I'm lost for words at the moment as it seems wrong to write about everyday happenings when so much is out of kilter and so many people are suffering and feeling anxious yet if we don't think about and appreciate the small things around us that we can still see and do everyday as our world gets smaller then life and getting through the next few months would seem such a hard thing to encompass.
I woke in the night and could hear the owls screeching, tawny owls we think. Drifting back to sleep I was awoken just as it was getting light by that wonderful sound of a skein of geese flying overhead. After that the pigeons started calling and gradually the world outside the bedroom window came awake.
I think the above photos were taken in Abbey Park, Leicester.
I'm thinking about my Mum today, I showed you some photos of her a few posts ago. She was born in 1916 in the midst of a world war which was immediately followed by the flu epidemic which took so many more. She then, as a young woman, lived through another world war. I wonder what she would think of what is happening now? I'm sort of glad she isn't here to know about it.
We have been putting the wildlife camera outside overnight now both wind and rain have disappeared. We are concerned that one of the foxes may have mange so some new treatment has been sent for. One of the pair of foxes also visits and takes food back to the den, I suspect there may be cubs. The last couple of nights we have been visited by badgers too. Not a great photo as it is night time but you can see that one badger appears to be paler than the other.
A few signs of Spring
We've not been far all week a couple of walks in quiet places and an outing to a supermarket with very bare shelves, hardly any fresh fruit and vegetables also missing were yeast and eggs. We didn't tick much off our short list.
With all the hand washing it was time for a new soap in the bathroom, this one was so pretty I had to take a photo of it.
Whilst on one of our short walks we saw a Red Kite overhead wheeling around over the houses, searching for food perhaps? Later a Buzzard up above the garden being chased off by crows. Herring gulls glide overhead so even though I can't get to the coast yet this year their call reminds me of walking along a beach somewhere.
Meanwhile in the garden the old fence panels which blew out in the wind have been taken down.
With the help of kind neighbours on the other side of the fence the new ones were slotted in.
In the conservatory tomato seedlings are appearing. Outside the greenhouse is being cleaned and prepared for them.
That's all for now, it's time for coffee and the crossword.
Stay safe everyone.
We've not been far all week a couple of walks in quiet places and an outing to a supermarket with very bare shelves, hardly any fresh fruit and vegetables also missing were yeast and eggs. We didn't tick much off our short list.
Whilst on one of our short walks we saw a Red Kite overhead wheeling around over the houses, searching for food perhaps? Later a Buzzard up above the garden being chased off by crows. Herring gulls glide overhead so even though I can't get to the coast yet this year their call reminds me of walking along a beach somewhere.
Meanwhile in the garden the old fence panels which blew out in the wind have been taken down.
That's all for now, it's time for coffee and the crossword.
Stay safe everyone.
It’s talking about the everyday, the normal to us that will see us through the next few weeks. Enjoying each other’s blogs sharing gardens, wildlife and funny stories. Lovely to see your photos and here about lovely things. Stay safe. B x
ReplyDeleteThank you Barbara, I think it is, we need pleasant things to think about and write about. Take care:)
DeleteLovely photos Rosie! Nice to get your new fence up. Is the light coloured badger an albino? Your wildlife cameras must be giving you lots of pleasure right now. I think I would be addicted to them and constantly watching! I am reminded that I still have some soap base to make soap with. I am definitely going to make some again. Good to see your tomato seedlings coming through. I really must get mine started! :)
ReplyDeleteThank you Simone, we'd been talking about replacing the fence in the summer but when it blew out and shattered in a few places we decided to get it done. It was cold last night so the outside camera froze up and didn't work. Haven't seen the pale badger again we'd love to see it in daylight but that won't happen, it could be an albino one, we are going to try and find out:)
DeleteA lovely post Rosie. Its so lovely to see a little sunshine isnt it.
ReplyDeleteI love Abbey Park, only a short distance away to the city for us.
Have a lovely day.
Thank you Julie, I didn't realise you were in or near Leicester. I was born there but we left when I was six years old to live in a small Derbyshire village:)
DeleteToday would have been my parents' 68th wedding anniversary so my thoughts have been running along similar lines; as long as Dad could get out into his garden he wouldn't have cared at all, but Mum would surely have gone crazy if she couldn't see her friends and family. Wood Pigeons cooing in the morning always remind me of my Granny who told me you could always recognise their sound because it sounded as though they were saying something about Mrs Khruschev (!) - I couldn't hear it then and I can't hear it now. Oh well, back to the Sudoku!
ReplyDeleteThank you John, I think my parents would have been the same, Mum liked to go out shopping with her friend when football was on TV on Saturday and to WI otherwise she was happy with a good book. Dad was happy in his garden but did like to take a walk every morning with his two pals, he also loved reading. Isn't it funny how people hear different words in birdsong. I swear we have a pigeon who sings 'Cedric Pioline':)
DeleteWhen a crisis looms, I think it is even more important than usual to cherish home and family; we can't change the course of things, but noticing and sharing the 'little things' is grounding.
ReplyDeleteMy Dad was born in 1916--like your Mum--a toddler when the 1918 flu epidemic claimed four members of his mother's family, three of them within a week.
