Today I shall be Mainly...

[Stanley]

[plaques]

I take a different view on squirrels.
Since 1981, the law has classed the grey squirrel as vermin. It has a long rap sheet. Greys gobble up birds' eggs or chicks, rip bark off trees and destroy acorns, reducing the number of potential oak saplings. Greys are often carriers of a virus called squirrel pox, which is lethal for the red squirrel. A tree rat that if caught you are required to kill and not release.
I've certainly seen a reduction in the numbers of small birds since they have become endemic in our nearby woods. Get rid of them I say.

[PanBiker]

I'm with you Ken and am having a similar discussion on FB. To cheer you up have a look at this:

Tin Tin the Squirrel

Take a look at his story on the right.

[Sue]

I take a different view on squirrels.
Since 1981, the law has classed the grey squirrel as vermin. It has a long rap sheet. Greys gobble up birds' eggs or chicks, rip bark off trees and destroy acorns, reducing the number of potential oak saplings. Greys are often carriers of a virus called squirrel pox, which is lethal for the red squirrel. A tree rat that if caught you are required to kill and not release.
I've certainly seen a reduction in the numbers of small birds since they have become endemic in our nearby woods. Get rid of them I say.

Oh I am with you completely, that is why I have all my squirrel deterrents and spray on all my bird food. I think I said as much to Maz a couple of weeks back, even commented that they are grey squirrels and not red. I am not encouraging these squirrels in any way, I have made life difficult for them but I can’t stop them coming in the garden and we are surrounded by trees at the back. So I will enjoy their antics , and admire their tenacity .

[Tripps]

The red squirrels certainly seem to have better PR than the poor old grey ones. I bet they eat acorns and birds eggs as well when they get the chance.

I remembered that when I last went to Seaton Sluice, in Northumberland, seeing a sign saying that there were red squirrels in a nearby wood. A quick google shows that there are a lot of them about in the North of England.

Looks like they're a bit pampered up there. Red squirrel bridge

[plaques]

Oh I am with you completely,

Thank God for that! Stanley's parting comment after our little chinwag this afternoon was " I love Sue's pictures of the squirrels". Oh dear says I , I could have just gone and upset her. Mea Culpa and all that. Now I can relax knowing I'm not going to be the subject of any voodoo dolls.

[PanBiker]

The red squirrels certainly seem to have better PR than the poor old grey ones. I bet they eat acorns and birds eggs as well when they get the chance.

I remembered that when I last went to Seaton Sluice, in Northumberland, seeing a sign saying that there were red squirrels in a nearby wood. A quick google shows that there are a lot of them about in the North of England.

Looks like they're a bit pampered up there. Red squirrel bridge

The reason they have their own bridges is that they are a protected species. Hedgehogs are afforded tunnels for crossing the roads to avoid the carnage and attrition of the species. They are herbivore's but Acorns don't feature heavily in their diets as they can't digest them once the Acorns are mature and the larger Greys usually hoover up the green Acorns first. Largest populations are in Scotland about 85% some of the recovery in numbers has been attributed to the reintroduction of the Pine Marten to Northern forests. They predate on both species but can catch the Greys easier which allows the Reds to flourish.

[Sue]

Oh I am with you completely,

Thank God for that! Stanley's parting comment after our little chinwag this afternoon was " I love Sue's pictures of the squirrels". Oh dear says I , I could have just gone and upset her. Mea Culpa and all that. Now I can relax knowing I'm not going to be the subject of any voodoo dolls.

[Sue]

The red squirrels certainly seem to have better PR than the poor old grey ones. I bet they eat acorns and birds eggs as well when they get the chance.

I remembered that when I last went to Seaton Sluice, in Northumberland, seeing a sign saying that there were red squirrels in a nearby wood. A quick google shows that there are a lot of them about in the North of England.

Looks like they're a bit pampered up there. Red squirrel bridge

Where we have our timeshare in Langdale in the Lakes, the grey squirrels are removed and the red protected. The population of red have increased significantly over the last 5 years. I bet they would be just as clever raiding my bird seed. Whatever the colour they make Lockdown tea breaks interesting!

[Tripps]

Must give a mention to the rare local variety we have not so far from here Black Squirrels

[Stanley]

That was news to me David, didn't know there was such a thing as a black squirrel.
I promise I will start on drilling and tapping 7BA holes in the cylinder!

[Marilyn]

I get quite amused by footage of bears getting into dumpsters and bins. I realise they are a thorough nuisance, but their ingenuity impresses me...

[Stanley]

Having promised I will get on with the 7BA tapping I have just realised that I need to cook Veggies and do an early supermarket shop! Can't promise the tapping!

