Walter came home for a chat

I was getting a bit worried and even went to the lengths of borrowing some better binoculars - ours are just cheapy ones) in an effort to see if any of the woodies around had rings on and were Walter. Then this morning there was a woodie in a tree in the garden. I couldnt see a ring due to the way it sat but it was there for about 5-10 minutes while I spoke to it and was only about 6 ft above my head which is not really normal woodie behaviour since they tend to be timid and scittish. I was 90% certain twas Walter but still I did not see the leg ring to be sure. Then this afternoon - well a few minutes ago- I walked down the garden and disturbed a flock of about 5 pigeons who flew off while I let the chickens into the end of the garden. I has just been dug ready for rotovating this weekend so I can start my veg growing - and self sufficiency efforts- and the chickens love newly dug ground. They also clear out all the bugs which is very helpful for us and good for them. Anyway I sat on the sleeper that is a border edge and drank my tea and then I realised that sitting above me in the walnut tree is a small woodie. I walked over and spoke to it and it stretched and I saw the leg ring. Its a great relief. Walter is ok and doing well and was with me a full half hour while he preened and I had a chat with him and his friends were all in neighbouring gardens waiting sitting on top of the trees at quite a distance from us. Anyway I am happy now since I know he is fine. I saw the leg ring twice in fact so definitely it is Walter. I was actually starting to get bored with sitting there but didnt want to go away and leave him - tho I am almost 100% certain he is actually a SHE. She is not as pretty as a male bird and having held one on Sunday when it got stuck in Walters vacated aviary that I am sure was a very pretty colourful male I am now sure Walter is a female. And its the 13th again. Definitely my lucky number! Also I have a feeling I will be seeing Walter again. Tho I know not when but (s) he will come back now regularly. I am going to move a bench down the bottom of the garden tomorrow to watch my veg grow. We have a rotovator hired for the weekend and I i ntend to plant broad beans and whatever else I have seeds for that can go in now on Monday. Also my dad has bought me 7 very heavy bags of rotted farm manure so its all out planting time. The main problem now is how to keep those pesky birds ( including pigeons!) off my growing veg without hurting them??

Flu and pasta

Well spent last weekend ill with flu which sort of ruined a weekend if you see what I mean. It started on Friday ( valentines day!) when M was ill and then Saturday I went down with same disgusting illness. Not what you want at a weekend when the weather is reasonable - well for february it was nice - and anyway didnt really feel well till today. I actually went back to work on Wednesday which was seriously silly of me cos I was still ill. Havent been in this job for very long tho and worry they will find a reason to get rid of me. Or just not pay me when I was sick. I really do not know yet. I suppose I should ask but its a difficult one and I hate that sort of thing. Maybe I will have infected everyone!! Not that I particularly want to go around spreading horrible bugs but at least if they get ill they know you are telling the truth! Have eaten pasta nearly every day too since we were both not really feeling up to going shopping and we ran out of rice and spuds and all we had lots of was pasta. Lots of types of pasta but in the end its all the same really. Its just the sauce that changes. That wasnt very varied either since we had no tomatoes and had some of those stir threw sauces and pesto. Still I suppose thats why I buy them really. For the days when we either cant or dont want to do real cooking. Anyway felt pretty bad till today when I woke up feeling wonderful at 5:30 this morning. At least maybe this weekend will be better. M has this idea we will be putting up a fence this weekend. I am not at all sure about that but suppose since I am now healthy again there is no longer any excuse. Unless it rains of course. It would be great to finally get round to it so the dogs can really run. The garden is long enough that they could actually get up speed if it was secured by fencing. Oh my broad beans have started to grow. I bought 2 more propogaters and 2 heaters to stop frost. Well they are called Frost busters so I hope they work. I had to buy them cos when I took my tomatoe seeds out of the heated propogater we had an air frost which killed all but one of my poor tomatoe seedlings even tho they were in an unheated propogater in theory growing on. I was not happy. First ill, then dead tomoatoe plants. They were 2 weeks old as well so it was very sad. This morning tho I realised when I put them back into the heated propogater again ( well you have to hope) I actually managed to save one of my doomed tomatoe plants. Hopefully it will continue to live. I intend to cherish it. Anyway intend to get going with loads of seeds this weekend. Can now start off 6 varieties at once. Self sufficiency here we come!!!