Thank you, yes you are right it's friends and family who mean the most at times like this, even if we can't see/visit them we know they are there. Little things mean such a lot too. How sad for your father's family. Stay safe:)
DeleteYour garden is such a wonderful havenfor wildlife, you will have to keep us updated with your visitors through this difficult time. Xx
ReplyDeleteThank you Shazza, for the last two nights it has been too cold and the camera stopped working but I'm hoping we can capture some more widlife when it gets warmer especially the fox cubs:)
DeleteYes abnormal times, but we can embrace our technology to keep in touch with people across the world, which your Mum wouldn't have been able to do. Funny, but I was thinking about my parents too with all this & wondering what they'd be making of it all. We will be restricted from tomorrow to venture away from home, except for essentials within a 2km radius. Thanks for the lovely Spring photos & we were wondering if it better to be going into warmer weather with this virus hanging over our heads, than as we are into winter. Who knows? Stay safe, take care & huggles.
ReplyDeleteThank you Susan, it's wonderful how technology can help us keep in touch and bring so many lovely photos and writings to our computers and laptops. We are now living with lockdown, we can probably last a couple of weeks, if we are very careful and organised, with what is in the store cupboard and freezer but still need to get out occasionally for milk, eggs and fresh produce. Stay safe:)
DeleteHello Rosie, I think it is good to notice the little normal things at such a crazy sad time. It really is the most awful and nervous time we need some light relief if possible. I loved the photos of your mum, my mum is 80 and really can't believe what is going on but today, Mother's day, I think she realised she needed to be sensible and listen to advice despite 'having come through the war!' Keep safe and I look forward to your updates xxx
ReplyDeleteThank you Lyn. It is such a strange time for us all so good to cling to things we know and appreciate the good things around us. I hope your Mum will remain well and you too. Take care:)
DeleteA lovely post in difficult times but as you mention with your Mum, the country has had to deal with so much before so fingers crossed we'll manage somehow. Great to see your seedlings and the wildlife. 😊
ReplyDeleteThank you Karen, yes very difficult times fingers crossed we get though it all. Take care:)
DeleteThe small things will get us through. Reading blogs, housework, food prep, gardening. It is all we are all doing but so good to stay in contact through blogs
ReplyDeleteThank you Catherine, yes indeed the small things will get us through. we werein the garden yesterday and lots of jobs got done in the good weather:)
DeleteThe wildlife in your garden must give you a lot of pleasure. We are also trying to focus on the small details around us. I woke up again to the dawn chorus of garden birds and the sunlight shining through the bedroom curtains. Yesterday I thought of my Mum and was grateful that our Berkshire daughter went to the cemetery to take flowers and tend the family graves. We stay in our quiet routine thankful for the communication with family and friends during these unusual times.
ReplyDeleteThank you Linda, we do love the wildlife. Yesterday we were visited by a pair of Bullfinches and one badger came in the evening, not seen many squirrels as yet. I wanted to get to the churchyard where Mum is buried especially now after all the rain to see if they had put right the damage caused by the cows getting in and to take flowers of course but it is an hour and a half journey and we didn't feel we should go that far:)
DeleteSo much loveliness in your garden, although I believe badgers can be quite destructive? Double edged sword? I also use those soaps, my favourite is the patchouli.
ReplyDeleteWe are certainly living in a time that none of us could have predicted even weeks ago, and ‘musing’ is good - words can be very cathartic.
Thank you Jayne, the badgers are great to see but I do worry about damage to lawns and plants. Last year they ate turnips and celeriac growing in one of the raised beds, we had hoped to get some covers for the raised beds but expect now with all the restrictions it won't be possible even by post:)
DeleteIt think reading things about every day happenings and nature are much needed right now :) I hope you and yours stay safe.
ReplyDeleteThank you Pam, I intend to write about everyday things if I can. I hope you and your family stay safe too:)
DeleteI have to agree with previous comments along the everyday life lines... the simple moments are some of the best and we'll all be appreciating them more and more with our new stay home ways!
ReplyDeleteThank you Louise, I will try and post occasionally about the everyday things that are still happening in the house and garden. Hope you both stay safe and well:)
DeleteSo sorry for the late comment Rosie - I am not spending too much time on the internet at the moment. A lovely post and a good reminder that the natural world continues and can give so much solace and joy. It iw wonderful to see the badgers in your garden and I am so envious of your homegrown rhubarb! I bet it made a lovely crumble. Take care and stay safe and well.
ReplyDeleteThank you RR, I'm avoiding spending too much time on the internet too, I don't like some of the nastiness on social media, especially against older people. We had a wonderful set of little films last night from the camera, three different foxes, two badgers, a bat, two magpies and three cats:) I'm glad we have the rhubarb and by the time that is finished the strawberries may be ready. We had the rhubarb stewed with rhubarb yoghurt. Take care stay well:)
DeleteYou're right on the mark about these being extraordinary times, making it important for us to maintain as much normalcy as possible. The small things, they do matter. We've not had much good weather, so walks outside have been very limited. But, yesterday was lovely. Not only did I get a walk to see which of my neighbors have some flowers starting, I worked in one flower bed for a bed. Got rid of lots of the debris that typically I would do in the fall and wasn't able to this past year. Many more flower beds await, but one needs to pace oneself ...even more so it seems with each passing year. Glad your wee tomatoes are starting, that's always exciting. Stay well.
ReplyDeleteSandy's Space
Thank you Sandy, it's good to get out for a walk and into the garden, we managed an early morning walk this week across the local fields - easily walked to from here as we can't drive to walk, the car hasn't been out since Monday. We too have been working in the garden, clipping, sweeping and tidying whilst the sun is out, it seems colder today so I'll tackle the ironing later. Take care:)
DeleteThe badgers are quite a sight.
ReplyDeleteThank you William, we are thrilled to see them:)
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