Wednesday down the Vale, 25.6.2025.

Wednesday it was down to the Vale for an hour before meeting up with my mate Chris for lunch at Morrisons.

The first thing I noticed was a pair of mandarin ducks on the top mill pond.

Male out of his breeding plumage, but still has his colourful beak.

His misses', though less colourful is still nicely marked.

Nice to see that the Little Egret is still on the top mill pond, though still on the far side.

And a heron close by peeping out of the undergrowth.

The swan family were on the far side seeing if a chap sat on a chair had any food, but soon left him when they saw my hat and came over to see what goodies I had for them.

One of the volunteers was trying to see them on the far side and said "how many cygnets are there" but he saw them coming over to me, so was quite happy to see the usual 5, I gave them all a good few handfuls of seed and they also had quite a lot of mealworms!. 

Parents were very wary though,  I didn't want to get too near, though in the past when they didn't have any babies I have fed them by hand which knowing Ivan the big male is a feat in itself!.  

Though it was a dull day with the threat of showers, it was warm enough to bring out a few of the bigger terrapins on the top mill pond.

The squirrels were out in force enjoying my apples.

The kids were happily splashing about in the shallows on the river, as I said dull but quite warm.

 Also enjoying the river were these Canadian geese and goslings

 but they also came running when they saw there was food.

The signage near too has been replaced describing how the banking has been strengthened and protecting the railway arches.

Not surprising when you see this kind of thing a bit lower down the river, near the info centre.  

Still a few Coots nesting, suppose the good weather is fooling them too. 

Youngster from an earlier brood, not got it's white forehead yet though.

 Doesn't take the crows long to get into a peanut and once they have had their fill, they gather up as many in their beak as possible, as they know they will all be snapped up before they get back from burying their loot.

The it was off to met my mate at Morrison's for a natter and meet some of the people we have met over the past months.

I had a three cheese toastie and a bowl of chips, whilst Chris was being good and having just a bacon buttie and helping me with a few chips of course.

Back home my pull-out shelf on my Computer stand was looking a bit shabby so I thought, I've still got some of that Fablon from my headboard!, so out with the measure and there was just enough!.

From this.

To this, but as I said when doing my small table the Fablon doesn't like bending, so ordered some of that red edging strip that looks so good on the little table, that's going to be a couple of days arriving though. 

The front garden is looking quite good at the moment, with all the edges covered in Tom Thumb and Lady thumb Fusias.

The centre there has a new hydrangea, which should be blue as ordered but that depends on the PH of the soil I believe, we shall see.

  

Yesterday was my 65th wedding anniversary, so on the way to the Bridge View Café today, called in at Crown point North shopping mall, always full there also, has a Clarks shoe shop!.

Was served by a very nice young Pakistani lady and had a chat whilst trying on the shoes, and she lives in Oldham as does most of my family!.

I left with a nice pair of shoes that had Gortex and explained I only buy Clarks these days because I've had Plantis which is a very painful foot condition, and she was surprised and said "I've just been diagnosed with that by my GP", so explained to her how I cured mine by making a rocker I'd seen on Youtube!, can get anything on Youtube can't you!.

I was amazed how much the price of them have gone up since the last time I bought some!, but what price your health hey!!.

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Harry keeps a record of all the food he eats,

it's called a tie!.

I had a ploughman's lunch the other day,

then he punched me!.

I went to a seafood disco the other day 

and managed to pull a mussel.
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