Will catch up later, but see the last page of yesterday's chat for updates from folks - including the last one from Diane!
Dianne - sorry to hear you are now officially snowed in - keep warm and dry!
Soon be time for the Strictly final, who is going to win I wonder????? I'd like Matt but Tara or Pamela are just as good, it all depends on the night how they do??
AQ - the Christmas jokes email was good, take no notice of me I misinterpreted it.
A belated hello to everyone. I hope you are all keeping warm as we go thru another atrocious spell of bad weather - oh yes, even I have now received 'proper' snow, rather than the pitiful one inch a week or so ago! It started at 3.30 pm this afternoon and appears not to have stopped yet.
And what a day it's been. The Aga played up again and the fan has apparently failed again. The Aga man who came out a couple of weeks ago said it wasn't the fan, but the ancient control box, and of course when he came it worked perfectly! OH has worked out how to bypass the box for now and put it on a timer so we will (hopefully) be fine for Christmas. To do this we needed to pop out to the DIY shop and called in at the bird seed shop. We got back home and opened my garage door when OH noticed I had a perfectly flat rear off-side tyre - it's only done just over 400 miles. I am sure it was the result of Mr Farmer and his tractor going up and down the track, which is our right of access, to the fields. This is churning up the soil, stones and flints and it was the latter which was nicely embedded in my tyre. Grrr. Yes, a £200 grrr too. OH kindly removed said wheel and we headed into Cambridge to purchase a replacement tyre, and got home as it started to snow heavily. I dashed into the house to fetch OH's blipper for his garage door, I put the house key on the hook without undoing the Yale lock and slammed the door behind me. Whoops! Fortunately we have a spare hidden away, but you need a screwdriver to access, so not so bright if the garage door isn't open! Mmmm. I must do something about that.
Interesting that you've had brambling around Wendy. Our neighbour said he had one on the ground under the feeders today, but I haven't seen one so far this winter, although I have very occasionally in the past.
It sounds as though a lot of you are now suffering from the snow. Diane it must be quite magical in the forest, but not too sure I would enjoy it on my own. However, it sounds as though you are used to it and are very well equipped. I loved your story of the goose: they can at times be very intimidating, particularly to those with evil intent!
Like a number of you, I too will be settling down to watch Strictly. The best three are there. I would like to see Matt win as I have said before, but really I don't mind. Kara is fantastic to watch and is technically the best dancer. I also admire Pamela. So let's just enjoy the show together!
Lucky you Alan and Lady P to get such a close up experience with red kite. Have you seen them around you before?
Bye, keep warm and take care if you REALLY have to go out.
Sheila FE It is such a shame about your farmer as I am so lucky with mine. We are on the 3rd generation and if we have a problem we go back to the top man old Willy and at 90 still holds a lot sway. Willy also loves me as I have proved to him over 9 years I am a grafter. So one word and then sorted. Can you not have a quiet word or is it beyond that now.
Bramblings gone, Long tailed tits maybe but they could be back tomorrow I can just hope.
Was going to comment on birds we don't see but Richard on his new blog stole my thunder as Jays are a bit elusive. Starlings are few and far between.
Sparrow hawk still about as I mentioned to OH I thought he was away somewhere as I had seen no feathers. But he was watching from his study and he took a sparrow (known as a spugger up here) in one fell swoop.
SheilaFE : There are many red kites not too far away from here. I know that there are at least 40 nests in the Southwick woods and Fineshade areas of East Northamptonshire.
Good result in Strictly tonight..Kara stunning..Artem a gentleman. Maybe a match made in heaven!!
Wendy, I thought it was the correct result. They are still not admitting to any romance, although she did say, that Artem would be a friend for life !!!
Began a message this morning with ”only a layer of snow too thin to measure” – went for my porridge, and down it came again – just over an inch after falling for about an hour – so I abandoned my post. Family got here midday and we had a very good day, but they left about 7:40, and phoned to say they got home in just two hours (normal over that route). Apparently the roads were very quiet, and the A66 was ok, after temp down to minus 12 near Penrith! Being weekend, no gritting here, so we may miss the “Forgotten Carols” concert in Dumfries tomorrow – seems to have been more snow just that little distance west of us.
Won’t try any replies now – quite tired after clearing up etc. Leftovers tomorrow, so an easy day kitchen-wise! Happy New Week when it starts!
Starting a new thread