Bird feeder connected

Yesterday evening Darren was testing the bird feed status again and it had updated and managed to link to the WiFi. I had looked at the feeder cage yesterday and thought the feeder mI got fit in there if I removed the feeding tray. Not a great position as it gets no sun in the summer and is a long way from the house so doubt it will pick up the WiFi signal.  But it did fit and I left it put all day. Brought it in this evening as the mice and rats will find the food over night. I will put it out again in the morning. No pictures today but it usually takes a while for birds to approach new feeders. I to two pics, the second one was supposed to show the camera but ai see a little bracket is in the way! The solar panel was actually in the sun for a lot of the day which was good.

There is a fitting for the bottom of the feeder so that it can be mounted on a pole, although Tina mentioned before she went away that I will need to get a squirrel guard!  The broom handle I bought wasn’t really the right thickness and not long enough so though I would take the bracket to Woods the local builder and see what they suggested. As I set off the legs didn’t feel too bad today so decided to walk to Freeport and have a cuppa and call at Woods on the way back. A very wintry pic before I set off home.

The men in woods were lovely, found an eight foot thick dowel which is just the right diameter and one of the trimmed one end for me so that it will be easier to get into the ground. I called into see Sher at the Botany Boutique, she was very amused that I arrived carrying an eight foot pole!

I went into the garden for a short time this afternoon and did a very quick tidy up of the bed that runs next to the fence of the pub next door.

Another wintry pic to finish, feeling quite tired so just relaxing this evening,

New craft, maybe not a keeper!

Yesterday evening I made a little mat for the miniature greenhouse. Not great instructions so had to remove the sticky string and start again!

After doing some washing and household chores I spent the rest of the morning in the garden working on the bed that starts near the entrance to the walled garden.

This afternoon I went along to one of the taster sessions, this time macrame. Not a lot of knotting but lots of combing out the string. This was before glueing and final trimming.

There was time to make a second one, I finished glueing and trimming at home. I enjoyed having a go but don’t think I will be taking it up as a hobby.

Have been to see Sarah and David this evening so now sitting with a neglected cat on my lap!

The bird feeder is now linked so may try to get it into the garden tomorrow, did say ‘May’, you will find out tomorrow!

So many leaves!

I have spent several hours in the garden today. Shifted a lot of leaves and hoed some flower beds when they were clearer. The wind got up during the day and as I cleared more leaves were blowing onto the lawn and beds from the mountains of them at the back of the garden! So it felt like a couple of steps forward and then one beck again! But I know there are less to come back that there were!

The lawn is a bit of a disaster, it is more tufts clumps of couch grass that lawn, and there are dead patches where the leaves have been resting. The mower that Rob uses for the lawn is a huge petrol one that is really heavy and it just flattens down the tufts rather that cutting then back. I thought that the answer may be to strum some of the tufts before he is due to cut it again, but it would be a big job. Anyway I tried a little area and it did look better.

I gathered up the ornamental toadstools from the garden, will clean them up another day ready for the spring but I think the white ones will need a new coat of paint.

I foolishly checked the hedgehog box only to find a dead squirrel in there. Hadn’t been there that long but it sort of took the edge of the day!

Yesterday evening I made three little pictures for the miniature greenhouse, not difficult but quite fiddly!

Tina has gone off to Mirfield for the week retreat now, will probably watch Vera with Darren this evening.

Same old and a new toy, not working yet!

It seems to have been a long day. I went to the shop for rolls for lunch quite early then helped with the grocery delivery as usual. Then went into the garden and was there apart from a quick tea break until we go lunch. I had been going to try and clear some more of the lawn but took the branch cutter out, which I can now manage in short bursts as it is very long and awkward and quite heavy. I cut back a bush near the fruit bushes and the pampas grasses.

Then, once I had cleared the pampas I started tidying that bed, and even hoed it all and put in a few bulbs that should have been planted in the autumn.

The bed next to that had gathered the most leaves so that was next on the list!

I went round and gathered some more twigs for the burning pile and then put all the tools away as my legs were really aching today and I felt I had done enough.

Tina ordered a bird feeder for me a long time ago which has a camera that is linked to your phone. Darren has spent most of the afternoon trying to get it linked, he stepped in when I was getting more than stressed. The main thing to cause me stress is trying to cope with technology. I did pop out to try and d buy a broom handle to mount the feeder on when it is up and running. Watch this space for pictures when it is working and then hopefully pictures the camera has taken of the feathered visitors.

Got a headache now so a quiet evening in store.

Garden and sea

This morning I did some work in the garden, because of the weather the leaves never really got cleared from the garden this winter, not too many on the lawn but the beds still had loads. The ones on the lawn are still damp and the grass is tufts and getting long, so that would be a challenge as well. But first of all I started on the beds. Not that straight forward as I was dislodging some of the small bulls, I hadn’t realised how many bulbs were pushing through.

