Thought of the day

By the time you pass sixty years you are supposed to have finally got your head together, but then your body starts falling apart.

I am one of many, many people that has Sciatica.
Sciatica starts in the lower back, and travels down the sciatic nerve and down the leg. Sometimes the pain is almost unbearable. The discomfort and sharp pains certainly restricts a lot of daily jobs. I started with the acute pain after my holiday in Sri Lanka. I blame sitting  / slouching on the 'plane for 12 hours. Pulling and carrying luggage , for what seemed to be miles at Gatwick airport, and then a further 4 hour coach journey back to Exeter. I have been informed that sciatica can last for a long time. Many weeks, if not months. God help me and all who are also suffering!   I have watched supposedly beneficial exercises to do - on You Tube. I do try them, and yes, I think that some exercises do help the discomfort and the pain.

However, life goes on, and today I have done a few more jobs .At  least the weather has been cold but dry.

I drove the quad and trailer to the woods and brought back a thick branch to support a log for another bird table. I placed it in a good spot to take more bird photos. Usually the sun will be behind me, and I can sit in amongst some fir trees in my portable hide. I have drilled holes in the log for the peanuts, and fingers crossed, the woodpecker and other birds will find them.
I will test it out tomorrow.

Today, I sowed my tomato seeds, and a couple packets of flower seeds. There were 4 varieties of tomatoes in one seed packet. I have had this assortment in the greenhouse before, and to have a variety is quite a good idea. I've forgot the names, but there are Yellow, Large, Gardeners Delight and Ailsa Craig.

Because the weather is still cold and Winterish, I stayed indoors this afternoon and made some pickle.
An easy recipe -   - 1lb cooked beetroot - then  cook together 1lb of cooking apples - 1/2lb (half) onions - 1/2lb brown sugar - 1/4pint of malt vinegar.  Looks and tastes good!

Jimmy is still looking for his nuts. I do like to take his photo!

Jimmy posing.

Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful!

Fox's. To feed or not to feed?

We feed the foxes most nights with any food scraps that are available. They seem to enjoy any thing, from meat. bones. bread or any stale cake. I usually go out into the garden, and adjoining meadow, at about 7.30pm (weather permitting)  There are always 4 or 5 foxes waiting for their scraps. They have become quite tame and confident with us. I wear a lamp on my head, which is very bright. This must be the sign that the foxes wait for, and their eyes are the first visible sign that they are watching and waiting for their treats. Many people will not agree with foxes being encouraged to come into their garden to be fed. I question it myself, but when I am actually throwing them the scraps and watch them, I know that I would hate to see this lovely animal disappear from our Countryside.

 

Spring is definitely not far away.

 

 

Polyanthus in the garden.

 

 

Lovely to see the daffodils 

 

 

Helleborus   -  Christmas Rose

 

 

Prunus  -  Cherry blossom

 

I had a ploughman's lunch the other day.  He wasn't very happy!

Ground drying up a bit.

At last. I have been able to get into the garden. There has been tree trimmings to take to the bonfire. Logs and branches to take to the saw bench and log splitting .area. I did have a brief session with the heavy hoe. but the ground is still too wet for that job. I recently purchased a  petrol Yamaha quad, and a small trailer. What a good investment!  Much better than the wheelbarrow. The ground is still too waterlogged in places for the small Iseki tractor.

                                                              Yamaha 'big bear' quad.

 

Yesterday (Thursday) Joan and I caught the X38 double decker bus to Plymouth. We went to the Plymouth Theatre at 2.30 pm, to see The Lion King. What a marvellous , spectacular show! We loved it! There were many children, with Parents, and Grandparents. A lovely family show, but very moving for all ages. When the curtain rises, all the animals come on to the stage by walking down the isles, both sides of the theatre, up the steps and on to the setting. It really is impressive, and we found this scene and the African singing to be very moving indeed. I don't know why it brings tears to the eyes - but it does. We enjoyed the whole show, and would recommend it to everyone,as a show not to be missed! 

 

 

 

                                                 More bird photos taken from the hide.

