Yawn Yawn Wakey Wakey 2025

Oh yum @Tui34, your picture has reminded me to take some strawberries and tomatoes out of the fridge to get to room temperature for my lunch today. I, too, well up thinking about the losses of all the wonderful furry friends we have all loved and lost.

 

The Forget Me Nots seed idea is lovely, I also received a packet of seeds with a lovely card, from my vets when I lost Robbie.
I saw a luuurrrvley Dr. for my review yesterday. I last saw him four years ago, then every time I have had an appointment I have seen someone different. My results are all hunky dory, he has taken me off Asprin and put me onto a different blood thinner to help with the AF. Hopefully it will help me avoid having a stroke.
Our Co-Op seems to have recovered from the recent technical hijack, no empty shelves etc. I went to sleep for a couple of hours when I came home and that was that.
I must try and get the last of the sacks of compost down into the garden before the forecast storm comes in tomorrow. I found some bags of gladioli corms in the shed so must pot them up, rather late. Lots of housework I "could" do while it rains for the next few days.
My repotted babies look bigger already, or am I just imagining it?! In two days?!
The weather is overcast, cool and dribbling at intervals with small pockets of sunshine. Good gardening/growing weather, I am still streaming with hay fever.
I hope everyone is recovering from their bugs, injuries and aches and pains. There will be a burst of growth of weeds and plants when the weather warms up so a lot of gardening will be needed.
On your marks everyone!

 

Heard a dull thump yesterday evening, and thought it must be one of the wood pigeons hitting a window. Luckily, they seem to get away with it (unlike the smaller birds, which is why we have stickers on the windows) just leave a dusty outline of wings before they fly off.
However, OH called me into the living room later, and announced that he knew what the noise was.
Large branch of a beech tree lying on the grass. Lucky we weren’t sitting out at the time! Doesn’t look like we will have any trouble filling the green bins for next week.

 

@Ladybird4 They say one swallow doesn't make a summer, but 2 is not much better! Like you I am really missing our swallows, that have always nested here in the 40 years that it has been our home. At least 38 left here last autumn, plus some housemartins that nest at the farm next door, and only 2 swallows and a couple of housemartins have made it back. I guess we have the heat & continuing spread of the Sahara to blame, but it makes me angry that some countries also allow these migrant birds to be shot. Ours have had good weather and will hopefully raise a good brood, but I must confess that I am not very optimistic for next year and fear that without swallows it won't feel like summer at all!

 

Another sunny day, though much cooler.
Neither of us slept well, so, apart from the hair chair for me, a quiet day is planned.
You were lucky, @Ergates. We used to have a willow on the opposite bank of the stream and it regularly shed large branches on our garden. New owners have curtailed its wayward growth, thankfully.
The physio gave me more exercises to strengthen my rotor cuff and I go back in 3 weeks.
Jambalaya went down well, too.
We have noticed the demise of many birds - and bats, @Ladybird4 and @ButtercupDays. Not heard the cuckoo either this year, though I'm pretty certain we would have done, were we at the van.
However, the dawn chorus was uplifting this morning and the only perk of a sleepless night!

 

Morning all. sunny and dry at the moment, after rain earlier so we need to shoot down to the local papershop while it lasts. I then plan to fill the car up with petrol, zip up to our Argos store within the large Sainsbury's the other side of town to pick up 2 new non slip shower mats.
The not so old one has got horrid black mould spots on it which I can't shift. I might just have to call in at the GC as I have to drive past it to get home - well, it would be rude not to, wouldn't it?
I'd quite like to get a pot or two of sweetpeas if there's any left. I have a back/shoulder massage booked for after lunch so that's my day planned.

@Goldenlily26, that's very good news re your health, what a relief. I've just had to book my annual review as well but it's not until July. Seems to be all the thing these days.

We've not seen any swallows/swifts/bats around here either which is a bit concerning, perhaps the warm Spring has confused them?

That sounds like typical French bureaucracy @Obelix-Vendée, hope you get it sorted.

A narrow escape @Ergates! I am very relieved the very large Maple at the top of the garden has been felled, I'm sleeping easier in high winds now.

Have a good day folks.

 

I had a good sleep too @Ladybird4. First in ages thanks to felines, cold, stings etc. I've been naughty tho and stayed in bed finishing my book so all I've done so far is sort out the kitchen, a bit of patchwork admin and make an appointment to pick up my new specs on Friday, after my MOT blood test. OH was off at 7am thi morning for physio and then golf at Pornic which is about 90 mins away.

We've had a dribble early on and are now expecting a decent dump on Thursday pm so today's priority is raking my new bed into some sort of order while the top layer is dry and easy then Karchering the terrace and scrubbing the teak table again and oiling it so it can go back on the terrace.

It's a good year for birds so far. Cuckoos, swallows and house martins arrived early April and have been busy since. We had 3 baby swallows swooping round the kitchen yesterday, lots of young tits and sparrows and great fun watching the woodpecker babies being fed and now trying to use the fat ball feeders. Lots of bird song detected but mostly not seen - assorted warblers, buntings, wren, redstarts and so on. We've even had a nightingale singing by day. The only one I haven't seen or heard this year is the green woodpecker who normally shouts at me when I'm gardening.

Never seen or heard bats, tree creepers or nuthatches tho I thought we'd have the ideal territory.

Good escape with that branch @Ergates . We had two old ashes felled because they shed whole branches in every wind and were close to the house. Still have 2 mature ones by the pond and they're OK so far and there are younger ones elsewhere. I also had an old poplar felled last autumn because if it fell towards the house it was tall enough to inflict damage.

Enjoy your day everyone.

 

Good afternoon all. I got some shocking and sad news this morning. Jack, my lovely ex cat sitter and friend of many years passed away last night. I had spotted a police car and an ambulance - not one of the big ones but one that looks like a police car - parked either side of the road near his bungalow. I wasn't sure if they were at Jack's or at one of his neighbours who is a frail, elderly lady. I rang his daughter's phone and it was answered by her son who told me Jack had passed in the night. I am over my initial shock but I am going to miss him. He and his wife Molly were my neighbours when I first moved in here. They moved around a bit and eventually ended across the road from me. He was my regular cat sitter and I reciprocated looking after his cat during holidays. I talked to him every day and any cake left over on a Sunday was his treat from me. He was like my second Dad and would have been 95 in September this year.

 

So sorry to hear your sad news @Ladybird4 , a difficult time for Jack’s family and friends.

 

Oh @Ladybird4 My sincere condolences. You have spoken often about Jack.

 

I'm so sorry to hear about Jack @Ladybird4. He will leave a bit of a hole in your life.

We are back from the funeral. There were very few people at the crematorium this morning. We felt honoured to have been asked. We came home after that then went to the celebration of his life service this afternoon, followed by refreshments. There were a lot of people there this afternoon, a lot of whom we knew, from choir, church etc. Our friend's son will be going back to the UK on Saturday. I hope she will be OK on her own. We will see her again on Sunday.

 

How sad about Jack @Ladybird4 but what a grand innings and a life well lived.
Also, how splendid to pass in your own home. It must have been peaceful.

 

I'm sorry to hear about Jack @Ladybird4. You mentioned him so often and with such affection that I felt as though I knew him.

 

Oh @Ladybird4. I’m so very sorry to hear about Jack and shocked too. I feel as if I’ve got to know him over the years with you talking about him and it’s as if I’ve followed his life too. What a sad time for everyone. I know he’s had a long life but it doesn’t take away the fact that you will miss him and so will I. My sincere condolences.

 

That is so sad, @Ladybird4. I loved hearing about your visits to him, bearing cake! He must have so looked forward to seeing you.