Hobbies and Crafts

Wow that place has grown Ann.I really just remember it as the Garden Centre and Farm Shop.Going back a good number off years !!.Have you been back to that great "Gloucester ' service station. I think it was you who mentioned it a few years ago and I stopped of there on the way back from Devon and bought some beautiful meat from the Butchers Dept.

Kandj , Thomas has been a real old grump today as it has been a bit wet and miserable.Now he wants out just as I am going to be cooking and OH isn't free to have a waltz around the garden with him. Getting right under my feet :-S

One or two starlings here, some sparrows the iccasional blackbird, wood pigeons and doves plus several great tits and a couple of goldfinch.

We went on the short U3A walk this morning, walked a mile to a pub on the airfield where we discussed setting up the walking group. I think we will just be doing any walks of four miles or less, some of them are real walkers and want to go really fast.

Jane yes it is big now and was quite busy. Yes we called in to Gloucester services last week and bought a few bits. :-)

Lovely photo of Thomas and your OH "resting his eyes" Jane.

Sounds as though you have had a busy couple of days Ann. Today I was out for a cream tea with a ladies group I belong to and I came back at 5 pm so full up that I couldn't face cooking and eating a meal this evening so my long-suffering OH took a pizza from the freezer and had that.

Tomorrow we are on a trip to London with a tour of the Houses of Parliament. I have been before but so long ago that I have almost forgotten it. I hope the weather is better than today. It's been grey and pretty wet all day.

Mitzi saw the vet again today. She has put on just a little weight but is still dehydrated. Nobody seems to know what is wrong with her. She is eating now, little and often, but only the most expensive stuff. Vet gave her two injections this morning, a steroid and something to boost the appetite and wants to see her again on Friday. If the injections have helped she will give her another two but longer acting ones that should keep her going for a month or so.

My biggest concern is that in about ten days she has to go into the cattery for a few days as we won't be here. She has been going there since she was born and they are very good but we may have to talk to them about them giving her a different food, even if we have to pay a bit more. Luckily they use the same vets practice that we do, although a different branch. At least if they had to call a vet in to the cat he would have immediate access to her records.

Got to be out early tomorrow and I want to make sure the cat is settled before we go, so I'm off for an early night now. Sweet dreams everyone :-)

Gracious, they have removed all the book reading threads off the top, that was a surprise.

Yes we had two busy days the beginning of the week, then shopping (after golf) yesterday. Then this morning I had a blood test appointment (routine check on my medication etc), then we went to Cheltenham to collect my 'new' car. It does seem strange to see a bright blue car on the drive instead of a bright red one. I haven't driven it yet although I have familiarised myself with the inside while putting in new mats etc. Paid double to have then trimmed with blue, and also the seat belt padded thingys. OH would have just got black! But I pointed out I am female, colour matters! It is bigger than the golf so it takes a bit of psyching myself up to drive it but I will get there. :-D

What is your new car Ann? (you may have said but I didn't see).I have a new Dacia Duster and it has blue seat belts.Have to say I don't like them.I would prefer if they were black. I was a bit concerned that the Duster was longer than my old Scenic but one or two drives in it and it just felt normal :-D..I do like having the reversing parking sensors though :-)

Vera ,I can understand your concern about Mitzi going into the Cattery.I am sure she will be well cared for and the good thing is that they use the same Vets.Hopefully she will have picked up by the time you go away.

My friend had to have his cat put to sleep this morning :-(

I have never been to the Houses of Parliament.Hope you have had a lovely day.Do you have to book to visit? I would love to know what you think as it could be something my Daughter and I could do (when I go to visit her in London)

Vera I hope you had a good day in London.

I think we have changed our plans for tomorrow, we were going to the Countryfile show at Blenheim Palace but reports of the traffic jams are horrendous, two hour jams from a few miles from the Palace, people were giving up and going home.

Jane the car is a Hyundai i30. Hatchback Not a new one so unfortunately no parking sensors. It is 2007 September. The seat belts are black but the paddedbits that we add to the belts for comfort are black with blue trim

I gave up my car about a year after I retired as it seemed silly to have the expense of two when we were mostly out together. We bought a new Volvo V50 in 2008 and OH said that that one would have to "see us out". Recently I've been dropping hints about changing it but he's had another of his bouts of selective deafness ;-)

We had a lovely day yesterday. It was an organised coach trip and we were dropped outside the Houses of Parliament about 10.30. We had till around 2 pm free and then had our tour. As there were so many of us, we went as two groups. We had an excellent Blue Badge guide who talked very fluently about the history of the place, the architecture and decoration, the political processes etc. The actual tour took a good 90 minutes and we all thought it was well worth it.

You do have to go through an airport type security - bags, coats, watches etc go in a container and through the X Ray scanner and you have to walk through the archway thing that scans you and may be called aside for a bit of a frisking. They suggest you allow 20 minutes for security.

I don't think you have to book in advance Jane but you would need to check that it is open for visitors when you want to go as you can't go round when Parliament is in session. It isn't cheap. We paid £20 a head for our tour but that was a group price. I think it is £25 for individuals, though there is a cheaper audio tour if you were happy to go without a guide. I'm sure they will have a website with the full details.