 

 

 

Great Tit

  Black crown, white cheeks and a black band down the centre of yellow underparts.  

 

Mr. Pheasant

 

Mrs. Pheasant

 

 

This would be dinner for some people!  But they are safe with us! 

 

Just another day

Yesterday - Monday - it rained again all day. I did very little outdoors. My hardest job I think, was bringing in the wood for the wood burning Rayburn. This is a continual job, but the Rayburn provides us with constant hot water, is always ready for cooking, and keeps the house warm as well. It also helps with the central heating. The other heater for the radiator's is an outside oil heater. I tell myself that it is important to keep warm when you are old!

Today , Tuesday, has been a better day. I have been in the hide near the house and took a few more photos of our regular bird visitors.

House Sparrow  -  male

House Sparrow  -  female

Greenfinch  -  male

Robin

I'm not sure!  Is it a female blackbird?

Is this a female Blackcap?

 

Chaffinch  -  male

My unused Roller  -  unisex!

Sunday and a lovely day.

The weather today has been a treat for us. We have cut up most of the trees that were blown down in the high winds. The clearing up won't be completed until the ground has dried up quite considerably.

Nick in action

 

Just a little thing to remember the Hawthorn tree!

I think he is going to carve a 'bear' next time!

 

 

It has been a long time since we have had such welcome blue, cloudless skies as today.

But - more flowers are showing daily. Crocuses, daffodils, and the cultivated primroses are looking lovely. Spring is getting nearer every day!

 

 

I had chance to sit in the hide this morning and take a few more of the more regular visitors to our bird table. I saw, but didn't film the Great Spotted Woodpecker. That is my next challenge.

 

 





 

Greenfinch. 

 

 

Nuthatch

Helpers  (or watchers)   Tom, Charlie and Fidget.

The Terrible weather continues.

What a terrible night last night. Several trees blew down in the garden, and a very large, old tree was blown over in one of the fields. I suspect there will be some blown over in  the woods as well. We were very lucky not to have any structural damage or flooding. My sympathy goes to all the many people that have been flooded so badly.

 

I planted the trees in the garden over 20 years ago. It is sad to see them now disappear from my garden.

Having said that, the garden was beginning to get a bit crowded and overgrown in places, so this could be natures way of sorting the garden planning out.

The ground is absolutely waterlogged. I have never known the garden to be so wet! Gardening at the moment is a no-no.

There must be some better weather coming soon! Please!

Nice to see the snowdrops.

 

 

Because of the weather conditions today, I spent some time in one of my hides. I am not as patient as I should be, but got a few acceptable shots.

 

 

A male Blackbird 

 

 

My favourite - the Blue tit

 

 

Our regular visitor - the Cock Pheasant

A day in Sri Lanka. Dolphin watching at Kalpitiya.

The day started at 5.00am. Ravi took Charlie and me in his Taxi to the nearby railway station to catch the 5.35am train to Puttalam.

 

 

The train was on time. Fare was 85 rupees  -  about 45 pence!  The train journey was an experience in itself! There seems to be only one railway track, and when another train is coming from the other direction, one of the trains has to reverse back from the station and shunt onto a siding to allow the other train to pass. Hence the journey rumbles on to Puttalam for about 2 hours 30 minutes.  There are no doors on the train carriages, but no one disappeared on the journey. Health and safety isn't as strict as in England. Some might say that   'we have gone over the top!'

 

 

 

On arrival at Puttalam  station, we were greeted by several Tuktuk drivers wanting to take us to where ever!

We chose the most persistant Sri Lankan I think, who took us past the salt lakes to an Eco friendly hotel , where the owner had boats for the dolphin trips. The time was approximately 9.30 am and we were told that we would see dolphins - 100% sure  There was only 4 of us on the boat. Charlie, me, the tuktuk driver and the boatman. We didn't  see a dolphin, got wet through - and  returned after 3 hours of looking for them on a very rough sea. My fear of sea sickness was severely tested, but - we were all  fine!

