Amazon exiles discussion
Don't Kill Snails with Salt ... Creme Eggs & Toasted Teacakes ... Biscuits & Bench Stories, Life, the Universe, & Everything!
We bought two Hanging Baskets and I fastened them together with Cable Ties in a large Ball shape around one of our Feeders - and it is working brilliantly! The Pigeons and the Magpies have to wait underneath now to pick up any dropped Leftovers ;o>
I was recently offered some of these and wow! Not a healthy option at 36g of sugar per 100g of biscuits. What size are the Belgian royal family??
suzysunshine7 wrote: "We bought two Hanging Baskets and I fastened them together with Cable Ties in a large Ball shape around one of our Feeders - and it is working brilliantly! The Pigeons and the Magpies have to wait ..."
I reckon it's only a matter of time until the Jackdaws work out how to let themselves into the garage where the suet balls are kept and scoff the whole lot!
If you have joined together two baskets, do you have to cut off a cable tie each time you want to get at the feeder to fill it up?
I reckon it's only a matter of time until the Jackdaws work out how to let themselves into the garage where the suet balls are kept and scoff the whole lot!
If you have joined together two baskets, do you have to cut off a cable tie each time you want to get at the feeder to fill it up?
... or into your House and work out how to open the Fridge and use the Microwave! ;o>
suzysunshine7 wrote: "... or into your House and work out how to open the Fridge and use the Microwave! ;o>"
So long as they cook something for me - their cooking can't be any worse than someone else who lives here :)
So long as they cook something for me - their cooking can't be any worse than someone else who lives here :)
Val wrote: "I was recently offered some of these and wow! Not a healthy option at 36g of sugar per 100g of biscuits. What size are the Belgian royal family??"Almond is one of those flavours I can take or leave ... but I probably shouldn't be admitting to that being as I live virtually on the Derbyshire Border? ... the home-place of the Bakewell Tart ;o>
I keep the suet balls in a small, heavy duty bin with a fastened lid. The seeds and ‘Fruity Nibbles’ are in solid plastic containers which are fine so far, but I have heard that very determined macho mice can get in!
Lez wrote: "... but I have heard that very determined macho mice can get in!"! ;o> ...
Jackdaws are notoriously clever little buggers. Apparently they can be kept as "pets" and trained to do things (much like other members of the crow family). It's v difficult to keep them away from bird feeders....they soon learn how to get at the food.
It’s strange, I have a few jackdaws but they rarely go near the feeders, they just potter around the shrubs. Same with the magpies.
Lez wrote: "It’s strange, I have a few jackdaws but they rarely go near the feeders, they just potter around the shrubs. Same with the magpies."Maybe you have all the dumb ones in Falkirk! Not many magpies around here at all. I can't remember the last time I saw one, must be a year or two ago.
Our Magpies fly from Tree to Tree and hop from Branch to Branch hassling the Squirrels who make very angry loud screeching noises back at them ;o>
Helen The Melon wrote: "Lez wrote: "It’s strange, I have a few jackdaws but they rarely go near the feeders, they just potter around the shrubs. Same with the magpies."Maybe you have all the dumb ones in Falkirk! Not ma..."
You’re very lucky Helen, there have been at least 2 magpies’ nests close by, ever since I’ve been here. One year there were 17 young (I think - they all look the same size!) the noise is appalling and they raid the nests of the other birds. I really hate them.
Whilst there are plenty of Magpies in the vicinity, I have only ever seen one in the garden on one occasion, and very wary it was too.
The garden is currently full of fledgling Starlings, Sparrows and their parents, and a fledgling Blackbird which keeps harassing a pigeon that is trying to have a kip in the corner of the garden :)
The garden is currently full of fledgling Starlings, Sparrows and their parents, and a fledgling Blackbird which keeps harassing a pigeon that is trying to have a kip in the corner of the garden :)
Oooh? - we currently have a Giant Tortoise trying to smash it's way through the Hedge at the bottom of our Back Garden into the Garden beyond! ... so I'd better go get the Wheelbarrow out to put her in - and tell our Neighbours from across the Road that their TopKat has escaped again! ;o>
We are amazed that even though it's officially winter we are still being visited by a few rainbow lorikeets - they certainly brighten up the view:
But our main visitors at feeding time are magpies with their beautiful warbling voices:
butcherbirds, who also have a lovely song. They are real gymnasts. We throw the food up into the air and they soar and dive to catch it :
and, increasingly, currawongs (also known as rainbirds) with their fan-shaped white tails:
From 3.30 every day, the song starts up which translates as "We're here, where's the grub?"
