Richard Branson

Yesterday, two weeks behind schedule in my #walk1000mile challenge I reached 300 miles. Many of my recent walks have been around my garden. Over the Easter weekend the leaves on ‘My Oak Tree’ have exploded into life. Truly amazing!
I bought my 200 mile treat on my last excursion before we were requested to stay at home as much as possible.

The bird bath has been a delight, my garden birds love it. I put it quite close to my house and patio wondering if that would put them off visiting. It didn’t.

The first visitor was a Wren followed by: magpies, a blackbird, a robin, a collared dove, a blackbird & a sparrow sharing the space, 2 Goldfinches and a fleeting visit by a blue tit.
Sometimes they came for a drink but quite often they came to splash around in the bath. The birds are such a delight.

Now I wonder what should I choose for my 300 mile treat…

As the weather is warming up maybe something to do with ‘fine dining’ on my patio; I have a couple of ideas in mind

This evening the sunset over my garden was more soft and gentle than it was yesterday.

Earlier in the day I had a garden walk in the sunshine

Today there was a brief sunny interlude between the awful gales and rain we have been experiencing lately.

There were some things that I needed to do regarding my late aunts estate but I was able to factor in a short walk along my local pathways. I chose a circular route, starting off on the most scenic pathway.

I was confronted by an unexpected pooling of water. As I approached the water to see if I could walk around it I noticed a dead frog. It was lying on its back with a leg missing. Not the most promising start to walk.

I tiptoed round the water and walked along the pathway to one of my favourite benches to sit and rest a while. The ‘rest a while’ moment didn’t disappoint. I was treated to delightful birdsong and the warmth of the sun on my face.

I continued on my walk and found other watery patches along with delightful signs of spring emerging.

As I completed my full circuit I notice a cat near to the pooling of water at the start of my walk. He looked at me, then made a beeline for me before hopping over a fence to the side of the pathway.

I suspect that he had something to do with the dead frog…

Chad Sugg

This morning, around 8am I heard an unusual loud industrial noise which sounded like it was in the street in front of my house. I looked out of my window, there was nothing to be seen. The volume ebbed and flowed and I took it to be a road cleaner making its way around my estate. Every time the sound got louder I had another look at the street in front of my house. Nothing!

Every time the sound got louder the neighbourhood dogs were barking for England!

In the back of my mind the noise sounded familiar…

Ah yes! Hedge trimming of the bridle path that runs past the back of my garden, it happens but once a year.

When I looked outside the back of my house, at the end of the bridal path I could see the the tractor with its hedge trimmer. Despite the rain and wind the tractor was ready with its trimmer for another sweep of the hedges. The tractor went back and forth trimming the sides, also back and forth at least three times trimming the top off the far side hedge.

Suddenly after just over two hours the tractor was gone. The nearside hedge had not been treated to a top cut, let alone a small trim.

Oh well… I am sure the birds that were also disturbed with the industrial activities will enjoy the extra greenery in the summer months.

After the tractor had left, the sun came out

I am currently writing my review of 2018, it is almost finished, just needing some tweaks and a re-read (and creation of photo montages) before posting.

I have an an update to my recent post ‘Temporary Curtains‘…

The carpet has arrived and is due to be fitted on Wednesday. This means I need to move my computer and desk out of the room along with a couple of other pieces of furniture. I don’t think it is worth setting up my computer for the brief time this is going on so the posting of my review will have to wait until I have access to my computer and photographs.

For now enjoy a step back in time in ‘My Space’:

2010

2010

My Space Rearranged (2008)

My Space (2007)

This image will confuse the eye. It was taken in a mirror so the room is reversed…

This year I have found that our summer months resembled autumn rather than summer. In the few weeks since I have retired from my career there have only been a few occasions when it has been sunny enough to sit outside in my garden. It hasn’t even been sunny enough for me to be inspired to go out on a day trip. Day trips in the rain are only fun if you have a companion to share them with! Despite the weather I have been enjoying myself doing different things than I had planned to do.

Today the sunshine played hide and seek. In the morning as I was choosing meal options for the next couple of days I heard gentle tweeting in the back garden. The sun had come out and a family of long tailed tits and a couple of blue tits were flying around my garden and settling in the trees that surround it.  I watched them for a while until a magpie arrived and scared them off. Shortly after that the sun was once again obscured by clouds.

Later in the afternoon the sun came out again and I seized the opportunity to sit at the top of my garden reading a book before it was time for me to go out to my regular thursday meeting.

When I arrived home, the sun was still playing its tricks would it shine so that Mr C and I could enjoy dinner on the patio. The sun decided to be kind to us