Hobbies and Crafts

Ann, Luke looks so mischievous and cute, it's hard to think of him having a tantrum.

Despite wet weather last Thursday it seems that the bride and groom enjoyed their special day surrounded by family and friends. You will be pleased to be home now.

Rain and even more rain here in Yorkshire for the last few days, so not seen any birds on our window feeder at all. I did spot a jackdaw on a neighbours roof but nothing else.

Actually had a Goldfinch in the garden today although it didn't stop long. They don't seem to like the feeder we have, ever since we chnaged they have not used it. I haven't really been watching much today but did also see a robin and a bluetit (and a sparrow) but the feeders had not been filled since we got home. :-) They have now.

Well we are back home, travelled back today. traffic was very heavy and there were several bits of the M6 which were congested. We still made quite good time though and it wasn't too bad.

The wedding was on Thursday which was the wettest day we had up there. It all went very well though, the hotel was excellent, they couldn't do enough for us. The bride looked really lovely and, even though most of the photos were indoors and they didn't have a professional photographer they seem to have come out very well. The bride and groom are now on honeymoon so have not seen the photos so none will be on the internet until after they have returened. Some photos were taken by the more adventurous among us of the bride and groom her under a red umbrella and he under a black one, very effective.

The meal was excellent - Tomato or leek soup, salmon en crout (or chicken or mushroom tagliatelle), and sticky toffee pudding and ice cream or creme brulee.

And the speeches went off well too.

The rest of the week was full on with all the family up there so daughter's apartment where we stayed seemed to have a procession of young family members including baby Luke and a couple of daughter's friends, in and out all day. Luke got very spoilt with his young uncle prepared to carry him everywhere and is apparently playing Mum and dad up today.

On the days we did get out the scenery (when the sun did shine) was as beautiful as ever. The trees are starting to turn and also all the ferns so it is very pretty.

Daughter and son in law are now finding it very quiet but they need a well deserved rest after us lot being there.

I have to say that at the wedding it was the first time we saw Luke cry (when he couldn't go where he wanted to go. - he likes to 'walk' holding someone's hands, - and he also took a dislike to one of daugher's friends (male). And he also showed that he has a little temper when he refused to sit in the provided high chair. Apparently according to Mum the temper has come out in the last two months. so not quite the smiley bably he was :-D

We have had a Buzzard and a Red Kite around this afternoon,and maybe a Sparrow Hawk (not sure about that one).But there was a sudden flight of Pidgeons !!!!Flying for their lives I think :-S :-S

I do wish the chaffinches wouldn't be so aggressive on the Window feeder.I am beginning not to like them so much at the moment :-(.They are quite vicious and feathers fly :-S
Ann I hope all went well for the wedding :-D and no-one got blown away in the wind.

Hope that the rain and mist gives way to sunshine so that the bride and groom can remember a happy wedding day surrounded by family and friends.... and baby Luke.
His cheeky grin and sparkling eyes are enough to cheer up the whole of the wedding party. Have a lovely day Ann and enjoy the wedding day with your family tomorrow.

Crikey Ann.I can't keep up with you LOL.......Now the Lake District again. :-D.
I hope tomorrows weather will be kind for the wedding.
Little Luke looks such a wonderful little happy chappy :-D :-D

The latest visitor to our garden today has been a lovely big Male Pheasant.He pottered around the lawn for a while and then spent some time on the Summerhouse roof.

A bit mucky up here too Jane. ( Lake District). Although sunny at the moment and Windermere in the distance is coming out of the morning mist.

There are so many of us here in three apartments that it is almost impossible to get on line WiFi is not very good and broadband very very slow.bso if I am missing that is why. Wedding tomorrow so lots of things to be done today.

Baby Luke us still chuckling. :-D

Oh what a filthy mucky old day :-S.The rain doesn't seem to have put off the visitors to the window feeder though.There seem to be big battles going on out there right now between the Chaffinches :-|

Thanks Kandj yes he is.

We would be pleased to see any bird other than the greedy and aggressive Starlings who are the only ones to visit our garden and fall out on the window feeder. The fat birdseed cake I make is soon gone. I need to make more!

Ann..... loving your gt grandson Luke, he is a little smasher!