I did want to get some of the leaves on the grass as well, so sorted out the leaf collector. I hadn’t used it before but it is pretty good. Would be easier if the lawn and leaves were drier!

I did stick with it for quite a while but packed away to have some lunch as I was visiting Jean this afternoon.

There are some snowdrops almost open in the front garden.

I went to Jeans via the sea front.

The usual tea and chat with Jean and her husband gave me a lift home. After dinner I walked down to the post box. Sitting quietly this evening in danger of nodding off, with a cat on my lap of course!

Skidby Mill

This morning after the Ringtons man had been we set off out, not really for anything particular but to get breakfast. We went to Skidby mill cafe, sadly the mill wasn’t open but I took pics on the way there and as we left.

It was a great cafe, very busy, we got a table for late breakfast but they were fully booked for lunch. We will book lunch one day when the mill is open.

We went to a shopping outlet place nearby where one of the stores is a Pets at Home so we got a new flea collar for Pandora. We had a good wander round an Asda home store. Bought a few bits and I spotted a poster frame for £7, thought it looked about right for the gecko. We came home and I tried it straight away, the colour guide is showing but it is fine, may try to upgrade it some time, but at least it can be on show now.

Pandora is such a nervy cat, we had to chase her around just to get the old collar off. The new one is now on, loose to start with, then adjusted when she calmed down!

We watched Throw Down then I wrote a couple of letters and walked to the post office as there is a later collection there. Then up to look at the sea.

Pandora has now forgiven me and is on my lap!

A bit of variety and a bit of frustration!

The first picture is weird! I was using the iPad and the light above made a mini rainbow, sort of!

I went out into the garden and beavered away at the bed I started yesterday. It will  need digging over again as there was a lot of root, but I removed the bigger clumps.

Just a little miniature stuff today, getting smaller and more fiddly!

Our friend Judi is going to become a novice nun next month. It seems impossible to buy a novicing card so time to try and make one! I am so happy to have a printer again as I found a picture and printed it for the card. I have written a couple of possible finishes but Tina may have something in mind more suitable.

Now to the frustration part. When I was ordering our tea last night I realised that my debit card wasn’t where it should be. I vaguely remembered putting it down when I was going out thinking I wouldn’t need it. I hunted for a while and then went on line and found I could freeze the card while I searched. By this evening, after tidying and looking everywhere I could think of decided to go back on line and cancel the card. I put the iPad down, went to pick up the tv magazine on a chair and there was the debit card! I won’t write my reaction!

Went and ran a bath and used one of the bath bombs I made. It fizzed nicely!

Have had an email to say the replacement card should arrive in four days!

Try not to turn the air blue!

The tooth isn’t great but the pharmacist suggested a couple of things so that I can nurse it along until my appointment. After going to the chemist and the shop went into the garden for a while. I thought I would make a start on the bed next to the greenhouse. It gets quite weedy but it was great for the sunflowers last year. Covered in leaves so a bit of clearance first!

Then started digging, didn’t get that far but filled the garden cart!

This afternoon I went to see Sarah and David, haven’t seen them for a couple of weeks so we had a good natter.

This evening was an energy saving session again, this time for an hour and a half. Tina was going out for tea and I made a flask of coffee for when Darren came in as we were already down to one light on in the dining room. As Darren was due to go out at six so couldn’t get any tea, we went and had fish and chips in the car and he dropped me back to the house and went off to archery.

Earlier today I sorted out the pieces for a little cabinet that will stand outside the miniature greenhouse. Making the handles was particular fun! By the time it was made the air was nearly as blue as the cabinet, luckily I was in the house on my own and Pandora ignores me!

I am sitting in my comfy chair now so she has abandoned the bed for my lap now….

Bath bombs and miniature greenhouse builds

I went for a walk to the sea today as I wanted to call in at the library and collect some more liners for the waste food caddy. Chilly but sunny so a pleasant morning to be out and about.

When I got home I got the ice out of the birdbaths and gave the birds some fresh water. Took a while as the hose on the outside tap is still a bit iced up!

The before lunch I got on with miniature building!

The top of that stool was material stuck to card  cut from a sheet, some of the other items on it will be fun to cut out!

This afternoon was another of the taster session days, I had a go at bath bombs. It was very well organised and we had a demonstration first then had to get measuring and mixing!

My round one didn’t set, so have two halves, but the hearts were okay and the we could all have a go at painting one. She brought some ready made ones for that. Really good session and free!

Meds a couple of tiny frames for the greenhouse but now crafted out for today.

I did phone the dentist as it is now a month since I got a hole in a tooth. It is starting to hurt now but they still can’t fit me in before my scheduled appointment on 3rd February. They have put me on the cancellation list again, but not holding my breath.