"Pussycat. Pussycat, where have you been?"

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I know. I know.

Where have I been?

It started off with monitor problems.

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"Bugger it" I thought,

I can't be bothered, after all I've got so many

other things piling up in the background.

I expect it is because I use VISTA,

 a 'Visibly Inferior System To Apple's'?

I went back to painting the Organ front.

I needed some indoor jobbies as all it has done

for the last three or four weeks, is rain.

It has not been as bad here, 

as up in the 'Land of the wild and vicious Haggis'.

The weather maps clearly show us

where all the hosepipe bans are in force!

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RAIN MAP % of AVERAGE

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I did hear someone tell a joke the other day,

about Solar panels.

I can't remember how it went, but I did read about this Scottish farmer who woke up one freezing cold morning last week to find his entire herd of cows frozen in the field. Rushing outside, he tried everything he could to revive them without any success.

The farmer was distraught and he was wandering around in a daze when a familiar looking old lady walked past and asked if she could help.

The farmer explained the situation and the little old lady told him not to worry and she would see if she could help.

She proceeded to breathe lightly on each cow's nose and rub gently until the cow started to thaw.

Eventually, the entire herd had come back to life.

The farmer was so overjoyed he offered to reward to old lady but she refused saying she was pleased to have helped.

The old lady started to leave but the farmer called out "If you won't let me reward you, at least tell me your name"

"Thora Hird" replied the old lady.

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See! It's not only wet up there, but cold as well.

(only joking).

Which reminds me, I wonder how Ann is getting on

with keeping her hedgehogs warm & dry? 

I was planting up my tomatoes in the greenhouse the other day,

when I heard a rustling sound from under the bench.

Yes, Mrs Tiggywinkle had woken up.

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Not a very good pic I'm afraid,

but I didn't like to disturb her too much.

I am putting out Wesley's leftovers at night,

and it is all gone next morning.

What other news do I have?

Oh yes, do you remember how Hazel used to

spend hours sitting on her pot(ty)?

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Well I planted it up with Cowslips

which have all come up

and given a very good display. Bless her.

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And then of course at this time of the year, and with

all this rain everyone's had

the garden is going wild!

To be fair, this was last year.

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A sort of 'before' picture.

And this is last week.

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An 'after' picture.

Four rows of spuds, two of 'earlies'

and two of 'main crop'.

There are also carrots, parsnips and leeks in there somewhere.

I've put in chives, parsley and other herbs

down in this front bit.

Oh yes, and two rhubarb roots.

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Sometime back I remember someone asking -

"Do you remember those big 'Sweetie' jars?"

Well I remembered as I bought half a dozen

about forty years ago for a shilling each.

They are in my garden shed housing my

'Blood, Fish & Bone' and other Gardener's goodies!

So you see, I have been kept very busy.

Now as you were all very kind about

all my previous videos, I thought I would do

another for you based on efforts in the garden.

Wesley supervised the video shots 

and the 'songs' were performed by

Ronnie Ronalde in 1949.

Sit back and get a dose of this.

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Now wasn't that brilliant?

Fancy being able to whistle like a bird,

in tune and to music.

Fantastic.

And my veggies aren't bad either!

O well, 

now the sun's come out,

I suppose, 

I'd better,

get back to work.

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Take care everyone.

Especially those north of Adrian's Wall.

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When is a Parrot, a Parakeet?

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I have to admit that I don't really

know the difference between

a Cockatoo and a Parakeet.

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A little Mantovani number.

I do know that we have quite a lot of

these noisy, but colourful birds

in quite a number of areas,

including Bourne End.

I've been trying for years to get

photographs of them, but as soon as they spot you

they are off!

Just before Christmas I heard their

squawks very close indeed.

In fact they were next door, up in Norman's tree.

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I tried hard to zoom in on them,

but from inside my kitchen

was not the ideal location.

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Opened the back door carefully....

