Not a good picture but the Chaffinch was in full song in the Rowan tree just after 9am. He deserved to have his picture taken I thought.It is to do with territory and courting I believe, but chaffinches have such a sweet gentle song.
The temperature at the moment is 50F and similar is predicted for tomorrow. Just 6 more degrees F and the honey bees will be out.
It has been a Karen day and she has happily worked round our visitor requirements. She had to do the rooms in a different order which she managed without demur and with her customary verve.
We nipped out shopping quite early and then started preparing veg etc., and Lisa, and family arrived around 11.30am. Hannah helped me a lot in the kitchen, preparing broccoli, lining the grill tray, finding serving plates etc. Lunch was on the table for 12.30pm and everyone enjoyed it. It was a nice occasion. Then I bailed out for a kip, after my jelly and ice-cream of course. For the others a trip over to the Park was enjoyed - except Lisa who enjoyed a few minutes break with the papers.
Later this afternoon Hannah, Y and I have all had our laptops on the extended dining table and good fun was had by all. Homework has now interceded but festivities will resume therafter.Yesterday's 'The Three Graces' orchid picture has attracted praise. It eventually totalled 14 points on Ephotozine (the link is to the magazine, not to my portfolio) and Brian was kind enough to e-mail predicting it to be a competition winner. I'm not sure about that Brian, but thanks anyway. The snap on the right is another from the same series, taken on a wide-aperture to achieve a shallow depth-of-field.
We are WoWing tomorrow and the suggested location is Ashover, in Derbyshire. Apparently Roy knows a good 2½ mile walk which the chaps should enjoy.
My responses to your previous comments
Bob..... Thanks for the words of praise for yesterday's orchid picture.
Your pork-casserole sounds exciting. and you are right about the French and double- entendre. Mind you, I do feed you some pretty good lead lines don't I?
Did you see the Wendy Cope textspeak Valentine's Day mobile phone messages ?
Jill ..... Thanks for voting in my 'poll'. How you voted is in the secrecy of the ballot box. I have just checked the site and altogether 16 people have voted - 8 for and 8 against. Well I never !
Sitting outside a restaurant in this weather just must be hormonal. Unless of course the people were Innuit tourists.
Helen C ...... If I am to title the picture 'Eastwood Gothic' I guess I will have to be careful that Gothic is conveyed. I don't think that Eastwood Vernacular would quite work somehow, do you?
Tomorrow should be a good opportunity to talk spot-metering. It's very straightforward - honest !
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Quotation time .......
"The February sunshine steeps your boughs and tints the buds and swells the leaves within"
"Sleep tight - Catch you tomorrow"
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5 comments:
I'm first today! Wooho!
Hello, thank you so much for letting me sleepover and I'll help you with lunch/tea anytime. The chaffinch picture is really good, better than what I could achieve.
From Hannah x
I'm enjoying the sleepover too - for the first time ever I've watched 'The Simpsons' and 'Top Gear', both favourites of Hannah!
Bungus barely seen a chaffinch this year - disappointing.
Lidl today criticised for excess packaging.
Sorry! Today’s orchid makes me think purple bloodhound.
Another nice pic though.
I thang-you! I thang-you! As I was walking to the theatre… I don’t wish to know that!
Sorry no link to the very sharp Wendy Cope.
Doubtless her Valentine messages are double-edged.
Tight-run race for the thoroughbred.
Neighbours supped outside last night! His Polish ancestry reminds me of the border-changing joke “Thank God for that; I couldn’t stand another Russian winter.” P’raps that accounts for boundary dispute?
I followed them through Tesco’s checkout yesterday. He handed over a roll of notes which the cashier involved me in admiring before informing me his bill £168.74. (my 3 items, all reduced, under a quid).
'Ratting-cap' punchline:
As it floated away, someone downstream asked
“Whose’s that?”
“Yours if you want it,” I responded.
Jill:
To city dwellers the Gothic look will be unfamiliar. Try village living…
Thinks! Reality television; ‘Goth Factor’, ‘Strictly Gothic’?
Helen:
For me the chapel more ‘American Gothic’ than real Early English would be.
Yvonne:
Lucky you, watching The Simpsons.
I’m not allowed as Sandra cannot see the satire beyond abhored cartoon form.
You sound as if you are having such a good time - are we going to see a new and improved blog? 'Tilly', you make sure you keep these two in order.....
Simpsons are OK but not Top Gear - men and their toys! That lot would all have ASBOS if they lived on a council estate......
We seem to have a lot of greenfinches around at the moment - I counted six in one tree. We don't get chaffinches very often, although there are some in the nearby park. Have you been reading about goldfinches in the Daily Tel.?
I was walking around the estate today, most of the bulbs either looked nibbled or frost-bitten, brown, I am not sure which? They don't look as good as they did last year, and we planted a lot more. I do have purple crocuses (crocii I suppose?) out. And the virburnum has pink flowers on it, but only about half of what it had last year.
Does your Polish neighbour go to work, Bungus?
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