With the hubbub in full swing about meat from non beef sources shall we say getting into all sorts of beef products, a couple of coincidences have collided with that story that make you wonder about things that go around come around.
Friday 8th Feb 1983 was the 30th anniversary of the theft of the racehorse Shergar from his stable in Ireland, he was never seen again.
Then on the same day I sit at home reading a book about Norfolk Memories written in the 1930's and out jumps a lovely little story which has at its heart, you've guessed it, horsemeat.
Sunday, 10 February 2013
Tuesday, 5 February 2013
what a day for a walk
It was sunny and bright but oh so cold thankfully thermals held the cold at bay. Did a walk this morning thats very familiar to me now. Thing is and what I didnt mention earlier was the bitter cold wind that was also blowing bringing in a the slushy snow showers we got Cambridge way in the afternoon. Did make for some lovely skies though.
The wind kept the birds down and quiet which was a shame but did see a nice group of seven Stock Dove feeding on some arable together with the same number of Lapwing. Have to wonder as well if the birds are still sorting and moving themselves out and about after the last bout of cold weather.
Wednesday, 23 January 2013
If its hard for us this cold weather spare a thought for wildlife
Its been almost a week now since the snow started falling here in Cambridgeshire a place where snow usually lasts a day or so if its lucky, I blame that on all the hot air generated in Cambridge by the way. Its also been over a week since I did any gardening work and earnt any money from that avenue of my working life.
But if its hard for us what is it like for wildlife, snow and ice means food is hard to find and you have to expend a lot of energy to find it. As for open water thats almost impossible unless like I saw the other day at Westwick Park there is a patch that something is keeping open, a spring or? and which the birds were flocking too. I dont doubt Mr Fox is also using it to slake his thirst while he does his carousing to attract a lady. Mind how any lady would find the noise they make attractive is beyond me but I am not a fox.
I know I feed the birds on a daily basis and know a lot of other people do as well. In this weather though I have upped the quantity and the amount I put out as well as spreading it about more in my garden to allow for squabbling Blackbirds and other members of the Thrush family to play out there domestic dramas. They always seem to scare everything else off thrush or otherwise in there little spats, and spreading it about more works. One of the three males in the pairs using my garden at the moment can be seen below.
I have also got a female Reed Bunting coming in to complement the males I usually get in winter, she is undoubtedly being driven in by the easier pickings, a sign that its tough out there for wildlife as a whole. Then despite all the cold I see a Blue Tit prospecting in a nestbox in next doors garden. So it might be tough out there but the year is slowly moving on and other needs must be considered and addressed.
But if its hard for us what is it like for wildlife, snow and ice means food is hard to find and you have to expend a lot of energy to find it. As for open water thats almost impossible unless like I saw the other day at Westwick Park there is a patch that something is keeping open, a spring or? and which the birds were flocking too. I dont doubt Mr Fox is also using it to slake his thirst while he does his carousing to attract a lady. Mind how any lady would find the noise they make attractive is beyond me but I am not a fox.
I know I feed the birds on a daily basis and know a lot of other people do as well. In this weather though I have upped the quantity and the amount I put out as well as spreading it about more in my garden to allow for squabbling Blackbirds and other members of the Thrush family to play out there domestic dramas. They always seem to scare everything else off thrush or otherwise in there little spats, and spreading it about more works. One of the three males in the pairs using my garden at the moment can be seen below.
I have also got a female Reed Bunting coming in to complement the males I usually get in winter, she is undoubtedly being driven in by the easier pickings, a sign that its tough out there for wildlife as a whole. Then despite all the cold I see a Blue Tit prospecting in a nestbox in next doors garden. So it might be tough out there but the year is slowly moving on and other needs must be considered and addressed.
Monday, 21 January 2013
underground overground di di di di
Nothing to do with Wombles god bless em must be chilly on the common at the moment.
The Sutton Hoo estate just outside Woodbridge which is managed by the National Trust has just got some good news that I for one approve of.
They have just been told that a mile of overhead wires that go through the middle of the site as such is going to be undergrounded.
Might not mean much to most but will add a lot to the visual appearance of the site.
By the way the current exhibit although its worth checking is of the latest replicas/whatever of a lot of the treasures kept at the British Museum, so the lyre, sword and shield as well as clasps and pouch top, they are fantastic.
The Sutton Hoo estate just outside Woodbridge which is managed by the National Trust has just got some good news that I for one approve of.
