Another day in lock down,8.4.2020.

Another day in lock down, but its not too bad with the sun shining and a garden to sit in, can't imagine what it must be like for people in high rise flats!.

My Venus Fly trap that my friends Bob and Joyce bought me last year has produced another long stem with with a flower on, that's the second one this year up to now. 

  

On the same kitchen sill I have a Wax plant, and that is flowering for the 5th year, the picture doesn't do it justice really. 

Outside in the garden, I was horrified to see a cat swinging off my bird feeder!,

So it was out with a hammer and chisel and made a hole further out from the fence. 

The two Coteneaster plants, one red and the other yellow have started to grow again, they have done the birds well over the winter, that was the idea when I bought them last year.

The bird bath on the table there is well used by the birds, so a good buy for a couple of quid, think it was a tray for a big pot really but a good bath for the birds.

The logs there need replacing as they've been there about 10 years so passed their sell by date , but will have to wait until the garden centres open again.

My Goldfinches are eating well, perhaps we are going to get the patter of tiny claws again this year.

So colourful hey.

Taken though the double glazing.

They love the Sun Flower hearts.

Plenty of wood pigeons about.

Also plenty of Starlings.

Quite colourful when close up.

In next doors tree.

Where's the grub Pepe.

Lastly I saw on the Pear Mill website, that they have finally got the camera trained on the peregrine Falcons connected but not yet online though.

Here are a couple of pictures they posted on their website this week.

A pair of Peregrines with their eggs.

 

 4 eggs in the nest, quite safe as they are about 100 foot up in their nest

Took this picture last year, didn't realise what this magpie was doing in the Peregines nest until I got home on the PC, taking a chance and finishing the Falcons Pigeon dinner!.

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Pepe's thought of the day.

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Stay Safe, 

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Looking back at the last years pix's, 3.4.2020.

As we can't go out at the present time, I've posted a few of last years pictures on the website I am a member of at Reddish Vale Nature photography.

It will give you an idea of some of the nature and wild life on my doorstep and you will be able to see why I'm getting withdrawal symptoms.

Click here

You will be able to hear these Ring necked Parakeets before you see them in the summer with the trees leaves a similar colour.

You can entice them out into the open though with a few peanuts.

Always a few Herons about, this one having a frog for lunch.

This male Great Crested Grebe was a bit ambitious with his catch for one of his babies, it was never going to swallow that, eventually swallowed it his self. 

Mr & Mrs Mandarin Duck, the male is the very colourful one, though she is quite colourful in her own way isn't she.

This is a male Shoveler duck, as you can see its beak is the clue to it's name, as it sifts though the muddy water with its beak, you can just see the filters inside its beak.

These are Male and female goosanders, that's the male with the Greenish head and the females with the rust coloured heads.

The caption I came up with was,

"I thought you were seeing another woman you dirty rat". 

We there you have it, when you can finally get out, why not have a wander down to the Vale if you are in the area, nice volunteer staff in the Info Centre/Cafe and just the place for a chat with friends, also very nice new toilets.

That open notice isn't right at the moment!

Inside the information centre, Tea, Coffee and snacks and also Books,Video's to give a  donation for. 

Well that's it for another day.

Vera Lynn's hit of  WW11 will be relevant now hey.

We'll meet again, 

Don't know where don't know when.

But we'll meet again .

Some sunny day.

Stay safe everyone.

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Saw this in a pub on one of our trips to Cornwall years ago.

In Self Isolation, 1. 4.2020.

Has we are all in self isolation gives me a chance to do another post!.

Today went to Morrisons superstore and it really was a superstore!, there were barriers leading to the front door but I was lucky that there were only 3 people in front of me, all at two metres apart and after only 5 minutes it was into the store and the shelves were quite well stocked.

The Panic buyers must have calmed down now as I managed to get most items on my list plus a few I hadn't put down thinking I didn't need them, but as I said there was plenty for everyone!.

I've even seen an Eddie Stobart truck there and Morrisons usually have their own trucks, so they are pulling all the stops out to fill the shelves!.

On the way home stopped at Debdale Park to give Pepe a walk as he hadn't been out for days.