......and they were off like a shot.

Never mind, this below is what

they look like close up. 

(Not my photo)

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Monk Parakeets.

Wiki tells me they are also know as

the Quaker Parrots.

So now I have 'Parrots'

'Cockatoos'

&

'Parakeets'

to choose from!

The population in 2011 is believed to be around 150 in the Home Counties. The Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs announced plans to control them to counter the threat to infrastructure, crops and native British wildlife by trapping and re-homing, removing nests and shooting when necessary.

150? Is that all?

There are about 50, 

in the Cookham/Bourne End area alone.

I put bird seed out most days in the Winter months.

I scatter it on the ground,

away from the house in an open position.

(Just in case cats are hiding in the hedges.)

Wesley is not in the slightest interested.

He just likes a sit in the sun,

as he did this last Friday.  

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...until,

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Someone found my seed.

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"What are you doing in my patch?"

Wow!

What a difference a day makes!

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"Ah, good!"  "No ginger cat."

"But shucks! No seed either."

That's because Unc B. was not going to go out

any further than his back door.

I put it on the small table this weekend.

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I noticed all the papers are full of

all this cold and chaos, so for a change,

I have put up a wee video of the garden in Spring.

It serves two purposes.

Firstly, to cheer you all up and

secondly I wanted to remember my

next door neighbour who sadly passed away

in January, aged 80. 

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We had been neighbours for twenty years,

almost exactly to the day.

Over those years we used to swap cuttings and plants.

All those red tulips you see above, 

are always referred to as "Norman's Tulips".

He dug them up by the bucketful.

He is not forgotten here.

RIP

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"In the Gloaming"

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Where have I been?

What have I been up to?

Busy bee, that's me.

Actually, before all this activity,

I hurt my back heaving the organ back up the steps into the house on my return from Cookham.

So that meant I had to sit quiet for a bit.

Ideal, I thought, for photographing my hedgehogs,

who have been visiting every evening,

for Hazel's and Wesley's left-overs.

Mainly Hazel's, mind you,

as Wes hardly ever leaves a scrap!

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This was the set-up by the back door.

That was not the camera I was using.

(I'm holding that of course.)

I did think of poking it through the cat-flap!

But you could bet that once I had it set up,

they would insist on going in and out!

Here's one nice picture.

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I had to be careful they didn't hear me or even

catch a wiff of me!

When they came out of the undergrowth

you could see their little noses

sniffing the air for 'danger'.

Well after several nights of this and they got used to me,

I started trying to get some video shots.

The result is up on YouTube now and I have

put a link in at the end of this post.

Sitting there, I also noticed the young going

in the greenhouse and trying to build up a 'nest' for their

winter hibernation.

Into the workshop, (sorry - 'hobby-room') I went - to 'knock-up' a hedgehog house for them.

I have seen these in garden centres selling for around £40!

I made mine out of off-cuts for nowt.

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All set up about a week ago.

And a couple of days later -

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All stuffed with bits of 'hedgehog bedding'.

I have left them well alone - and,

of course, I have to remember,

to leave the greenhouse door open all the time now.

Here's the video.

It's only about three minutes long and

has a wee bit of music to go with it.

Enjoy.

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I enjoyed making that.

I need another nice rest now.

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"There's fleas and ticks and that."

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"Time for bed" said Zebedee!

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Now why would I be taking a stout pair

of leather gloves into the bedroom?

No.

It's nothing to do with leather boots I assure you!

Nor "fleas and ticks"!

It's to do with hedgehogs.

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I am very fond of Hedgehogs

Which makes me want to say,

That I am struck with wonder,

How there’s any left today,

For each morning as I travel

And no short distance that,

All I see are Hedgehogs,

Squashed. And dead. And flat.

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But not on my back yard.

In the summer the cats like to be fed outside.

Hazel has just had a pick around,

and wandered off (on the left) to look at the stars,

and Mrs H moves in quick....

