Thursday 25 June 2009

Sky Watch Friday



No new "sky" shots this week - so here is one taken in Paris a few years ago.




For more photos of skies around the world - please click here.

Tuesday 23 June 2009

Watery Wednesday




A water lily on our garden pond - isn't it beautiful!







For more "watery" images from aound the world - please click here.

Saturday 20 June 2009

Another Senior Moment

After my post about the coffee yesterday I thought I'd share this story with you as well.

OH and I had to go to Bristol this morning. We had an appointment in the old part of the city and decided to park in the multi-storey behind the Hippodrome (for those of you who know the city). We left the car for about 2 hours and on returning to the car park had to climb the stairs to level 5. I don't normally have any difficulty walking upstairs but with each successive flight my legs were aching more and more. By the time I reached level 5 my back was really aching as well. However, I got there, OH went to pay and I made my way to where we had left the car. I walked around the level and met up with OH coming the other way. We couldn't find our car! We looked at one another and OH said he would check the next level up. I let him do that by himself but we both realised it couldn't be there because that was the top level so made our way down again. I then said that I thought it could be on level 3 and there it was. What a relief!

What had happened? As we got out of the car I had thought I had seen the number 3 but as we made our way to the staircase we both saw the number 5 - so we both thought we must be on level 5. In fact we were on level 3. Number 5 turned out to be the speed limit in the car park!

I do sometimes wonder if we are safe to be let out on our own! It did make us laugh though - eventually!

Friday 19 June 2009

Skywatch Friday




The busy blue sky above my garden






Please click on the picture for more detail.

For more photos of skies around the world - please click here.

Thursday 18 June 2009

Coffee Time

I went to see a friend today. She lives in a town about 20 minutes drive from us so I left early and did a bit of shopping before I called in to see her for coffee.

She is partially disabled and we don't see one another very often so it was good to catch up again and we began chatting as soon as she opened the door. She made me a mug of coffee and we carried on nattering. I like my coffee quite strong and black but thought today that it was a bit weaker than she usually makes it. However I drank most of it and we carried on talking.

Suddenly she asked "did I put any coffee in your drink"? I looked at her blankly and then peered into the almost empty mug. There was clear water there! She had forgotten to put any coffee into her machine and let the water filter straight into the mug, having a cold drink for herself. Also the mug was cream outside, brown inside - so it was not immediately noticeable that there was only water in it.

It made us laugh so much and I'm not sure which of us was the sillier. I think it must be me!

Wednesday 17 June 2009

Watery Wednesday



Last week I spent a few days with my daughter in Stratford on Avon. Out for a walk one day we were lucky enough to see this swan and her cygnets. There were about 5 or 6, all swimming close to their parent but by the time I had my camera ready they had swum off in different directions!








For more Watery Wednesday shots - please click here.

Tuesday 16 June 2009

The Cat at the Piano

I was sent an email last week with an attachment of a You Tube video showing Nora at the piano. Very sweet and funny - to watch - the links are here

or here

When I see things like this I know why I love cats so much.

Monday 15 June 2009

Time for a swim

The weather was beautiful at the weekend and I decided to get rid of some of the duck weed in our pond and some of the water lily pads which seem to be in abundance. The tadpoles are doing well and their little legs are now just visible. I got my camera to try to take a shot of them and who should come swimming towards me - and then away again - one of the newts that live here. I love to see them.




Here is a picture of the tadpoles - not sure that you will be able to see their legs though.

Sunday 14 June 2009

Today's Flowers - my orchids



These orchids have been flowering for months now. I was given the white one at Christmas, in full flower and the other two have been flowering since January.

Please click on the picture for more definition.



This lovely meme was created by Luiz Santilli Jr and is managed by Luiz, Laerte Pupo, Valkyrien and Denise.

For a look at more lovely flower pictures - please click here.

Thursday 11 June 2009

Saying goodbye

Last week a dear friend died and today we will be attending his funeral. He was 66. A few days ago his widow telephoned and asked that OH say a few words at the wake and of course, although not a task to be looked forward to, he feels honoured to be able to do it. She also asked that we join her and some other friends and family members at a gathering at their house yesterday evening and naturally we went along.

Again, not an event we were relishing but it turned out very well. There were about 15 of us, some of us were strangers to each other, some had travelled long distances and she wanted to be sure that today everyone will know someone apart from the immediate family.