Although ours is just a normal suburban garden, the birdsong is beautiful:Currawongs : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gPCa...
Magpies : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYEYc...
Butcherbirds : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-l2MW...
I often forget just how different the native Bird species are in each Country, Val - thanks for posting up the fascinating pictures and for putting names and their personality traits to them ;o>We too are getting the 3 - 4 am Dawn Chorus here - plus we have several tiny Fox Clubs who come out to play, and to scream at each other, for several hours every night at the moment as well ... so, what with the heavy suffocating Heat overnight, we also aren't getting very much peace and quiet in which to sleep in! - LOL!!! ;o>
Don't get to see many foxes or badgers whilst trundling around at night, but do see plenty of rabbits who seem to like sitting right on the edge of the roads, totally unfazed as the traffic goes whizzing by :)
Also get to see plenty of muntjacs as well, but have to be wary as they will just suddenly bolt across the road in front of you!
There also appear to be plenty of barn owls round these parts, unless it is just their colouring which makes them easy to spot in the night sky. I've flinched a few times as they have drifted across in front of me, getting very close to the windscreen before veering sharply away.
Also get to see plenty of muntjacs as well, but have to be wary as they will just suddenly bolt across the road in front of you!
There also appear to be plenty of barn owls round these parts, unless it is just their colouring which makes them easy to spot in the night sky. I've flinched a few times as they have drifted across in front of me, getting very close to the windscreen before veering sharply away.
Grizzlygrump wrote: "Don't get to see many foxes or badgers whilst trundling around at night, but do see plenty of rabbits who seem to like sitting right on the edge of the roads, totally unfazed as the traffic goes wh..."We inadvertently ran into a deer once in Northumberland or rather it ran into us. I was asleep but there was suddenly an almighty bang and the car veered sideways. It was dusk and luckily there was no other traffic. Apparently it had just come from nowhere on the driver’s side and bumped across the bonnet. My husband was very shocked and of course we were both worried about the animal.
We got out but there was no sign of it, there was a steep drop on the left leading to some woods but again, no sign. The headlights and the bonnet were bashed in but no blood or anything. We walked back to the café we’d just left and phoned the police (we thought we had to) but they weren’t interested.
The (hire) car was undriveable so we called the RAC who didn’t arrive till 11.00pm, took us to Europcar at Edinburgh airport where we transferred all our stuff and got home at 1.30.
The fate of the deer remains a mystery.
Deer are certainly very resilient creatures - I had a pair of them run out in front of me while driving a van down a dual carriageway. I braked as hard as I could and one deer avoided me but the second ended up literally sat on the bonnet of the van.
When the van came to halt he just slid off the bonnet and legged it back into the undergrowth by the side of the road. I must admit I was very surprised that he didn't suffer broken legs from the impact.
Braking as hard as I did activated the save mode on the dash-cam and two minutes later I got a call from the office asking me if what they had seen was right - a close-up of a deers' butt on my windscreen :)
When the van came to halt he just slid off the bonnet and legged it back into the undergrowth by the side of the road. I must admit I was very surprised that he didn't suffer broken legs from the impact.
Braking as hard as I did activated the save mode on the dash-cam and two minutes later I got a call from the office asking me if what they had seen was right - a close-up of a deers' butt on my windscreen :)
Egad. Where has the time gone? Work. Just work. My Cadbury eggs have been eaten. Lawn tended-I did the weed-whipping, husband and son mowed. I hope everyone is well.Deer are a real hazard in Wisconsin. They're kamikazis by vehicles going down county roads. Some of them are over 200 pounds and really cause damage.