Mitzi seems a little better so we have tried her on her usual food today. She has only eaten about half of her normal amount but at least she has eaten it which she wouldn't do a week ago. It's back to the vet tomorrow again. Our credit card bill is going to be hefty this month :-(

I hope you all have a good day tomorrow whatever you do.

Vera ,that is good Mitzi is eating a bit more now.Hope the visit to the vets tomorrow is positive <3
I do like the sound of a visit to the Houses of Parliament . It sounded like you had a very interesting time Vera. :-) Must put it on my list of places to go :-D

Things are busy on the back lawn.Loads of Blackbirds and a bit earlier the Thrushes.
It seems there are plenty of worms in the lawn .The Thrush had so many wrapped around its beak !!! and still looking for more !!!!!!..Are the birds still feeding babies?

Ah I know what you mean now Ann.The padded things that go around the seatbelt to stop it strangling you.I have one too :-)

Well I have let Thomas go.He has been so desperate to get out it was driving me potty.I just hope he stays in the garden today.He has already eaten one mouse :-S.That was within 20 minutes. He had to bring it and eat it by the patio table :-S.I came in then while he was munching .I think he is now on the lookout for seconds!
OH says never mind the mice ..it is the rabbits he needs to concentrate on lol.But after so long maybe Thomas is starting on the smaller meals :-D

Lovely day here.Bit hot for me though to sit out in it.Even in the shade of the Parasol on the patio table it is still really hot.
Oh Gawd! OH has just come in and said Mouse number 2 is being eaten !!!!!!!!!!.
Hopefully Thomas will be full soon and just sleep somewhere close to the house so I can grab him and get him back in.

Jane bless him, he has missed hunting. Good that he is so clever at catching them though.

We are just back from walking a total of 4 miles, including to the bus and back and down to Goucester Quays, then along the tow path a little way and around the docks as well. Hopefully will have some photos to add to the blog soon. A lovely day here and warm and sunny while walking but we were in wetherspoons by 11.45 so in the cool.

Yesterday we also walked about 4 miles total, three of which were around Westonbirt Arboretum Silk Wood.

So, Friday we went to Westonbirt and walked a total of about 3.5 miles, Saturday we went to the docks and walked about 4+ miles altogether and we are just back from a walk from home to a pub on the perimeter of Gloucester airport, a total of almost 5 miles. Rest tomorrow I think. :-D

Photos from the weekend on the blog

You have done well with that walking Ann :-D Hope you had a nice rest day :-D..Did you say some while ago you have of of those fit thing watches ? Or an ap on your phone? I seem to remember something.OH has one on his phone so knows how far he has done and how many steps.
Will have a look at your pics..The one and only time I visited Westonbirt Arboretum was when my daughter was just months old.She is now 33 .So says how long ago I went lol.I loved it there.We lived in Nailsea then.

Yes I have a vivofit which is similar to a fitbit but also is a watch. Didn't do a lot yesterday, went for a short drive of my new car and liked it, did some washing, did a bit of gardening, dusted downstairs, oh maybe did more than I thought Lol.

You put me to shame Ann. I don't walk nearly enough these days.

How many mice has Thomas had today Jane? Mitzi hadn't eaten again for a couple of days but as she perked up after a short acting steroid injection the vet has now given her one that should last for three or four weeks. They are still puzzled over what is wrong with her. We have to take her back in 4 weeks but the vet is happy for her to go to the cattery this weekend.

I am relieved about that as we are going to son's wedding. Son has been divorced for a few years and he is marrying a lovely lady who is widowed. Son has 3 daughters, 2 in their teens and a 10 year old, and his partner has 2 boys in their early 20s, so quite a family. We are bringing the girls back with us on Monday for a week or so, so I don't know how much time I will get to spend on here.

I was about to say that the only birds I have seen are the sparrow pair but I just glanced up o see a bird on the fence that I am sure was a thrush. If so, it is the first one I have seen around here :-D

Vera I think Thomas is working his way through the Mouse population :-D :-D

That is good that the Vet feels Mitzi will be fine to go to the Cattery for the Weekend while you are away.
It sounds like it is going to be quite a wedding !!!!. The weather is looking good for the weekend :-DIt is going to be a wonderful day for you all. :-D :-D

Strange the vet can't find what is wrong with Mitzi Vera, hopefully she will gradually improve. Sounds like it will be a lovely wedding. Have a good time with the girls I am sure you will enjoy having them.

Jane at least Thomas is earning his keep now he is back on the hunt.

He certainly is Ann.I am back to saving a bit on cat food lol. He went out at 8 this morning.Haven't seen him since.No doubt when he does show up his fur will be full of those sticky seeds :-S.I have the brush ready :-D

Very quiet with the birds today.We aren't sure if we saw a Hawk earlier.If it was then I expect they have gone into hiding for a while.Better to be safe than sorry :-)

Just had a look at all your fantastic photos Ann.. What a great idea having the Tree Walk .Is that a new thing there?

Jane yes been open a few months now but that was the first time we had seen it. It is not that high, I was worried if it was OH wouldn't go on it, he was fine but wouldn't go up into the 'crows nest' it gives an entirely different perspective of the arboretum and the trees. Children seemed to love it as well.