Last Day of May, 31.5.2024.

 Today nice sunny day, but still quite cool so it was off down Reddish Vale Park and first thing noticeable was the Lady Sarah was back in business after her problems a few weeks ago when her two vehicles were vandalised.

Lovely lady!, open Friday, Saturday and Sunday's whilst the info centre is closed.  

Couple of dog walking vans there too, seem quite popular these days after people got dogs during the pandemic , after they went back to work suppose the dogs alone at home get bored and get up to mischief, so these walking guys are cheaper than replacing furniture hey!. 

Then it was round the lower mill pond, where there was a swan stranger on the nest and the two resident swans back together after the female had been away to the vets, now healthy again.

There were these cute little mandarin ducklings with their mum.

She had 9 with her, but they have a creche system the same as the Canada geese.

Proud mum seeing all the bigger mallards off.

There were 4 Canadian goose chicks too.

It's a big world out there,

Round at the top mill pond there were these baby Coots.

Mum will have to keep her eye on this Heron.

Crow after Peanuts.

This is how you get into them.

Squirrels love them too.

Always plenty of robins about.

There's always someone trying to get into the picture!

Then it was off to Morrison's for lunch after a chat and a coffee with lady Sarah at her van.

Packed out at Morrison's, free meals for kids and free refills, they will sit there all day, full paying customers can't get a seat!.

Back home re-potted the small plant mentioned in a previous post after getting some more house plant compost.

That's a lot better isn't it.

Bought a new clock for my hobby room, it does the bird sound on the hour, But at the moment the sounds are wrong for each bird, will have to look into that, no instructions (Chinese what can you expect!).

So there you have it, another nice day down the vale.

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What did the idiot do to the flea in his ear?

He shot it!.

Why do bees hum?.

because they don't know the words!
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Bank Holiday weekend, 27.5.2024.

 Bank Holiday Monday, I'd forgot it was a bank holiday, let's face it every day is a holiday when you're retired.

So I got an invite to go to the Kingfisher where my Son and daughter-in- law had booked for us, it wasn't that busy, there again we were early at 5 o'clock, or it may be the prices these days hey.

This is the lunch time menu.

On Tuesday the gang and I went to Morrison's  for a change from Pear Mill, we were going to get Fish and Chips there but they had a new menu last week and I saw a muffin with two chicken breasts on so I had that, thinking it would be better than fish and chips which aren't very good for you without a gall bladder!. It turned out very tasty and I had to bring half home as I couldn't eat it all there.

Today I went to Reddish Vale Park, there was a lot of work being done at the gate area to the Lower Mill pond but you could still get round.

Squirrel Nutkin with a bourbon biscuit.

Nuthatch, they are very quick, hence a not very good picture

Robin in full plumage.

Juvenile Robin, did you think they were born with a red breast.

Perhaps it's  camouflage whilst they are young. 

Nice young Blue tit.

Roland Rat, it's said you are never more than 6 feet from a rat in this country!.

This is me with the pigeon with the twisted beak eating out of my hand, follows me round the park.

The it was off to Morrison's to see if they had the same hot chicken sandwich's as I thought again more healthy.

The place was crowded with mothers and their kids, kids eat free there, trouble is there's no seating left for the paying customers.

I eventually found a table for four and invited a couple to sit with me as they were looking for a seat as well.

After a long wait (3/4 of an hour) that usually doesn't bother me the young chap who took my order came to me and said that's no chicken sandwiches left, but you can chose anything on the menu at the same price for your wait and it will be next to be cooked, so I said my usual Mini Fish and Chips.

Carried on talking to my table companions and it turned out they were only married two year after their other halves had died.

He was a retired Chef and she was a tired social worker, not been retired as long as me though!.

My meal came and the young chap said "We've given you a large one!", Bang goes the healthy option hey, I just ate the fish and pea's. 

The place was very noisy with all the kids running about, the mothers chatting whilst the kids were in the children's area (next to my table) so the fact that kids eat free means paying customers have to wait and be deafened whilst waiting, good job my hearing aids have a screaming kids shut off option. Roll on the kids back at school, who would be a teacher these days.

Gripe over!!.

Finished another jigsaw this week so will take it to Bridge View café tomorrow, if you call in the Jigsaws and books are all free, can't get better FREE can you!.  

If it's good enough for Princess Anne it's good enough for me at the bridge view café.

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Out and about, 22-24.5.2024.

Wednesday My friend Jean had given me her gas weed burner to test, she had had it for quite a while but had been a bit worried about using it.

I tried it out in my garden and thought what a good idea and so easy to use, my mate Bob has had one for years but I'd not see him using it.

It was lunch at The Windmill on Wednesday, where it was 25% off with the voucher on their appt.

I ordered a gas gun from my favourite company Amazon, and saw a good bargain, the gun and eight, yes eight cans of gas for £19.25!., Jean had paid £ 9.99 for 4 cans to be sent to my house to test her gun.

Took the gun back to my friend on Thursday at Portland Basin where I gave her a demo on the gun and made sure she was ok using it.

We saw this Goose with one baby whilst there.

The day after ordering my gun, I got this email from Amazon or so it seems.

Looks like its from Amazon doesn't it!

It seemed strange as I'm a Avid Amazon fan and never had any problems before, so checked my bank account and the payment had gone though alright, a few days later got an email to say my order would be delivered on Thursday and there it was!.

 So beware folks!, there are lots of scammers out there just waiting, sat on their idle asses just waiting to steal your hard earned money off you.

Today it was raining again so it was off to Home Bargains at The Snipe for more bird food and a few bits and pieces for me, whilst there had a bacon buttie at the O'neilds meal wagon.

A bargain at Home Bargains, 4 Gas cans, half price at £4.49.

Then it was over the road to Nottcutts garden centre to see what the café was like there, but the top of the menu was Fish and Chips at £13.95! three times the price of Morrisons, bigger portions perhaps but there again I can't manage all of the mini fish and chips there.

I did buy a couple of plants, as the plants at Nottcutts always look nice and healthy, they were only very small, but makes them a lot cheaper.

Got this one for Jean for bringing the gas guns to my notice.

It's a Gynura and I've repotted it to a slightly bigger pot, as it was only in a thumb sized pot before, plus a little Figure too.

I got this one for me, as you can see only small therefore only £3.99, fascinates me how the leaves like that top one grow out as a stork and unfurl as a perfect leave like the others, need some more compost before I can repot that, should have got some today but didn't realise I was so short, what a gorp!.

Then after a good look round I went up the road to the Ashton Moss Nature Reserve.

Looks like someone had got there before me with food.

Tufted Duck.

 The Heron there is a good rat catcher, seen pictures of him with a rat in his beak.

The female swan on the nest but didn't want to disturb her.
Met John the new owner, he has taken over the property even though he is struggling with chemo treatment at the moment, was telling me of his ideas now he is in charge. 

John had told me in the past, that if you want to see jackdaws, just put some fat balls out and I had some in the car, a couple of minutes later there were two there.

So a good couple of days except for those scammers.

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Two hydrogen atoms are talking.

one says to the other "I think I've lost an electron"

The other one asks "Are you sure".

The first replies "Yes I'm positive".

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