They have just been told that a mile of overhead wires that go through the middle of the site as such is going to be undergrounded.
Might not mean much to most but will add a lot to the visual appearance of the site.
By the way the current exhibit although its worth checking is of the latest replicas/whatever of a lot of the treasures kept at the British Museum, so the lyre, sword and shield as well as clasps and pouch top, they are fantastic.
Sunday, 20 January 2013
trip back in time to now
Just had a couple of days away close to the coast in Suffolk another area of this fine country that holds a special place in my heart. Stayed in a lovely little pub the Blaxhall Ship with good food, real fires and friendly staff. Blaxhall is about five miles inland and has a fine common on the seaward side that I can remember visiting when I was agricultural college.
Back then we were told that smugglers used to bring their goods inland from the Alde across the common to the pub for further wider dispersal, as you sat in the pub at night with the fires burning,the bars smelling of wood smoke and alive with customer chatter, with the darknessand snow just outside quietening vehicle movements to whispers you could almost have been back there with the horses being unloaded and men keeping watch. I had only had half a pint as well by then, something very rare for me these days I know, but it was Adnams and that close to Southwold it had to be done.
Did some birding on the way down and both days there, on the Orwell, the Deben and at Minsmere. Peregrines, Marsh Harriers hunting in the falling snow, lots of duck including a Drake Smew and a couple of redheads which brought back memories of working in Ipswich and seeing one in falling snow in the docks.
In the photo above there is a male and female Smew kipping on the edge of the snow and ice. Saw a kingfisher and some nice waders including Snipe and Blacktailed Godwit. The Snipe were so keen to feed especially at Minsmere on the Thursday that they were very close to the hide we sat in, how many can you see in the picture below.
The Godwit feeding on the exposed mud of the Deben a few miles inland on Friday with all the talk of horrendous snowy weather coming a very fresh southeasterly blowing. At the beach in Aldeburgh an hour earlier it was cold enough to cut you despite thermals.
All in all a lovely couple of days away doing nothing in particular and something special at the time, something I never really managed in 2012.
Back then we were told that smugglers used to bring their goods inland from the Alde across the common to the pub for further wider dispersal, as you sat in the pub at night with the fires burning,the bars smelling of wood smoke and alive with customer chatter, with the darknessand snow just outside quietening vehicle movements to whispers you could almost have been back there with the horses being unloaded and men keeping watch. I had only had half a pint as well by then, something very rare for me these days I know, but it was Adnams and that close to Southwold it had to be done.
Did some birding on the way down and both days there, on the Orwell, the Deben and at Minsmere. Peregrines, Marsh Harriers hunting in the falling snow, lots of duck including a Drake Smew and a couple of redheads which brought back memories of working in Ipswich and seeing one in falling snow in the docks.
In the photo above there is a male and female Smew kipping on the edge of the snow and ice. Saw a kingfisher and some nice waders including Snipe and Blacktailed Godwit. The Snipe were so keen to feed especially at Minsmere on the Thursday that they were very close to the hide we sat in, how many can you see in the picture below.
The Godwit feeding on the exposed mud of the Deben a few miles inland on Friday with all the talk of horrendous snowy weather coming a very fresh southeasterly blowing. At the beach in Aldeburgh an hour earlier it was cold enough to cut you despite thermals.
All in all a lovely couple of days away doing nothing in particular and something special at the time, something I never really managed in 2012.
Wednesday, 16 January 2013
must do your prep
Trumpington Road gates.
Also found an interesting plant label, read it carefully, its a bout the plant gossip which can apparently be fatal.
Sunday, 13 January 2013
its the behind the scenes stuff that makes anything good
The things we do eh. Just spent the weekend on a stage managers workshop course.
Why, well I know I am only a storyteller but I reckon that if you are to fully understand any performance you need to know all that went into it and its the behind the scenes bits that often make a performace great.
The course was run by a local theatre group and it was very interesting to see how a show happens. Got me thinking about how anything we see, whether a story, a show whatever is only as good as the sum of the parts.
Why, well I know I am only a storyteller but I reckon that if you are to fully understand any performance you need to know all that went into it and its the behind the scenes bits that often make a performace great.
The course was run by a local theatre group and it was very interesting to see how a show happens. Got me thinking about how anything we see, whether a story, a show whatever is only as good as the sum of the parts.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)