Delightful day at the WWT Slimbridge yesterday with our Peter’s family. Owen thoroughly enjoyed splashing around in Welly Boot Land. It is an excellent part of the whole reserve designed to encourage young families where they can have fun! It was great seeing so many youngsters having a great time.

Our social calendar is so busy we were out again at a party to celebrate our friend Brian’s significant birthday. As he is a poet we gave him a Simon Armitage book of poetry.

Off to a rehearsal later for the community play I am in- almost got my lines nailed!!!

My ears were ringing from my eldest Grandson Owen (age 2 and a quarter) regular refrain (today’s title) yesterday. Once they have language they can tell you what to do! I was with him and he was constantly on the move expecting me to keep up with his games! My knees and back suffered afterwards!

I had a lovely story telling with the young people from Baguley Hall yesterday and resurrected one of my old shaggy dog stories! I had almost forgotten it!

Finished off a busy day winning our quiz match. We are slowly moving up the league after a slow start.

I have mentioned Chiffchaffs a few times recently. Today with the young people from Baguley Hall Primary School Wythenshawe, Manchester we saw three Chiffchaffs flitting around near the moat. It does seem anecdotally there are many of these birds around at the moment. They are one of the first migrants that arrive in the spring. Picture below! We had a lovely day and saw 23 different species.

Third time lucky! I saw 40 plus Sand Martins in the distance over the Sailing Lake this afternoon. . There is a picture below of a Sand Martin – it is not mine- wish I could take photos of that quality!

Lovely to see some many signs of Spring now but sad it has been wet nearly all day! I did manage to venture out looking for Sand Martins  I managed a Chiffchaff there seem to be quite a few around at the moment. I heard a Swallow was sighted at the WWT yesterday. Blossom is out and the Willow trees are looking good. Pictures below are what I took last year it was too wet today to get my camera out!

I have been playing around with some ideas for a poem and looking at some of my stories for possible re-writing- didn’t get that far!

Had time to reflect on that penalty decision against the Mighty Hatters having watched it a few times. It was a shocker!!!!!!

I refer to today’s football where once again a debatable penalty was given against the Mighty Hatters. It is a mystery that when our players are manhandled/wrestled thrown to the floor in the penalty area that we don’t get anything given (one penalty all season). By all accounts we didn’t play that well today- a point is a point!

Spent time in the garden today- certainly a spring like feel!

Has it sprung???

We went to Dymock and Kempley to look at wild daffodils ahead of a trip Clare is organising next. These pictures I took when we cycled the “Daffodil Trail” about five years ago. This is a special area for wild daffodils. If I go next week expect more photos!

Good news a Chiffchaff was in our garden this morning! A very occasional visitor to our garden! I took young people at Wick Court bird watching on Wednesday and got wet yet again! I did my weekly Story Telling there last night.

Finally thoroughly enjoyed on Wednesday night watching the fluent attacking football in the first half from the Mighty Hatters we should of scored the proverbial hatful! Very difficult game tomorrow at Sunderland, I will keep my fingers firmly crossed but injuries are mounting at the moment.

Had a busy day working with Dan on our next collaboration. We seemed to be getting there and it was fascinating  to see him work out some tunes as we worked. My working title is Festival Fate because fate is a running thread through the stories and Glastonbury features! I think we will come up with something better in the next couple of weeks!

Feeling exhausted with my efforts now! Back at Wick Court tomorrow for some birding with the young people- I think it will be a cold one again!

Well after the hiccup of the weekend I am now feeling almost back to normal! I even managed to finish off the story I have written for the Two Severn Bores. It does need some tweaking but I have sent it to my fellow “Bore” to see what he thinks. We are meeting tomorrow for an initial rehearsal. I will post dates for performances in the near future.

As I was under the weather at the weekend I have decided not to travel to football on Wednesday night so I will watch it from armchair (not quite prawn sandwiches!) I am “Over The Moon Brian!” with the way my football team are performing. Fingers crossed we can go all the way but we have 10 hard games ahead of us.

WelI it has certainly been an exhausting fortnight for the Story Traveller!! I finished my run of World Book Day gigs on Friday. I had an enjoyable time and have had some excellent feedback.

Since then I have been under the weather a combination of the soaking in the sleet on Wednesday, non stop story telling and some minor food poisoning! We also had our granddaughter Ellen staying with us on Saturday night. I had to opt out of some of the childcare as I needed some rest! I was compos mentis to keep abreast of the Mighty Hatters winning at Sheffield United. A stunning result- fingers crossed we can go all the way!