Travels with my camera

I never seem to have time (or the inclination) to write this up in the evenings the last few days, so I thought I'd do it this morning for a change. Haven't done much really, thats another reason why I haven't bothered. Monday was an interesting day for me. I met one of my neighbours for the first time, (after all, I've only lived here nearly six years!) The reason for this was quite strange. I let Emma out into the front garden about 12 oclock lunchtime, and there was a little West Highland White dog in my neigbours garden, sniffing round. Her garden and the one belonging to the other old lady at the end of the row of three is not fenced off. Neither is the gate ever shut on the end as it's a sort of walk through to the back of their bungalows, shared access I guess it's called. So this dog looks like a stray, she doesn't have visitors with dogs. So I spoke to it, and it ran off across the gardens. So I went down the path to see where it went, and it went in the road! It then went right down the cul-de-sac and into a garden. Seemed to know where it belonged, but I thought I'd knock on the door anyway. Did so, no answer. Great I thought, they've gone out, left the dog out and someone has left the gate open. So I went next door and knocked to ask, no answer. So in desperation, I tried the next one along, and success. The husband came to the door, he's deaf and very Welsh and didn't understand what I was saying. Thankfully, his wife then came, who not wishing to be cruel, looks about 20 years younger, and was English, lol, so we got somewhere at last! We both went to the dog's house, and suddenly a bedroom window was opened, she was in! Still in bloody bed I think, it was now nearly 1 oclock! The poor dog broke my heart too, it had a really bad ear infection, brown gunge oozing out. ALso looked like she'd not been brushed for about a year. Makes me sick. Anyhow, she reckons it's being treated by the vet, so what can you say? I have already fallen out with two sets of neighbours here over birds/cats, so left it at that. So the neighbour who accompanied me turns out to be one I get a christmas card from every year, (we do that here) She is a very keen gardener, and took me round the back to show me her veg plot! She also kindly gave me some plants for my garden, so I must now make the effort and do that other border that I've been thinking of doing in the front for the last couple of years. We got on really well, and she said to come round for coffee whenever I like, and she'd like to see my garden! Shriek, she won't be impressed. She also feeds the birds, and reckons there is an owl down there at night, and she has also heard a cuckoo! So I am keeping my ears open everytime now, and I almost thought I heard it yesterday too, but a plane went over so couldn't hear sod all for about 5 minutes! So it looks like I have made a new friend.

There now, that was exciting, wasn't it. Even more exciting was that I actually managed to clean my aviary out yesterday. Its a job I find every excuse under the sun to put off for as long as possible. Its either too hot, too cold, too wet, too late and the birds are all inside and I dont want to disturb them, or I don't feel well..... etc. Mainly because it hurts so much to bend over and scrape and sweep and carry the bucket and bin bag full of stuff when I've done it. I am okay if I actually crawl around on the shed floor to do it, but as you can imagine that's not very pleasant, but I do it. Outside in the flight though is what really gets me, my back is agony. :(

Yesterday I went over to my friend Pats for the afternoon, and took the dogs for a walk, just the road walk this time, because she was looking after her grandson, and you can't go down the woodland walk with the buggy - he will be one year old in a couple of weeks, and is so very cute, makes me very broody. I love babies. Hate kids though, lose all interest once they start walking and talking. He's still crawling and googing and the moment! He can stand but can't take any steps without falling over so far. Emma was very suspicious of him, she hadn't had a baby crawling around on the floor at her level before, and when he started crying, she was rushing round looking to see where the noise was coming from!


Oh well, I will leave it at that for now, not sure what I'm going to do today, I should do some cleaning, gardening etc but also need to go shopping. It's a lovely day out there now that the fog has lifted. I woke up with a splitting headache again though today, but took a pill and it has practically gone now, still don't feel brilliant though. I really need to get my arse into gear and do that bto bird survey route. I have put it off so long, the forms the BTO send are so bloody complicated, even the guy who has sent them says so. He says to photograph the route and he will fill it in for me if I like. I think it may come to that. They want to know every little tree, blade of grass, plant either side of the route for every ten meters or something. Sod it, I wish I'd never got involved now. Hate admitting defeat, but it's way too complicated the way my brain is at present.

Oh well, better get on and do something anyway. More exciting news later probably....