My bird feeders are busy. I've seen red-bellied woodpeckers. The starlings cause a bunch of problems with our robins.
I've been watching new-to-me programs. I finished Keeping Faith, well into The Coroner, the newest season of Midsomer Murders, Vera. Nothing on televion over here compares. The scenery and quality of acting is exemplary. So much delightful murder! Hehehe.
I like the edited thread title very much. It fits the winding discussions perfectly. The pictures that have been posted are great!
Lez wrote: "British ‘football rattle’magpie:https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=KXoTUS5..."
You'd always know he was there!
Granny wrote: "husband and son mowed."
No barber in town or just killing two birds with one stone? :)
No barber in town or just killing two birds with one stone? :)
Granny wrote: "Egad. Where has the time gone? Work. Just work. My Cadbury eggs have been eaten. Lawn tended-I did the weed-whipping, husband and son mowed. I hope everyone is well.Deer are a real hazard in Wisco..."
Granny, you might be interested in the ‘Tip Top Telly’ thread. It is mostly about TV but we do ramble off topic quite a bit!
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
YAYYY!!! - Granny's back! ... x x xI was getting worried that your Crème Egg withdrawal symptoms had forced you into committing yourself to going into Chocolate Rehab for the Summer! ;o>
I had to Google for a Red Bellied Woodpecker - WoW?! ...
Grizzlygrump wrote: "Granny wrote: "husband and son mowed."No barber in town or just killing two birds with one stone? :)"
Tonight we will mostly be having Chicken & Veg Curry with Brown Basmati Rice.I say, mostly, because I don't fancy anything even vaguely hot in this weather - and so instead I am opting for a lovely plateful of cool and crisp fresh Salad with a dollop of ice cold Coleslaw and possibly a generous sprinkled topping of Grated Cheese ;o>
I’m really annoyed with myself. I have a 3-year-old plant (Zamioculas zamilfolia - fern arum) which has grown out of its pot, so a couple of weeks ago I carefully repotted it in multi-purpose compost. Now all the lovely new leaves have turned yellow and are falling off. The whole thing is on its way out and it’s all my fault.
Awww, Lez Lee? ... my Mum has been a bit upset this week as well.A Neighbour bought her a rather beautiful Plant (a Stephanotis Jasmine on a Hoop Frame) for her Birthday - and my Mum thinks that she must have over-watered it by mistake because it has wilted more and more with each day and all of the leaves have dropped and turned an acid yellow colour.
I've never known my Mum to have killed a Plant before ...
suzysunshine7 wrote: "Awww, Lez Lee? ... my Mum has been a bit upset this week as well.A Neighbour bought her a rather beautiful Plant (a Stephanotis Jasmine on a Hoop Frame) for her Birthday - and my Mum thinks that ..."
Possibly not your mum's fault Suzy. Someone gave me a Winter jasmine on a hoop and it died after about 3 weeks. I think they get damaged when they're put on the hoop.
suzysunshine7 wrote: "Grizzlygrump wrote: "Granny wrote: "husband and son mowed."No barber in town or just killing two birds with one stone? :)"
"
Oh my. Hehe. Husband and son did the lawn mowing. Whoops. Hehe!
Lez wrote: "suzysunshine7 wrote:"Possibly not your mum's fault Suzy. Someone gave me a Winter jasmine on a hoop and it died after about 3 weeks. I think they get damaged when they're put on the hoop"I have already suggested that might be the reason to her but my Mum is sure that she is responsible for it's rather sad demise. I tried to buy her another one, as we know it came from M&S (it's my Neighbour's favourite go-to Shop for just about everything), but unfortunately they are out of stock.