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And polishes off everything that is left.

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Now last week, Wesley came through the cat-flap in a bit of a hurry and broke the little door off. Of course the hole was still there and guess who decided to come in and snout around for food?

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Mrs H.

I heard this snorting in the bedroom and there she was.

Lost her bearings and couldn't navigate back to the conservatory.

This happened three nights 'on the trot',

hence the leather gloves..

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A Hedgehog cannot make you laugh,

Whistle, dance or sing,

And she ain’t much to look at,

And she don’t make anything.

Except baby hedgehogs!

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This 'mother' hedgehog has been bringing her three babies round every evening to show them where to get a really good 'takeaway'.

I now scrape the leftovers into a plastic 'plant saucer',

They make less mess with it's higher sides.

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I couldn't get a picture of all four.

They are quite shy.

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And in amongst their prickles,

There’s fleas and ticks and that,

But there ain’t no need to leave them,

Squashed. And dead. And flat.

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The wee bits of poetry are of course,

by the talented Pam Ayres.

And......I have fitted a nice nooooo flap,

and I no longer need to take gloves to bed!

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UPDATE: I did try a go at filming Mrs. H.

Not very good, I'm afraid, there was poor light.

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Raised from my slumbers.

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Everybody seems very busy these days

judging from what I read on all of your blogs.

I'm busy too, but not on anything of interest.

Sylvie has been making Bread Pud!

The proper way, from left over bread.

The Bread Pudding in Thame Market is £1.50 a chunk!

Mmmmm, I could buy a whole loaf for that.

Are we being ripped orf?

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Sorry that is not Bread Pud, but it is Thame Market last week,

with home made Eccles cakes and Carrot cake.

(to tempt CherryPie)

And this next one is even better than Bread Pud.

Lardy Cake!

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A bit pricey I thought as it always used to be

a cheap alternative to those 'posh' cakes with lots of eggs.

(a temptation for Foody)

So much for calories.

Molly did a very interesting bit on Sempervivums.

I have always liked these.

We used to call them 'Ice plants'.

I've no idea why.

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Anyway. here is a few from my collection.

Tomatoes are coming on well. A bit chilly at nights,

but they have quite a few trusses forming.

Deb, asked about that tomato plant that I grew,

that thought it was a beanstalk.

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Here it is. Out through the roof.

( the blog was here Deb.)

Doohie was interested in my Mulberry trees.

I can't find the old posts just this minute,

but I have two trees which I grew from seed twenty-five years ago.

One is morus nigra, a black mulberry and

the other is called morus alba.

An unusual white version.

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They are very sweet and juicy......

and

all the birds in the neighbourhood know this!

Hence I never get to eat many.

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My garden has been blessed with a good

showing of Aquilegia this year.

Probably because neither I, nor the birds,

have any desire to eat them!

This one is called 'Pink Bonnets'.

And ......just to 'make the day' for brother Ade.

A cat photo.

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A couple of days ago, Wesley was fast asleep on the lawn,

much to the annoyance of a pair of Magpies,

who had a nest in the tree behind.

They squawked at both Hazel and Wes,

if they dared to get too close.

This went on for ages. Hazel got fed up and came in,

but Wes being an awkward bugger, (taking after me),

refused to budge!

There!

I hope I've answered a few queries,

and kept a few happy?

Sorry if I've not mentioned all my friends,

but,

keep the requests coming - please.

It gives me ideas for future ramblings.

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On reflection - an odd week!

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Thank heavens it's Friday!

It is Friday, isn't it?

You see, I've had "one of those" weeks.

On Tuesday, I thought it was Monday,

but Foody put me right.

I'm in a right mess.

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And in more ways than one.

With hundreds of photos and negatives to sort,

my front room looks looks like junk shop!

It may look untidy, but I'm expecting to have it all sorted soon.

Every photo and negative is being scanned,

cleaned up and copies burnt onto a DVD.

