Monday Miscellany

Time for another Monday Miscellany.
Just a few simple things that have made me smile over the last few days.

Seeing the place I used to work when we paid a visit to Spalding in Lincolnshire last week.  The museum now closes on Mondays and Tuesdays so I couldn't go in.  I had a peep through one of the windows and could see some of the displays had changed since my last visit about five years ago.  When I worked there we were open every day but we did house the Tourist Information office as well and we did have a lot of visitors especially in Spring for the Flower Parade and Flower Festivals during what used to be called 'Tulip Time.'

I was intrigued by this old chair that had been used as a planter for Spring flowers.  It looks as if sphagnum moss has been placed where the seat would have been and that it has been planted much like a hanging basket.  Great idea and good recycling of an old chair.

Tea and Ginger cake at the Emma Bridgewater factory shop cafe. No reason to visit, we didn't buy anything, we just like it there as it is bright, warm and welcoming.

Max our very elderly cat has taken his first steps outside now that the weather is warmer.  He hasn't been out since Autumn last year as his health hasn't been good,in fact, I hadn't expected him to see Spring but there he is doing a tour of his garden before heading back inside again.  He will be 22 years old in April.

 Tomato, courgette and bean seedlings are sprouting in their trays in the conservatory.  It will be a while yet before they go out into the greenhouse, especially as cold weather has been predicted to return in the middle of next week.

 I've just finished reading a book by an author I hadn't come across before, set in modern day Amsterdam.  It took a little while to warm to the main characters but in the end I couldn't put it down.

Have any small seemingly inconsequential things made you smile recently?

I'll be back later this week for March's Scavenger Photo Hunt.

Monday Miscellany

Just a few things that have made me smile over the last few days

 Dolly, the cat from next door sitting in the heather just in front of our kitchen window.  A few days before there was a knock at the door and our neighbour came to say that she thought Dolly was stuck up a tree at the top of our garden as she could hear her mewing.  Paul took the car out of the garage, retrieved the ladders from the hooks on the garage wall and took them up to the top of the garden. He clambered up and found Dolly sitting on a flat piece of trunk unable to get down.  She was very grateful to be rescued and let him pick her up and carry her down the ladders.  She's such a pretty cat.  The feather which looks as if it is in her mouth is actually stuck to the heather it has been there for days and it still there this morning I expect it will soon disappear under the expected snow.

We had a walk around the lake at Trentham Gardens early last week and whilst we were there we saw a display of birds of prey.  I was fascinated with the markings and the bright eyes of the eagle owl.  It being half-term here there were children and parents about and they were listening in fascination to the handler explaining about how the owl's head appears to turn all the way round, apparently owls can rotate their necks to around 260 degrees and not tear any tendons or blood vessels.   The owl obligingly demonstrated this technique a couple of times.

 I'm still smiling at the thought of the snowdrops we saw at Hopton Hall in Derbyshire which we visited last Wednesday (see my post before last for more snowdrop photos).

Saturday we went for a very cold walk at RSPB Coombes Valley. By the time we got back to the car my finger ends were tingling and my feet were numb but I felt so much better for having been in the fresh air for a while. We didn't see many birds just a pair of pheasants, a dunnock, one or two robins and one tree creeper.  We also saw a buzzard flying overhead, whirling over the trees. 

 A couple of days ago Paul glanced out of our bedroom window and saw a fox curled up in the undergrowth over the hedge in the area of trees between us and the school grounds he took the photo of it above.  The foxes have been very noisy over the last few days.  He is one of last year's cubs and he spent quite a time there and we saw him there again the following day.  I wondered if the female fox had had her cubs and he had retreated to a quiet spot out of the way?  When I looked up the time cubs were usually born it said March or April but a fox lover I follow on face book has reported that the female fox which visits his garden has had her cubs behind his shed so perhaps it isn't too early.  If there are early cubs I hope they will stay safe during the expected cold spell next week.

Monday Miscellany

Sorry I haven't been around for a week or so but I haven't been well and really haven't felt like sitting at the computer for long - I've just been lying around and taking it easy with a good book.  I'm still not feeling 100% yet but yesterday we decided it would be good to be out and about so we visited Little Moreton Hall, just over the border from us in Cheshire, for their Christmas Festivities.

We were met by a lady with warm spiced apple juice (brandy optional) and it was needed as it was very cold.  A jester entertained us as we stood in the courtyard drinking the apple juice and we then moved into the Hall where a table groaning with food was waiting by a log fire and the musicians were entertaining with tinkling bells.

We had a wander around the rest of the rooms whilst we waited for the musical performance by Hautbois which was excellent and very informative as to the origin of Christmas carols which were originally dances and not religious songs at all.

 There were people in each room in costume and plenty of activities for children and adults to enjoy.

 Did I mention that it was very cold? 

We returned to the main hall and sat not too near the log fire to listen to the performance.

After this I was ready to go home as it was the first time out for a few days except for visits to the post office and sorting office - would you believe that I was out at the post office posting cards and when I got back I'd missed a postal delivery and had to wait to retrieve it from the sorting office.  I was only out for an hour!  Oh, well.

Many apologies for not leaving many comments on your blogs recently, I think I have managed a few, I have been reading and enjoying though. I completely missed Five on Friday too! Hope to be back to normal soon.