After Maryanna's post saying about a flock of geese and me saying I hadn't seen any Geese for ages,well on Tuesday on our way to Canons Ashby there was a big flock of Geese that flew overhead !!!
I wish the Long Tailed Tits would come back here Ann.They must be about the only birds now that don't come to the feeder.

Yesterday we had a couple of long tailed tits on the feeders...... apparently. I, of course, didn't see them!!!! :-(

That's interesting Ann. I'll have a look at that later.

In our case, OH was ill in Istanbul and I was ill in Kalkan, a couple of hours drive from Dalaman. Nobody else in either hotel was ill and I was very happy with the standards in both hotels. I think it was just one of those things.

I do feel sorry for the poor kids and their parents. Hope they have all recovered OK now.

Vera, I see in the D Mail today that several families with children are suing a large hotel in Dalaman and Thompsons after their children all had a nasty tummy bug and were really ill.

Jane, OH's scalded arm was very painful to start with and is blistering in places but it could have been a lot worse. Apparently we did the right things to minimise the effects of the scald. Lots and lots of cold running water before wrapping his arm in cling film and getting him to the hospital. We did put a pack of frozen peas on it for a while to try to cool it quickly and were later told we should have stuck to running water.

Arm has been dressed a couple of times at our local surgery and he has to go back on Thursday. OH is quite chipper but I am a frazzled wreck!! Not only am I now the chauffeur cum nurse but I have had to spring clean my fairly large kitchen. Not only was the floor a mess but tea seems to have got in every drawer and cupboard :-|

I am pleased to say the starlings and a couple of sparrows have rediscovered our garden so I am hoping the blue tits, robin etc will soon do the same :-D

ooh ouch Vera that must have hurt OH.I hope his arm isn't too badly burnt.Quite a drastic thing to do to get out of window cleaning LOL

We have had a very big female Pheasant in the garden this afternoon.She was just wandering around on the back lawn ,but then came right up by the patio doors.
I tried to sneak up to the window with the camera ,but scared her and she took off over the hedge :-S
6.30 and I still have the doors and windows open ,but have closed them up a bit just incase any Crane flies or other insects fancy coming in.
I was woken in the early hours with a Crane fly buzzing around one of my ears !!!.I knew that there was one in the bedroom when I went to bed but just couldn't catch it.

We are having a day out tomorrow and going to visit Cannons Ashby near Daventry :-D

So far today we have had two collared doves taking a rest between flights by perching on the top of the feeding station, and one starling who pecked at a couple of suet pellets before flying off. It's not exactly birdland round here at the moment.

Not sure if anything was around yesterday. In the morning we had four mad visiting dogs hurtling round our tiny patch keeping all the birds out. We spent the afternoon at the hospital as OH had managed to throw a newly made pot of tea all over his arm. I think it was a ploy to get out his promise to clean the windows this week. Men!!

EDIT. Nice to see a new name on the thread. Have you found out what is digging your holes yet Graham?

Ann, Luke is a real little charmer. He'll break a few hearts when he gets older :-D

Luke is a real cutie Ann, he will keep your family amused and busy I think.

Lesley, Luke could be a little playmate for Millie.

Hello to Graham, your very welcome here. Thanks for the link.

Maryanna, all very interesting sharing news of your friends in high places.

Quite cool here in Yorkshire Jane, but dry and pleasant just as I like it.

I was in the kitchen this afternoon and saw a robin on the garden wall... it was a tiny one but a definite red breast. Made a nice change. Hope it comes back again.

Curtsy to Ma'am :-D.Sounds like a wonderful time at the Palace Maryanna.
My Nephew was there at a Garden Party a few weeks ago .He is only 22 and was invited because of the work he does with the Red Cross.That will be an extra thing to go on his CV :-D :-D
I haven't seen any Geese for a long time flying over here.When my old next door neighbour still lived here and he looked after the little 'lake ' in the Garden we would get the Canada Geese .We would hear them early in the mornings coming in to land and they would spend many hours there before departing later in the day.But sadly now the people next door have totally neglected the lake and it is choked with whatever plants and nothing seems to visit there.Not even ducks any more.It is such a pity they haven't bothered with the place .I wonder why they ever bought somewhere with so much land if they weren't interested..I actually think they were hoping to sell off some of the garden to builders ,but that seems to have died a death at the moment (thank heavens).

It is so airless and stuffy here today .I find it a bit draining :-S