I can then make more copies, so than any family

members can have a full set.

Yesterday the sun came out, just right for a day out,

and guess what.

My car was in for a service.

Oh, well the sun shone and I was able

to capture a rainbow for Molly.

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Refractions

It was much better in reality, than the picture.

I did think of a bit of gardening,

and on looking out.

(just looking - mind you)

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Reflections

I spotted this fine chap, walking up and down,

in front of the window,

looking at his reflection.

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He wandered off on seeing me,

and ended up on the back of the garden seat.

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This looks a bit atmospheric, don't you think?

And for those who want to 'reflect' on what we would

do without pussy cats. Nip over here.

On 'reflection' - an odd week!

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Slow, slow. Quick quick. Slow.

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I have music books of Marches, books of Waltzes and books of Polkas but nowhere could I find a book of Foxtrots. I have lots of individual sheets of course and I chose this one below for no other reason, than I just liked it.

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A Novelty Fox-trot.

The Foxtrot originated in the summer of 1914 by Vaudeville actor Harry Fox. Born Arthur Carringford in Pomona, California, in 1882, he adopted the stage name of "Fox" after his grandfather.

In early 1914, Fox was appearing in various vaudeville shows in the New York area.

This was the time when the New York Theatre decided to try vaudeville acts between the shows, and they selected Harry Fox and his company of "American Beauties" to put on a dancing act.

At the same time the ‘Jardin de Danse’ was built on the Theatre roof and this was where the Fox-trot dance originated. As part of his act downstairs, Harry Fox was doing trotting steps to ragtime music and it wasn’t long before this was referred to as "Fox's Trot".

I can’t ever remember trying to dance a foxtrot to ragtime! Today, the dance is customarily accompanied by the same big band music to which swing is also danced.

From the late teens through the 1940s, the Foxtrot was certainly the most popular fast dance and the vast majority of records issued during these years were foxtrots. The waltz and tango, while popular, never overtook the Foxtrot.

Now what prompted this post, was that last week, I was in the kitchen with Hazel sitting on the windowsill looking out at the garden through the open back door.

All of a sudden she turned her head to the door - I did the same - just in time to see a fox stroll past. I went to get my camera and looked all around, but nothing, until about ten minutes later I saw him trotting off down the road. This was about eight o’clock in the morning.

We have green wheely-bins here for kitchen and garden waste. They are put out every two weeks and of course the foxes have a ’field day’. They have learnt that all they need to do, is knock the bin over onto its side to get at that old chicken carcass.

This morning I noticed four bins on their side with food scraps all over the pavement.

And this time I did manage to get a picture of Mr (or Mrs) Fox trotting home, not with a bit of roast chicken but a poor dead wood-pigeon.

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Late breakfast.

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'Cherry Ripe'

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No sheet music covers today.

I could do 'Cherry Ripe' I suppose but it was never published as a separate sheet.

It was however included in every school songbook I ever came across.

It started off a promising year for Cherries - no frost at blossom time, plenty of bees for pollination, followed up by loads of unripe cherries.

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Last year I had none!

Would I get to eat any this year?

Or were those pigeons and blackbirds going to get there first?

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They were disappearing fast. Just a stone left here!

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And even if they leave me half a cherry, I wouldn't want to eat it.

Even if they eat the lot I still have the Mulberries.

I did a post about Mulberries, this time last year so don't want to repeat myself, but once again, both trees were loaded.

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The Black Mulberry,

and

the White Mulberry.

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To discourage the birds I tried to spend as much time in the garden as possible, cutting back, weeding, fence repairing etc. etc.

It paid off and I managed to get at least a taste of the cherries this year!

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I wish I knew what to do with Mulberries, apart from just eating them fresh. I did try making wine one year, but it was a lot of hassle and a long wait. I suppose you could make jam, but jam making is not a thing that I have ever tried.

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