Monday 17 December 2007

Yule

Tree

It's a bit early but isn't it pretty?

Thursday 13 December 2007

A silly season moment

cheating bastards


Maybe I should try harder.

If you want to try this at home, watch out for the advertising link they sneak into the graphic.

Tuesday 4 December 2007

Wildlife in Abundance

a basket of mice
Aren't they cute?

You might think so, I couldn't possibly comment. In the last 24 hours the humane mousetrap has captured 5 guilty subjects, now released away up the field and into the forest although I have no confidence they won't be back, just as quickly as their little legs will carry them.

This place is a wonder for the quantity and variety of wildlife it supports. We were sorry to discover we had interrupted the winter hibernation of a fire salamander, something the books don't say will be resident in this area. My pictures of this were rubbish so here is a drawing I found.



There are also butterflies hibernating all over the house and we move around in fear of waking them up before the nectar plants are blooming again.

Not everything is quite so wonderful as the world of nature. The car battery, the same one as caused all the trouble last time so I have only myself to blame, has finally turned up its toes, just as I was about to sally forth to find one of those small garages where men in greasy blue overalls suck their teeth while telling you the car is beyond economic repair but they'll see what they can do. So I am well and truly stuck and have succumbed to inviting a British peripatetic mechanic to come over and bring a battery with him. He tells me the earliest he can get here is Thursday which was a day I had in mind for travelling back to the UK for a visit so it's just as well I've not booked a ticket yet. Still have not the faintest idea what this little adventure will cost us, hopefully I'll get an email tonight and all will be well.