Since I don't drive, much of this has been on foot (or rather - feet). Mine. And very sore and tired they are too. and, no, I have no lampshades still.
So far I've resisted the call of my bottle of Grants, and settled for much strong coffee, usually having capsized into a chair in front of the TV.
Next Tuesday my new bed will be delivered and the two old ones, together with seven sacks of bed-linen etc will be carted off by The Vineyard who are always happy to receive household goods in reasonable condition.
The week after that I have a rather unpleasant appointment at Stoke Mandeville Hospital to look forward to, so all in all, a fairly stressful time.
The one constant in my life winter or summer, rain or shine, is the ever present birdwatch scheme, an offshoot of which was mentioned in my last slightly aggrieved post.
It is entirely possible that I am pointing the finger of blame for my bespattered window in the wrong direction but, rather than the ostrich which was my joking reference to the generous size of the 'donation', I believe the actual perpetrator may have been a heron.
A huge shadow fell across my TV screen yesterday evening and I looked up just in time to see a massive wing-span flap past. Rushing to the window I saw the grey heron land on a roof-top the other side of the road and was just able to get the rather poor shot above before he swooped down into a back garden and vanished. Someone's fish pond will doubtless record his visit with the absence of a fish or two.
Considering that this is really quite an urban area we really do get more than our share of relatively 'shy' birds not common to gardens.
There is it would seem always something to gratefull for in even the least interesting of times.
Lovely photo, Ray! I believe in the UK, these are called grey herons; they look very much like our Great Blue Herons here. Huge birds, and great fishers. Now that I live near water, I see them all the time, and they never fail to capture my attention.
ReplyDeleteI do hope you find the right lampshade soon! One can get rather obsessive about a the decorative accent one has in mind - or at least I can! I spent three months looking for a bird decoy only to realize that if I rearranged the decoys I already had, I didn't need another. Oh.
Penny
Gosh, a heron on the roof in town, Ray! I've only ever seen one here in the countryside and that was down by a river. I do know we were visited by one once, when half the fish in our little fishpond disappeared in a single day. Sigh... Good luck with the new bed and the lampshade search.
ReplyDeletePenny the photo was, as usual taken through double-glazed windows so am amazed it is reasonably good, but my camera technique is about as good as my lap-top and Ipad techniques so room for improvement!
ReplyDeleteThe lampshade search has been abandoned for the present, I've run out of places to look in this town, so on hold for a while.
Yes, I know all about obsessions.
Yes the heron, apart from his 'calling card', was a rare and very welcome sight.
ReplyDeleteAm not greatly looking forward to next Tuesday, but who knows, it may all fall into place nicely. (yes, that was a flying pig)!
Thanks for the good wishes.
What a lot of wires. Are they phone cables or power?
ReplyDeleteThey run from a pylon, one of which is about 300 yards from this house, (though many are nearer). There is a whole army of them marching across Aylesbury Vale and spoiling the landscape.
ReplyDeleteI assume they supply power to the whole area, so their ominous hissing when it raines has to be ignored along with their domination of the scenery.
I no longer notice them but deplore the fact of their ugly existence.
Just realised my comment in brackets makes no sense. What I meant was, many people live much nearer to them than I do. Sorry, short of sleep and vocabulary.
ReplyDeleteGreat photo! We see them quite often in the reeds down at the canal, never in someone's garden or roof though:)
ReplyDeleteYes a lucky shot Sue. I have seen them around a few times there are a few garden ponds around, but never so close to my window before.
ReplyDeletePerhaps he was short-sighted. Or, just plain nosy.
sorry about the fertilizer deposit on your window(s), the heron is rather a majestic bird! interesting with all the large birds that fly over my apartment that I haven't had a similar situation!
ReplyDeletethat hospital appointment doesn't sound pleasant...hope it goes well!
Hi Theanne. Yes I don't know why my windows are so often blessed. Perhaps all British birds need glasses.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the good wishes for the 25th.