The evening began with her explaining that she wanted us all to relax and to celebrate our friend's life. She thanked us for our support during the past difficult months and asked that we raise our glasses and drink a toast to her late husband. We then spent a couple of hours telling each other of our connection with the family and particular memories of our friend. It was not a late evening and perhaps half prepared us for today's events. I think too that it helped the family. What else would they have done on that last awful evening before the final goodbye to their loved one.

Tuesday 9 June 2009

Watery Wednesday




On my last visit to Australia I took a shot of this handsome fellow waiting for feeding time in Cleland Wildlife Park in South Australia.

(click on photo to enlarge)



For more Watery Wednesday shots - please click here. Many thanks to hosts.

Catching up

Having been "out of the loop" a bit lately I have neglected to let you know that I have been given a chicken by Ann at Retired and Crazy which I am to share with five others! Now Ann passed this to me on 26 April when I was a bit low in spirits, which was really thoughtful of her and is very remiss of me not to have mentioned it sooner. I hadn't forgotten, it's just that with one thing and another (the computer playing up and then just being too busy to concentrate on blog world) time has passed and here we are in the 2nd week in June! (we'll be buying Christmas cards next!).



So I am dishing up this chicken and would like to share it with:

Jay at the Depp Effect because she will soon have another mouth to feed in the shape of Sid the greyhound.

Maggie at Nuts in May. Maggie has been having a traumatic time dealing with unwanted visitors in her roof.

Denise at An English Girl Rambles because she often goes out for the day and it could be useful in packed lunches.

Karen at the Rubbish Diet because she wouldn't need to cook it and so save on fuel

Winifred at Stop Procrastinating and Just do it so that she won't need to worry about cooking it either.


I am also honoured to have been chosen to receive this award from Joo at Daily Haiku. I have only recently discovered this blog and it is a delight. I recommend you pay Joo's blog a visit - you won't regret it.



The rules for sharing this award are different than other awards because instead of just passing it on to just anyone, you are supposed to pass it on to blogs you've recently discovered.

1) Accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award, and his or her blog link. You can also make a comment about the person who gave the award to you by asking your readers to stop by their blog, pay them a visit, leave a comment, or even 'follow' their blog if they feel led to.

2) Pass the award on to other blogs that you’ve newly discovered. Contact these bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award. Just go to their site and leave a comment to one of their posts telling them you have an award for them and to please come by your blog to get it. Just a little note: You pick the number of blogs to pass the award to, just give it to those you have recently discovered.

So I am passing this to:

Gilly at Winds of Change - Gilly hosts a lovely blog well worth a visit.

Arija who shares wonderful photographs on her blog.

Brenda at It's a Beautiful Life who always has something uplifting to share.

My thanks again for these awards and to anyone and everyone who visits my blog and leaves a comment.


Anne

Thursday 4 June 2009

The Nest Box

Have had a fairly hectic couple of weeks and have only looked in at my blog a few times, in an attempt to keep up to date with fellow bloggers. Later today we are off to Stratford for a few days to stay with DD and GD so will be out of touch again.

I have had several birthday and celebration cakes to make and decorate and that has kept me very busy and then of course I have to catch up with housework etc.

I have also been keeping my eye on the garden and our nest box and the blue tits have been extremely busy feeding their young ones.



On a few occasions lately I have seen a little face at the opening and guessed that the little ones would be fledging very soon. On Tuesday I was out most of the morning and on returning home soon realised that there was no activity around the nest box - they had already departed the nest! No sign anywhere of any blue tits, adult or baby. Later that afternoon I found a minute little blue tit on the ground looking very lost! What should I do. I know we are told to leave them alone and the parent will find them but next door lives a cat who loves to patrol our garden and is a demon for the birds. I rang Secret World who advised just putting it up into a tree; the parent would find it but also said if I was worried I could take it to them as they have several baby blue tits there already. The car wasn't available as OH was out so I took the tiny, tiny baby and put him back into the tree. It immediately began cheeping and making its way up into the branches. A little later I became aware of a blue tit feeding a baby but again almost at ground level. Was it the same little one - I'll never know but I do hope that parent and baby found each other and that both will survive.

I love cats but do get cross when they catch the birds. At the moment there are so many vulnerable young about and the parent birds are working so hard to feed them. I keep the garden hose ready and every now and then go out and hose the shrubs that the feline from next door favours. Occasionally he leaps out and runs off, indignant. Sorry puss.