Hobbies and Crafts

In case anyone is not aware, there is a vote going on today for Britain's national bird. It is at http://www.votenationalbird.com

There is a short list of 10 birds.

The site has been heavily loaded.

Thanks for letting us see the pictures Bob.

Jane I hope you have a great time in Paris.

Ann. I am sure Luke will love his book and bubbles. I still love bubbles :-D

Maryanna, have a wonderful birthday weekend.

I have just had an email from the cruise people to say that high winds are forecast for the day we are going to Guernsey and it won't be safe to land people by tender, so we are going there a day earlier than planned. This means we won't be there for the celebrations for the anniversary of Liberation Day which is a shame, but I am sure there will still be plenty to see.

Off to bed shortly. Goodnight all

Ann suggested I offer the blue tit box info onto a birdwatching thread

here are some picks of the chicks hatched 30 april......

http://www.genesreunited.co.za/keepsafe/asset/details/15331034
http://www.genesreunited.co.za/keepsafe/asset/details/15331026
http://www.genesreunited.co.za/keepsafe/asset/details/15331015
http://www.genesreunited.co.za/keepsafe/asset/details/15331007
http://www.genesreunited.co.za/keepsafe/asset/details/15331020

just added these pics of the birdbox


just a cheapo web cam in the box but exciting to watch the antics...

I know Ann LOL but to see them all on the branches and then flying to the window to find nothing there I just had to get a replacement .My son has strict instructions to REMEMBER to fill it each morning before he goes to work and then check it again when he gets home.I have filled the big tin with food so he just needs to scoop it into the feeder tray.(not a lot to ask :-D)
Just had a lovely relaxing bath and am now off to bed .Ann I forget when you are going.Book and Bubbles sound just great for little Luke :-D
I bought some of those gigantic bubble things when I had my dear old Chester and he loved haring around the garden trying to catch them :-DThe bubbles were HUGE !!

Lol there are emergencies and emergencies Jane :-D bird feeders don't usually feature! Hope the weather is better in Paris than it has been here.

Book and bubbles in the pile ready to go next week Kandj. :-)

All packed and ready now.
I had an emergency dash to the garden centre to buy a new window feeder.The one I had suddenly flew off the window and over the side gate in the wind and broke.It was there one minute and I noticed it was empty ,so I went to refill it and it was GONE !!!
There were a lot of very confused looking birds lol
See you all again next Wednesday.
Have a wonderful cruise Vera <3

Still very wet and windy here again today. It's cold and like Winter outside with things getting blown all around the garden. Changed from a tee-shirt into a jumper and switched the heating on again. It seems more like November that May!

Not many birds at the window/ground feeder or flying about either. I think they must be sheltering in the bushes well away from the cold wintry weather.

Maryanna, have you cleared up after your family celebrations and do you still have the energy to "party,party" at the weekend? I'm sure you will all have a brilliant time.
Wishing you Congratulations and Very Many Happy Returns for you special day.

Vera enjoy your time in Bruges and Guernsey with your friends. Not been to Bruges but have been to Guernsey many years ago and we loved seeing how the other half lived in their millionaires yachts!

Ann, I hope that you remember to pack the book and bubbles for little Luke. Is he still smiling mischievously? Enjoy your time with your family in Hampshire.

Jane, Hope you are all ready and prepared for your little trip in France, hope you and your husband have a good time there.

Sounds like you had a blast Maryanna :-D :-D.You have a few days to recharge your batteries now before the next lot of celebrations :-D.The Big Birthday Bash :-D :-D
I will wish you a very Happy Birthday now as I will be away .

The poor birds are being blown all over the place here in this dreadful wind.They can hardly land on the window feeder :-S

Plenty of comings and goings on this thread....... have a lovely time everyone and I hope that the weather improves for you all so that you can all enjoy yourselves.

Maryanna, so pleased that you had such a lovely weekend. and, lucky girl, more to look foward to next weekend. We shall be in Hampshire then, having four days down there to see Luke and our third Grandson and also my sister. So hope all goes well for next weekend and that the weather is good enough for a barbecue. <3

Hi everyone, I have just stopped long enough to draw breath !!!!

We had the most wonderful weekend, thank you for all your good wishes.

The boys were all home on Friday evening, so lots of noise and joking, I do miss that.

