An exhausting morning helping restore the area around a couple of ponds nearby. We had to make sure a large area of exposed liner was effectively covered. So ended up with an aching back!

I watched the football tonight and a pity we didn’t win as I think we played our most fluent football. The Mighty Hatters just seem to keep drawing at home! Not sure I understand the reasoning about letting us go into stadiums at this stage (albeit with a reduced capacity).

Yesterday’s Answers on Mistletoe

a) 85 species in Australia  b) It was a mistletoe arrow/spear that killed Baldur  c) Oklahoma has Mistletoe as its emblem  d) Herefordshire has Mistletoe as its emblem e) Mistle Thrush and Blackcaps love the berries.

Today’s Quiz is on Water

a) Where is most of the Earth’s fresh water located? Is it streams, lakes or polar ice caps?  b) Whilst at sea boats occasionally encounter “growlers” what are “growlers?” c) What is the world’s fifth largest ocean?  d) What is the most common amphibian to be found in British ponds? e) Who released Smoke on the Water?

We were walking around the Frampton Lakes today and I decided to take pictures of the Mistletoe. This part of the world has many trees with Mistletoe Balls prominent on them-possibly because of so many orchards in the West Country. Apparently there is more than 1500 species of Mistletoe!  So guess what the quiz is today and the pictures in the blog (also one picture looking across Court Lake!)

Anyone out there in a school who wants some free virtual  Christmas Story Telling please get in touch a.s.a.p

Mistletoe Quiz

a) How many species of Mistletoe are there in Australia -three choices 52 or 101 or 85?  b) The Norse God Loki tricked Hodur into killing Baldur with what weapon made of Mistletoe? c) What U.S. state has Mistletoe as it’s floral emblem? d) Mistletoe is what English county’s flower? e) Which two species of bird are thought to be responsible for spreading Mistletoe across this country (one is obvious the other adores the berries).

One of those precious weekend November days today! Good to see so many people making the most of it. Our super village is a magnet for visitors on these lock down days. Clare and I made the most of it by going for a lovely morning cycle ride.

I have just finished Philip Pullman’s The Secret Commonwealth and I did get thoroughly immersed in the book I was disappointed the story was left hanging in the air so will need to get the third book in the trilogy (the first book was a more stand alone story). My current reading is completely different A Cheesemonger’s History of the British Isles those of you who know me know how much I love my cheese!

Yesterday’s Answers on Bullies (No Quiz questions on a Sunday!)

a) Harry Flashman from Tom Brown’s Schooldays b) Cruella de Vil wants Dalmatian skins  c) The Ugly Sisters (a part I have played in panto only one of them!) who gave Cinderella a hard time d) Professor Moriarty is Sherlock’s enemy  e) Draco Malfoy picks on Harry Potter

Had a wonderful surprise looking out at of the window this lunch time to see a Treecreeper on our Crab Apple Tree. It was at least five or six years since we had one in the garden. The picture above and the one below are what I managed to snap. Lovely birds!

Just watched an entertaining draw between the Mighty Hatters and Blackburn Rovers which I think was a fair result.

Yesterday’s Quiz on Rain

a) My Fair Lady is where The Rain in Spain comes from  b) Nimbus is the Latin word c) Iris is the Goddess of Rainbows  d) The Old Man is Snoring  e) Travis sang “Why Does It Always Rain On Me”

Todays quiz I thought should be on bullies as it is in the news (I have left out the Home Secretary!) -there are a couple of “Pantomime Villains” thrown in

a) Who is the notorious bully in Tom Brown’s Schooldays?   b) Who wants to skin Dalmatian Puppies?  c) Who bully Cinderella?  d) Who is Sherlock’s deadly enemy? e) Who picks on Harry Potter at school?

It has been a surprisingly  action packed day here. I went for a long ride with my friend Martin and we got a good soaking. Did a few jobs and then had to go and collect the car. It had just had its catalytic converter replaced I was expecting a hefty bill but thankfully it was still under guarantee. “Phew!”

Yesterday’s Quiz

a) Asgard is at one end of the rainbow Bridge  b) The colours of the rainbow Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet  c) Richie Blackmore was the guitarist d) Dark Side of the Moon was the album e) Rainbow Warrior was a Greenpeace ship

Today’s Quiz on rain!

a) The Rain in Spain comes from what musical?   b) Which ancient latin word means rain storm?  c) Who was the Greek Goddess of Rainbows  d) In the Nursery Rhyme what is the old man doing when “it is raining and pouring”  e) Which band sang “Why does it always rain on me”.

