Over the last few days we have noticed our regular Winter visitors in the garden. We have both male and female Blackcap on our feeders. The picture below of the male I took this afternoon. I aim to get some better pictures over the next couple of weeks hopefully on the trees! Last week in the cold we had 21 species in the garden on our regular bird count. Today I even spotted a Redwing in the garden!
Final Story Telling gig tomorrow at Tuffley Library! Currently learning corny Christmas jokes!
I spent Saturday helping my at my youngest son’s house getting a Christmas Tree, put it up and put up their outdoor lights! (picture below). Pete has damaged his shoulder and Nicola is pregnant so they needed me! Good to be useful still! Clare wasn’t feeling too well so I was solo! I also spent the rest of the day playing with my grandson Owen.
I enjoyed the cricket this morning because My team’s game was off this morning (thank goodness!) I even watched the World Cup Final this afternoon which was surprisingly compelling!
My final gig of the year is for young people at Tuffley Library on Tuesday.
We are still in the grip of snow and ice in our part of the world. It was close to -10 last night. So I went bird watching today hoping I might see a Bittern. Not much to see- there is more in the garden. have already recorded 21 species for the week. So instead some pictures of icicles from my walk and the water fowl with a small bit of open water on the frozen lake.
Some pictures from last night’s entertainment at the Three Horseshoes, Frampton.
Dan Everett the other part of Two Severn Bores. Yours truly below the other half of Two Severn Bores wearing his new top hat!
Just back from telling my Harriet the Hippo story at North Nibley. Hope I may get a picture from it in the next few days. Do enjoy telling this story even if I forgot one or two of my alliterations within the story! I really must do something about getting this story published it has the potential to be a different sort of picture book!
If you want to join us tonight in the Three Horseshoes we start at 8. We have slots of performers young and o…..mature! I will certainly be wearing my new stylish top hat! Hopefully will have some pictures to share in the next couple of days!
Not a comment on the state of the country although it could of been or Shakespeare or my state of mind after a double footballing loss on Saturday. Thought I would use the Richard 111 quote for the wintry scenes of recent days. Pictures below is Frampton on Sunday Morning and the Fox mid morning today.
Finally I have a double Story Telling tomorrow. I am telling my Harriet the Hippo at a school tomorrow as a leaving present for the Head. I always enjoy telling this one and have a lot of fun with it.
In the evening my Book Club are doing our Christmas entertainment at the pub. (click on link below to see the poster)
After an incredibly mild November we certainly know we are in December now! I pedalled out this morning to drop off a birthday and was clad in balaclava, winter gloves, tights and overshoes etc. Roads were ok until I went down a side road and hit some ice so I was cautious on the last part!
Festive treat for me later I am out with my friends from Wick Court where I volunteer for our Christmas meal – my second one this week!
Looking forward to a sporting day tomorrow watching the England cricket and football teams on TV. More importantly my football team resume their season after our World Cup break so I will be listening tomorrow afternoon! Think my nerves will be frayed by the end!
Well I have moved quickly to get a new bike to replace Shadowfax and picked up for a bargain a new bike I have called Castor (after one of the shire horses in Susan Cooper’s The Dark is Rising as it will be my work horse or work bike!) Picture tomorrow!
I was Story Telling tonight for Dursley W. I . I finished up telling my Christmas Angels story that I have become very fond of! I think I should get it published at some point. I wore my new top hat!
Old age has caught up with my beloved Shadowfax, my faithful workhorse who carries all my Story Telling props, birdwatching gear and shopping. When I called myself “The Story Traveller” I envisaged my bike carrying me and my props to my gigs, which Shadowfax has covered thousands of miles doing. Sadly the bike has now to go to the Great Bike Shed in the sky. I got the bike nearly 30 years ago when I moved to Dursley as a Headteacher and pedalled regularly to work on it. So it is a sad day- I now have to look for a replacement to do the job, my other bikes are not suitable. The picture above is Shadowfax and some handsome bloke on Clifton Suspension Bridge – I was cycling with my son David from Exeter (his home) to Frampton (my home) many years ago!
I am driving to my Gig tomorrow night for Dursley WI!!!!
What a brilliant result from Pakistan! This England cricket team are certainly entertaining!!! Full credit to Ben Stokes he has certainly surprised me with his captaincy! I was totally absorbed watching this morning and the way Test cricket builds just adds to the tension! Stokes and Brendan McCullum want to make Test Cricket entertaining and they are certainly doing that!
Went out on Starling watch tonight but hardly any appeared! Two hunting Marsh Harriers made the trip worthwhile!
After mentioning sport today and yesterday it presents us with a dilemma for our Book Club entertainment next Wednesday. I think if England win on Saturday we will have to rearrange it!