I had the idea of buying her an identical one and maybe getting help to try to sneakily dispose of the other one ... but my Mum probably would not have fallen for a swap-over anyway ;o>
Some Men should clearly NOT be allowed to go and get their Haircut without also having female guidance and supervision - LOL!!! ;o>
My sis-in-law used to get annoyed with her auntie who would ask her to go shopping in town. They only ever went to M.& S., then for something to eat, then home! Auntie treated them as a bank, she’d buy 3 or 4 things, leave them in their bags with the receipts then return them one at a time when she was short of a bob or two. Those were the days!
suzysunshine7 wrote: "! ! ! ... ;oO ... ! ! ! "
Whyyyyyyy
I know!!! ... ;o> ... ;o> ... ;o>
Lez wrote: "My sis-in-law used to get annoyed with her auntie who would ask her to go shopping in town. They only ever went to M.& S., then for something to eat, then home! Auntie treated them as a bank, she’d..."Was it a combination of old age and downright awkwardness for awkwardnesses sake, Lez Lee? Or was the Auntie an extremely independent and incredibly proud lady who was in rather urgent need of a boost to her finances?
We had a Great Aunt who I discovered often did the same thing - and so, once we had caught on to it, we used to deliberately buy her quite expensive things with Cash every month just so that she could return them, courtesy of her helpful and kindly Neighbour who was also in with us on what was going on.
I also used to regularly take favourite Foods round and to make various excuses for doing so - which, thankfully, she always graciously chose to accept ;o>
In a shoe shop the other day and 40ish son was with his Mum, choosing sandals. She picked a pair and quick as a flash "There's a special offer on, buy one, get a pair free, Mamma. You'll have to choose something else," followed by a stream of Italian. Mamma's English was not so good as she looked at the (clearly irrelevant) notice he was pointing at and said "Si, si...". ;o)I never managed to pull off anything like that with my Mamma, she was on top of every penny. Very frustrating when we could and wanted to help out.
suzysunshine7 wrote: "Lez wrote: "My sis-in-law used to get annoyed with her auntie who would ask her to go shopping in town. They only ever went to M.& S., then for something to eat, then home! Auntie treated them as a..."Auntie Mame just enjoyed ‘beating the system’! She was a marvellous woman, clever, funny and very kind so we all went along with her little habits.
I once lent my mum £20 (expecting some change) for a new coat for a special occasion. She came back with a coat she got in a sale and spent the rest on an unnecessary hat and gloves. I was quite miffed ;-)
I went up to Lowestoft yesterday and when I reached the town, I kept seeing signs saying 'Strutt your mutt'. I thought that someone had spent a lot of money advertising their dog walking service but it turns out that it is actually a fundraising day with dog walks and a fun dog show with one of the categories being 'Waggiest Tail' :)
The event will be raising money for Hearing Dogs For The Blind and have helped Hounds For Heroes in the past.
The event will be raising money for Hearing Dogs For The Blind and have helped Hounds For Heroes in the past.
'Strutt your Mutt' - I love it! ;o>We have 'Paws In The Park' events around here.
Our Tia would definitely win a Waggiest Tail competition ;o>She has a tendency to hurtle everywhere at full speed (why? - just because she can!) but also has a slow and easy roll of a walk to her - her Hips sort-of sashay - and her Tail never stops wagging while she is awake and even often wags while she is asleep too.
Mitzi usually has a rather extraordinary sideways run - very crab-like in appearance - and it has deservedly earned her the extra nickname of 'Scuttlebutt' ;o>
Tea tonight?!! ... we have a Fridge full of allsorts of odds and ends but it's just too damn hot here to want to do anything but sit in a rather feeble and light-headed heap!It reckons on the Local Weather Forecast that it is between 21 to 23°C across Stockport Borough today - but my Dad's Digital Weather Station says that it is currently 26°C and I think that it is far more accurate and believable.
So? - it might be a Help Yourself To Leftovers Buffet - or possibly a Takeaway if my Mum feels up to going to get one later on.
Amazon exiles
Books mentioned in this topic
Ten Poems about Snow (other topics)And So This is Christmas: 51 Seasonally Adjusted Poems (other topics)
The Tiger Who Came to Tea (other topics)
The Quangle Wangle's Hat (other topics)
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Christina Rossetti (other topics)John Keats (other topics)
Joan Aiken (other topics)
Jammie Dodgers don't quite hit the spot for me like Happy Faces do ;o>