Category Archives: Wildlife
Canoeing? Wye, I’d love to…
It seemed a long time since Mothers’ Day but the offer of a day out canoeing didn’t come with a time limit, so I waited until August. A couple of years ago I enjoyed an idyllic day out with the … Continue reading
Goatsuckers and other crepuscular creatures
Some bits of the Forest of Dean are hardly forest at all. When Canute ruled England in the 11th century, he named the Forest of Dean and excepted the top of Plump Hill, then wild and treeless and scattered with … Continue reading
The start of the rut
From now on, the hedgehogs will be rutting. Yes, the concept is ludicrous. The word rutting is associated with hormonal stags locking antlers and battling across precipitous craggy outcrops overlooking outrageously scenic Scottish lochs and bonnie braes. Hedgehogs are cute … Continue reading
Soundtracks of a life
Last night, I went out into the dark garden and stood listening for hedgehogs. It’s only three days since Spiky Norman returned with his new lady-friend Tigs and I hadn’t seen them – only the evidence of their messy dining … Continue reading
Freedom!
So today, Spiky Norman came home. There was no bunting or fanfare, which was just as well because, quite frankly, he displayed not a jot of recognition or gratitude. He remained curled up in a big heavy spiky ball, like … Continue reading
Party on
Writing this at 11pm on the 30th of January. All is dark in the garden but I can hear a small chorus of frogs. These are the first frog songs of 2017. They are heralding the Spring. This is the … Continue reading
Happy New Year
Happy New Year to anyone taking the trouble to read this, my first blog of 2017. That in itself might put you right off as it’s apparently very annoying to be wished Happy New Year after the first week of … Continue reading
High Tea
Richmal Crompton was big on high teas. William Brown would poke his grubby visage around the door of the drawing room to find his sister Ethel and boyfriend nibbling cucumber sandwiches and sipping tea from bone china tea cups … Continue reading
Rollin’, rollin’, rollin’, keep those cheeses rollin’
Bonkers dare-devils chased Double Gloucester cheeses down the 1 in 4 slope of Cooper’s Hill continuing the ancient Spring Bank Holiday tradition at Brockworth, Gloucestershire on Spring Bank Holiday Monday. Police closed one of the major roads close to … Continue reading
Kew Gardens
Popped into Kew Gardens on a whim recently. Just happened to be saying goodbye to #2 son at Heathrow, needed petrol at Heston Services and before heading West with a heavy heart, checked to see what was going on at … Continue reading
Janh1: Mainly fair with occasional rain. 