol.When he turned up he looked big (because of all of the thick long fur) but I could feel every rib and he was definitely really hungry.
Next week we will get him microchipped and vaccinated so he will officially be ours then.I have given it long enough now just to see if I could find any owners,and I have seen no posters or pleas for a cat resembling him.

Kandj, I don't trust the weather today so my washing is drying in the conservatory. :-) :-)

Hello All

Very few birds want to come to the feeders but the bird baths are still well used. I just wish the birds wouldnt use it as a toilet though!!

Maryanna, that must have been such a worry time for all your family with daughter's threatened miscarriage. You must breath a sigh of relief now and I hope thinks have calmed down and everything goes as planned for her pregnancy
Chicken pox isn't very good so I hope the little one isn't too bothered with spots.
Looks like you will be kept busy in your retirement.

Ann, that was a wise move to ignore the weather forecast and go ahead and enjoy a lovely day out at Hidcote garden and on to a picnic with nice scenery.
A much more interesting day than I had yesterday because I'd put whashing out early and it rained and so I brought the wet clothes in and then put them out again as it brightened up and then it rained again..... I wasn't a happy bunny lol.

We actually ignored the grey sky and went out as planned to Hidcote garden and we hardly had any rain, just a sprinkle, then the sun came out and it was very pleasant. It was windy but a warm wind and the gardens were beautiful, so much in flower, Roses Delphiniums, poppies antirhinums, sweet peas, phlox and even a few Dahlia plus loads of plants I recognise but can't identify. Lots of photos taken. We then had a picnic lunch, in the car overlooking a field of sheep and to the left of us a view over the valley to Stratford on Avon.

Not a nice day here either, although when the sun has come out it has been very warm.

We have a family do here at the weekend and I have been trying to get the garden ready. It has either been too hot or too wet, it looked amazing last week but not most of the Roses are over and a lot of the Perennials are past their best, the Phlox are coming out though so should look good and the tubs and baskets are "blooming ".

All the kids had chicken pox when they were small, we were on holiday and they all went down with it including the youngest who was about seven months old, he was smothered. Luckily we were in Cornwall and the weather was bad and we were self catering so we could keep them covered up and it was too bad for them to go on the beach or in the pool.

Those Jackdaws have taken over as being the major pests from the Magpies, they are sooooo noisy !!!!!

M.

Maryanna, hope all continues to be well for your daughter. Aaw and poor little one chickenpox is so uncomfortable in the warm weather. Has your daughter had it?

Well you are certainly preparing for retirement and all the child minding you can do then :-D :-D

Weather has changed here at the moment and is dull and showery.

Oh dear Jane,how sad,hope the babies are big enough to fend for themselves. Naughty Thomas,not a nice present,hope you got some better ones than that !!!

I hope you had a really lovely birthday, I am sorry my wishes are belated, I haven't been around much the last few days.

My daughter had a threatened miscarriage, all seems to be OK now, fingers crossed, she has had scans and baby is doing well and they can find no sign of problems.

Then the little one got Chicken pox so couldn't go to the childminder or pre school
so we had her,also so Mum could get some rest, especially as it has been so hot. and neither of them could sleep properly.

Just preparing myself for retirement next week ...............

M.

:-D :-D..I'm sure it was Thomas .He was right beside it :-D :-D,just waiting for the back door to be opened to bring it in !!!.

maybe another cat was coming A'courting?

LOL

Happy birthday Jane. I hope you are having a good day.

How sad about the moorhen. I hope the little ones can cope without their mum now. Thomas, you need a long spell on the naughty step.

I suppose you are sure it was Thomas., A few years ago we went through a patch of finding dead birds by the back door and assumed it was one or other of our two cats. Then one time we came back from a few days away to find a couple of thrushes by the back door. Our cats had been in the cattery while we were away so it must have been some other animal though why they would leave their presents by our door I don't know. :-S

Happy birthday Jane and very very naughty Thomas.

Kandj I think the best place to watch the tennis is in your house, it looks much too hot at Wimbledon.

Hello All
Oh no Jane, that is sad news, the poor moorhen and poor little ones too. I hope they are big enough to fend for themselves now. Thomas is slowly getting rid of all the wildlife in your garden. I wonder what he has his eyes on for his next kill?

Happy Birthday Jane, I hope you have other better presents than the moorhen though. The weather is nice enough so I hope you are enjoying your birthday.

We are watching Wimbledon and the spectators look rather hot and bothered today.

Still not a lot of activity around now but both feeders are filled and I have just put fresh clean water in two bird baths so its all there for when the birds need it.

I think Thomas is going to have to have a Cow Bell..........very sad news
He has killed the Adult Moorhen :-( :-( :-(.............I just hope the 2 young ones are alright.

He was sitting beside it outside the back door this morning.Not eaten or mauled .So it must have been a gift :-S..Not quite the present I was hoping to have today.I have proper birthday presents lol

We have put the bird in the field across the road rather than in the bin as I am sure it will be a meal for something.

Hello All

Ann I love hats and will wear them at every opportunity, Summer and Winter, weddings and christenings but never at funerals. It has taken me to become "mature" to gain the confidence though, so I feel that perhaps there are some perks to this getting older lark ha ha.

I also looked up the Hellfire Caves Vera and they look awesome and cool inside on a scorching hot day trip, so I hope you enjoyed it all. The red kites sitings would be a bonus.

Good to know that Thomas is behaving himself now Jane or perhaps the tinkling of his neck bell is alerting others now.

A very quiet bird day here, so the seed/suet pellets are lasting longer for a change.

They are lovely little birds Vera.We have a fair few Goldfinch at the moment but they just tend to sit and sing on the TV aerial and not come down into the garden .I did see one the other day having a drink from the birdbath :-D
The Moorhen and 2 youngsters were here this morning :-D.So at least I know that the cat hasn't had them :-D What a relief :-D
I looked up the Hellfire Caves Vera.They look fascinating :-D

Early yesterday evening I saw a goldfinch hopping around on the bare earth in our part finished garden and early this morning OH saw two. Really pleased about that :-D :-D. Just hope they stay around long enough for us to get the garden finished and some feeders out again.

Vera hopefully the coach was air conditioned. Lovely to see all the red kites anyway.

I dislike hats as well but in the sun always wear a sunhat (cap) I look awful in them and whip it off if anyone points a camera at me.

Kandj, hopefully it is a bit cooler where you are today as it is here and the birds will be able to stock up on their food. :-) :-)

Went on a coach trip yesterday to the Hellfire Caves and West Wycombe Park. It was hot, hot, hot. I hate hats and look awful in them but, as a sufferer of severe chronic migraine, I was very glad of the wide brimmed hat I had with me.

The nice thing was that we saw lots of red kite. They also seemed to be flying very low so we got a good sighting of them.

Good Morning All

WOW..... meant to be 33 degrees here today, now that is seriously HOT and much too hot for us two golden oldies. We aren't grumbling though because it's lovely to have a bit of bright sunshine around for a change.

I think you might be right Ann lol, the birds are waiting patiently so I guess they are also finding it too hot to be fighting in this heat.

Jane, are you hiding somewhere in our road because that is how the folk that pass were dressed yesterday. Hubby says most of them must have got dressed in the dark!! Whatever happened to the pretty summer dresses and straw hats for ladies and the light slacks and cool short sleeved shirts for the men?? Showing my age now ha ha. We will see what fashions are on view today then.

We are pleased that our garden birds have a nice thick shrubbery to hide from the strong sun and can keep cool in today's high temperature.