It was our monthly bird survey out on the Severn this morning and of course because of Covid lock down restrictions  it was different! A blustery morning meant many birds were hunkered down behind hedges and bushes. No surprises on the bird front but there was an unusual rainbow on the other side of the river that looked more like a fountain (my pictures below don’t really to it justice!) Also below is a Kingfisher it was some way away but if you look carefully it had just caught fish (might need a magnifying glass!)

Yesterday’s Quiz Answers

a) 1605 (Gunpowder Plot)  b) Gettysburg Address (Lincoln’s speech)  c) November is the 9th month in the Roman Calendar  d) Gun N’ Roses  e) James Bond (was born in Germany according to Ian Fleming’s assistant)

Today’s Quiz is on Rainbow’s of course!

a) The Rainbow Bridge reaches between Midgard and where? b) What are the seven colours of a Rainbow? c) Which Deep Purple guitarist formed the band “Rainbow“? d) Which Pink Floyd album has a rainbow and a prism on its cover? e) The Rainbow Warrior belongs to what environmental group?

A Stonechat I saw at the end of the survey!

A typical stereotypical dismal November day today. Think of the well known Thomas Hood poem about November. It has been dull and drizzly most of the day. Got wet cycling back from dropping car off in Gloucester. Think tomorrow looks promising weather wise!

I am working on finding a variety of bird stories for telling. The Two Severn Bores are investigating doing some short pod casts on birds. Dan is working on songs so I need to adapt some stories. One of the first stories I ever wrote I called Quest for Camelot and it played with the idea of merging the bird of prey  (Merlin) with Arthur’s  wizard. I may rewrite it for an older audience.

Yesterday’s Quiz answers on Horrible Headteachers

a) Gillian Cross wrote the Demon Headmaster  b) Wackford Squeers of Dotheboy Hall was fin Nicholas Nickleby  c) Miss Trunchball from Matilda  d) Dolores Umbridge was the Headteacher briefly at Hogwarts  e) Mr Brocklehurst was from Jane Eyre.

Today’s Quiz on November

a) November 5th (Bonfire Night) -what was the year of the Gunpowder Plot  b) What was the name given to Abraham Lincoln’s famous speech November 19th 1863?  c) Which number month was November in the ancient Roman calendar?  d) Which group had a hit with November Rain?   e) Who in Literature was born in Wattenscheid, Germany on November 11th (might be better to think of the films!)

I went for a socially distanced walk with one my old Head Teacher friends this afternoon so guess what today’s quiz theme will be?

Again there was a marvellous murmuration to watch and a noisy Water Rail giving an additional soundtrack to the wing beats!

Yesterday’s Answers on Paul Simon

a) Scarborough Fair was the traditional song that Simon and Garfunkel recorded  b) Widnes is the railway station (Warrington also claims it but Widnes had the plaque on the wall!) c) Graceland broke the Apartheid cultural boycott d) America was the song e) Tom and Jerry was the first name Simon and Garfunkel performed under

Horrible Head Teachers and Teachers in Literature (I might do a positive one in a future blog!)

a) Who wrote the Demon Head Master?  b) Who was the cruel teacher in Nicholas Nickleby and the name of his school?   c) Who is the horrible Headteacher in Matilda? d) Who was the unpleasant short term Headmistress of Hogwarts?  e) Which book does Mr Brocklehurst and Lowood School come from?

We have just been sitting listening to the wonderful Paul Simon, had forgotten what a superb musician and songwriter he is.  He is someone I would of loved to see perform live not sure why I haven’t!

Maybe some time next year we will be able to see live performances again missing music, theatre and sport!

Creeping closer to my 5,000 miles on the bike for the year. Hopefully will reach that in the next week to ten days!

Today’s Quiz  all on Paul Simon.

a) Martin Carthy claimed he taught Paul Simon what traditional song that he recorded with Art Garfunkel?   b) What English railway station is said to be where Homeward Bound was written?  c) Why was the record Graceland so controversial?  d) Which song did the lyrics “I said be careful, his bowtie is really a camera”?  e) What was the first performing name of Simon and Garfunkel?

Short Blog today but with Bill’s pictures (well it is good to use them!) We had a High Tide on the River Severn this morning that flooded the fields. When you look at the picture the River is normally a couple of metres behind that distant hedge line. It meant that the Snipe were tucked in close to where I took the photo because normally they will be in rough grass in front of the reed bed. They moved before I could photo them!

Also took the picture of the Buzzard nearby.

Yesterday’s Theatre Answers

a) The Crucible is in Sheffield  b) Shakespeare’s plays were probably first performed in either The Theatre or The Curtain (Globe built afterwards) c) Stratford  upon Avon  d) Bulls-Eye was Bill Sykes’ dog  e) Break a Leg is wishing someone good luck in the theatre     No Quiz today-more tomorrow.

Finally watched some more Murmurations tonight involving a few thousand birds the picture below is one group!