 

Back to the Hotel!  We were offered accommodation, and the chance of another boat trip the next day! 100%  guaranteed to see Dolphins.  B & B was 12,500 rupees each  -  £62.50  When anyone goes on the dolphin trips you also have to pay 1250 R  (£6.25)  to the government. Any way, we stayed the night in our eco friendly huts. Charlie in the Yellow house and me in the Green house, and after a cup of tea, the boat left the shore at 7.30 am. Sea again quite rough, and after about 2 hours of searching, and phone calls to fellow boatmen, we discovered 100's of dolphins following the tuna fishing boats. It is quite difficult to take a good photo. What with a rocking boat, the sunshine, and the dolphins didn't seem to realise that we had arrived to take their photos!  

 

 

My 'eco friendly' room in the Green House. Toilet and shower out in the fresh air!

 

 

Breakfast was served at 11.00am. I had a good English breakfast  2 fried eggs, sausages,  toast etc.

Charlie chose the Sri Lankan breakfast. He wished he hadn't! He didn't appear to enjoy his 'Hoppers'

I have to admit - the curried fish, curried some-thing else and something else, didn't look appetising at all. My advice to anyone travelling to Sri Lanka is -  'don't have Hoppers for breakfast!'

 

The next plan was how to get back to our Dreamhouse. The choice was either train, taxi or tuktuk.

We chose the latter. The cost to be 4500 SLR  -  £22.50   for both of us.  The tuktuk driver was very good. When we saw a place that we thought would be interesting to see, he  pulled in and waited while we took photos, and looked around. The journey took us 6 hours, and sometimes a little scary with regards the traffic on the roads!  -  but I must say that it was a very, very interesting couple of days!

 

 

 

Bee eater

Frog time

It's breeding time for the frogs again. The pond is very active with them, and it is very interesting to see and hear them in the evenings.

  The frogs emerge from hibernation usually in  late January / February. Since we made the pond about 10 years ago  the frogs have appeared in our pond each year and spawning has always started  this month.

Frogs are often mistaken for toads. The toad is larger than a frog which  prefers to hop, whereas the toad generally walks. The toad  has a warty skin and does not have the distinctive dark patch behind the eye. The under side of the frog when peeping out of the water is white. This is a lovely sight when viewed by torch light when it is dark and when the most activity starts in the pond.

Frog spawn is always laid in clumps, whilst toads spawn comes in long chains like strings of  pearls.Usually draped over pond weeds.

What has confused me this year has been to find quite a lot of spawn on one of the open bird feeding tables near the pond. What has scooped it up and placed it there? I suspect either herons, buzzards, possibly even ducks.
 

                                  Many frogs in the pond

Sri Lanka Holiday

I went to Sri Lanka with my friend Charles Fleming. We flew with Sri Lankan airlines - 7th January  and returned 21st January 2014.
I love to visit Sri Lanka. The temperature was a constant 30 degrees centigrade. I swam in the sea daily. We travelled miles on various modes of transport. I don't recommend the buses, but the trains were excellent value as were the tuktuks. Food is very cheap as well. One lesson you quickly learn is that there is a big difference in the cost of any thing, between the local people and the Tourists.  Haggling is a must!

The main reason for Charlies visit to Sri Lanka was to take photos of  the local  birds. His knowledge of  photography is extremely good, and hence I feel that my photography improved immensely with his helpful advice.

We had both been to Sri Lanka before, and the last time that Charlie stayed, he rented a house from a shopkeeper / landlord called Ravi. So we rented the same 'Dreamhouse' at a very reasonable  rent for the 2 weeks. The house is structurally very sound, but the facilities could be improved. Hot water in the bathroom would have been nice! The kitchen could also be improved, but having said that, we were more than happy with both the cost and the attention we received from Ravi and his lovely , courteous family. We were supplied with bed, breakfast and evening meal. We were given endless cups of tea or coffee, cake and fruit during the daytime  that we were at the house. We couldn't have asked for better service from them.

 

We always had our meals on the verandah.

 

If any one would like more details on how to rent this house, please don't hesitate to contact me.

I can put you in touch with Ravi and you can book direct. He also picks you up at the airport on arrival and takes you back for your return flight.