Checked out the progress on the Hyde road project and wondered what the big crane was for after the bridge had been taken out, but could see at once that it was putting shuttering in place that will be bricked over later!.

 

Pepe had his Grooming cancelled this month so it was down to me to give him a good brush, don't think he was impressed!.

Got my camera set up so I can still do a bit of birding!, you can just see Pepe on the right on his own chair.

My treadmill has come into it's own now as well 

I can even watch my favourite video''s whilst walking

Who needs to take drugs, at my age, can have the same effect going too fast on this!.

Another way I keep from going round the bend is Jig saws, this one just finished this week and passes the time very nicely.

If you notice everyone in the picture is smiling. not as at the moment with everyone worried to death and some even frighten to say good morning it seems.

Well there you have it, that's how I'm passing the time indoors.

I'm used to Isolation 21hrs a day, but a few hours down Reddish Vale soon sorts that out!, so getting withdrawal symptoms now and missing friends down the Vale!.

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Saw this on the internet the other day, how over the top is that!, 

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Isolate!, Isolate!.

Stay Safe everyone. 

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Going Going Gone, 7-8.3.2020.

This weekend we watched, watched and watched the removal of the Gorton bridge.

Early Saturday morning what I thought was two cranes, arrived, then realized it was one giant crane and a low loader with the attachments for it. 

More to go on it yet.

The crane having the attachments fitted.

There it is, with its arms and cables fitted.

As you can see there were plenty of Gortonians watching.

But we were all disappointed as the wind was too strong to chance a lift.

the spreaders were added but by 6-00 pm it was too dark to continue for me to take any photos.

This is the main man who everyone was waiting on, it was all on his head to go or not, or should I say his instruments readings.

A Bridge too Far.
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So it was back there at 8-00am on Sunday to find the bridge down, obviously overnight!.

So I had to be satisfied with a before and after job.

A dull damp day Monday morning saw the main road opened again

The traffic lights that had been changed to channel all the traffic into Reddish Lane were put back to normal, it had gone well there, but its a pity the lights at The Fir Tree pub into Longford road hadn't been given priority as it was a bottle neck there!.

Still its all flowing again if only slowly until the new pedestrian bridge is placed in which I was told would be right at the end of the project.

Will be a smaller crane for that as its a lot lighter by the look of it.

An artist's impression of the finished project, its been a bit of disruption for lots of people no doubt but long overdue and you can't have omelettes without breaking a few eggs can you!.

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Last view of the Bridge, Hyde Road Gorton. 6.3.2020

Had lunch at McDonalds today with a friend I'd not seen for a while, we used to go to the cinema quite regularly but nothing on the past few weeks that we fancied, so decided to meet for a chat at McDonalds!.

At least I could hear him now I have my new hearing aids, been I bit difficult the last few weeks with my old aids, one broke and the other not much use, so its been a few weeks of "What" "What" and more "What".
These are my new aids in their charging Box as they are rechargeable!, so no more Batteries, Charge overnight and next morning they are ready to use and said to last for 17 hours on a charge.
The box also holds a charge when disconnected, would have been handy in our old camping days with no electrics but can't see much use for that these days as my dirty stop out days are over!.


Not cheap but my old aids had 17 channels and over the last 10+ years these new ones now have 48 channels so technology as come on leaps and bounds!, and what price your health and well being!.
On to the bridge, not literally as its coming down this weekend having been postponed last time due to the high winds.
So Saturday 7th and Sunday 8th March the road will be closed, can never remembering that happening in the last 50 years we have lived here.
Still it needs to be done and it will remove an ugly eyesore.
This is the state of  things as of today.

This area was all dug out and then filled in again with this hardcore, not sure why unless the big crane is going on there?.

Will need a big crane as that's a big lump of metal isn't it.

Still it will all be worth it in the end as this is an artist impression of the finished job, that's the road looking towards the M60, Denton.
Too nice for Gorton isn't it?.
  The new bridge will be going in the last thing. 
Hoping to get some pictures of the old bridge in the air tomorrow so watch this space.

Whilst at Pear Mill the other day took this picture of the top of the 200 foot high chimney and been watching some old videos of Fred Dibnah climbing up these, this was one he missed, still its a good perch for the Peregrine Falcons in the area.

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Better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubt!
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