there lurketh a beast in the backyard

Having been in the new place a bout six weeks is it??? Herbert the super cat finally looks to be getting settled in, its taken time but hes spending more time outdoors and looking happier while out there. Mind that helped if he has Red legged Partridge to look at or Wood Pigeon or Mallard even, they all visit.

Mind he would never even dream of catching them would he, oh the indignant look on his face, slighted thats what I am he says.

Malcolms got a new phone

Oh yes he has a new mobile phone, smarter than the last one so smarter than me for sure.

Still in that getting used to it phase, got some good apps downloaded well I think so, Bird Track and Mammal Tracker and still getting used to them being so much quicker.

Still getting used to the camera as well;

Yes its the garden of the new place and yes those are red legged partridge looking for leftover corn and having a drink.  Lord only knows what they are doing in this part of the village but they have been here a while by all accounts.

So new phone strage birds in garden, whats next???

its the little things

Its the little things that do it every time.

A phone call from your mum, a trip to old places or just spotting a tiny patch of yellow flowers in your drive. They bring back memories and recollections of past times and old friends and things that happened or things you saw.

The little things.

gasguns, gadwall and eat your greens

A week or so ago in the Cambridge News, this chap had written in a letter which they published having a right go at the use of gasguns in fields to scare of pigeons and other birds that eat the crops close to/in the same filed as the guns. There was this comment about farmers being behind the times etc etc and on and on he went about new technology.

Saw a bit of the new technology today coming back from a bird survey, a field with a tethered hawk model flying high and jinking about, under neath it taking no notice a nice flock of wood pigeons scoffing away, undoubtedly thinking that pretend hawk will keep real ones away.

I mentioned a bird survey because I still look at some land on a farm near Ely, and yes they have gasguns in some fields to try and keep birds away and you cannot blame them really after all farmers need to make money as well as grow food. They have flooded some more fields this year to control soil pests, I imagine growing three or four crops a year of salad on a field leads to a buildup of pests. The flooded fields are a magnet for waterbirds with a lovely range of ducks on them at the moment, with Great Crested and Little Grebes diving away, the Little Grebes in particular calling almost non stop.

What were the crops the gas guns were protecting you want to know, Lettuce, in the shops soon fresh for you, habdpicked from lord knows o'clock this morning by gangs of fold who I bet are not paid that much and who are picked on by Nigel Barrage Balloon which takes me back to gasguns.

Am I reading too much into the words?????

So in Homebase last week I saw two shining examples of products and services that, well, have they been really thought through. Or is it my daft mind at play once again.

First, Rug Doctor make a product called Traffic Lane Cleaner, what on earth is that about, mind with the A14 close by is it for volunteers to have a go at removing those nasty oily residues.

Then, a van parked up and signwritten Pirtek with the strapline, Fluid Transfer Solutions. No they have got nothing to do with condoms. Its a hydraulic hose replacement company, it says so in smaller letters on the back of the van.

found this cardboard box

Looking around a garage as you do for some tools and a piece of rag I came across this box. Had a quick looksee and read and had to smile.

I woonder if you put the box down theres a big bang and hey presto self laid floor but the walls and windows have been blown to bits.

dont hurt the trees

.

I was in this churchyard close to Cambridge and started noticing little white looking labels, toddled to have a look as you do and see this, each label is on a tree with a tree preservation order on it and how have they fitted the labels. With staples