We had a lovely afternoon at our daughters on Saturday and she cooked a beautiful meal.

Sunday was the party, it was fantastic to see all our family and friends there and I had the great honour of announcing the two new arrivals to be. Some faces were a picture, it has been so hard keeping it quiet, only a handful of people knew about both of them, including all of you !!! And even fewer knew about my daughter.

We had some really lovely presents, plants and vases and other beautiful things and I have another pile waiting to be opened on my birthday. We have been so spoiled.

About thirty people came back for tea after the pub lunch, lucky. I had catered for lots, as usual. I am used to feeding an army !!!

The weather was Ok, but it wasn't nice enough to have tea outside, and as for today, I have never seen the garden furniture blow across the patio before. Most of the blossom is now off the trees, such a shame.

Yesterday after the others had gone back, we took our eldest son and his wife out to buy them a pram. There isn't a lot in the way of baby shops down in darkest Somerset. It will be delivered nearer the date. They then went off back home.

Next weekend it is my birthday. We will be back in Somerset for that. Kids have got all sorts of things planned. A posh tea near Taunton, a nice dinner out in Porlock and a BBQ, if weather improves, at eldest sons house.which is now for sale, they are hoping to move before the baby comes, no stress there then.

I am supposed to be going back to work tomorrow but have just been informed of a funeral so am waiting to hear back as to whether I can have time off or not, it's not local, about thirty miles away but we were very close when we were children and I really would like to say goodbye.

Now I have handed my notice in at work I a not too bothered !! They can only sack me !!!

Thanks again for your good wishes.


Have a great time in Paris Jane.. I love Paris.

Vera, have a great time too, I love Bruges as well, want to go back.

M.

Vera,I hope this wind dies down before you set off on your cruise.I have not been to Guernsey but have been to Bruges .I did enjoy it.I'm sure you will all have a wonderful time together .We went on a cruise to the Norwegian fjords for our silver wedding and that was just so beautiful.

There is a mass of feathers just outside our driveway :-( I think it is Pidgeon feathers.
:-( :-(

Only done a mini cruise to Scandinavia before. Bruges is lovely if you have good mobility. I think Guernsey will be packed but the atmosphere should be good.

Love Guernsey Vera, St Peter Port is nice. Nice castle there if you like castles. Will probably be crowded I expect if it is the VE celebrations. We havewn't been to Bruges. Have you done a cruise before?

Just cruising round the English Channel and a bit of the North Sea Ann. Not very exotic. The ship docks at Zeebrugge for a full day, very early morning till evening, so we are going into Bruges. We've been there before but are happy to go again.

We are also docked at St Peter Port on Guernsey for a full day. Looking forward to that as we haven't been there before and the town will be having its VE Day celebrations the day we are there. :-D

Enjoy your cruise Vera, where are you cruising to?

Well Paris for any readon Jane, I love Paris. Not been by Eurostar though, not easy from here.

I don't like Rape either. The chap who farmed the fields round our last house had a rotation system. I loved the wheat years, didn't mind the bean years but hated the Rape years. It looked lovely but the worst thing was that awful rotten cabbage smell when it died down. It seemed to drift round the whole house.

This afternoon we went for a walk round Arger Fen, not too far from us. The bluebells there are glorious and all the time we were there I could hear the birds singing in the trees. Apparently they have skylarks nesting there as well which is great as skylarks are in decline I think.

I hope you enjoyed your weekend Maryanna - I expect you are still recovering.

Jane, have a great time in Paris. We are also off on Thursday, just for a 4 day mini-cruise. That's not really our type of thing but we are going with a group of friends so went along with what the majority wanted to do. I know we will enjoy it because our friends are good company.

No Ann, just a little break :-D....If OH gives me the weather forecast once more for Paris I think I will end up throttling him lol.I will go prepared for anything :-D with one big suitcase :-D.Going by Eurostar .So much easier than flying.

Ooh is it for a special occasion? Have a lovely time. :-) :-)

Ann I wake about 3 each night with an earache and sore throat.I am sure it is to do with the Rape.Trouble is I just can't sleep with every window shut at night.I think we are quite lucky this year as the fields at the front don't seem to have Rape .I think it might be Wheat.But there are still plenty of fields with the Yellow stuff at the moment :-S :-SI will be very happy when it all dies down :-D

I will be away from Thursday until the 13th..Off to Paris :-D