[Sue]

That was news to me David, didn't know there was such a thing as a black squirrel.
I promise I will start on drilling and tapping 7BA holes in the cylinder!

Saw a lot of these in Canada.I believe it is a random mutation which breeds successfully

[Stanley]

They escaped my attention Sue! You learn something new every day.
As I suspected, shopping and cooking took over. I have only just managed to sit down! I shall have a breather then a walk then breakfast. I know my limitations.

[Sue]

Morning

What a beautiful sky as I woke this morning. My ipad can’t do it justice

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Yesterday was a day of sewing, I get better at these coasters the more I do but they still take time, which is good as time is something I have lots of. They have certainly kept me busy over the last few week or so. I also ordered some Christmas cards online, using one of my paintings. I ordered less this year as in August I hand made rather a lot, again something to keep me busy. I had a few problems with Vistaprint website, and emailed their customer service. Within 12 hours I had a detailed response of what I should do , with a direct link to to the solution of my problem plus £15 credited to my account ( valid for a year) in compensation for my issues. Sainsbury could learn a thing or two from them ! In the evening I received the result from my third archaeology assessment, ( all good there) and started reading the 5 th chapter.

This morning I am pleased to report that after only 5 days, not only is my filling giving me no problem what soever but the gum abscess has gone! 6 months of pain and discomfort cured in 45 minutes. Such knock on effects from covid.

Today I have a 4 hour online watercolour workshop with Jeremy Ford. I haven’t done many of his workshops as I have done most of the pictures before in his classes. I thought I had done this one, but it transpires it was a similar one in a different class. Whilst I am doing this Bob will be in a different room having a zoom photography meeting with his U3A I have no plans for this afternoon as yet. Probably a bit of sewing, squirrel watching and archeology

Have a good day, think positive, keep busy, stay cheerful, we are one week in to our 4 weeks. I can’t say that my life has changed much.

[Sue]

So many DONES and DOING, poor English, good french !

[Marilyn]

Another nice pic.
We have had ongoing spectacular lightening/thunder storms overnight. I pulled the blinds up last night and we watched them as we fell asleep. Woke several times in the night and things were still rumbling. A big crack of thunder and lightening had me sit bolt upright before dawn. All very wonderful.
We had a warm day, but the wind has picked up again tonight and I wonder if we are in for another storm. ( I noted on the calendar that we were in Tasmania at this time last year with hail and snow...nearly froze to death in caravan parks! We could hardly go for walks without getting cut in half by freezing winds. Drying off wet clothes was a constant challenge. I remember cooking packet Macaroni and Cheese one night in the van, which made us feel warm and fed, and stopped our teeth chattering. We ate it in bed, in pyjamas and socks, hats and scarves, and shared a bottle of Red Wine...vowing we would never travel there again!)

[PanBiker]

Be laying the Constituency and Branch Labour Party wreaths at the War Memorial shortly after the two minutes silence. We will also be laying a wreath for Bosom Friends.

[Sue]

Another nice pic.
We have had ongoing spectacular lightening/thunder storms overnight. I pulled the blinds up last night and we watched them as we fell asleep. Woke several times in the night and things were still rumbling. A big crack of thunder and lightening had me sit bolt upright before dawn. All very wonderful.
We had a warm day, but the wind has picked up again tonight and I wonder if we are in for another storm. ( I noted on the calendar that we were in Tasmania at this time last year with hail and snow...nearly froze to death in caravan parks! We could hardly go for walks without getting cut in half by freezing winds. Drying off wet clothes was a constant challenge. I remember cooking packet Macaroni and Cheese one night in the van, which made us feel warm and fed, and stopped our teeth chattering. We ate it in bed, in pyjamas and socks, hats and scarves, and shared a bottle of Red Wine...vowing we would never travel there again!)

Maz, That reminds me of a camping holiday in July on the Northumberland coast. Every conceivable weather hail, rain wind and freezing. We love Northumberland but...We bought a caravan after that, but the noise of falling rain used to keep us awake so now we always stay anywhere surrounded by 4 solid walls!

[Marilyn]

Most of our van holidays have been in 40C+ heat....always with a lovely cold fridge and great air conditioning...we have always been very comfortable. Not so easy when it is wet and freezing, with night time walks to the loos with the Umbrella inverting itself.

[Sue]

Most of our van holidays have been in 40C+ heat....always with a lovely cold fridge and great air conditioning...we have always been very comfortable. Not so easy when it is wet and freezing, with night time walks to the loos with the Umbrella inverting itself.

We were always ok south of the Loire in France, north is variable weather . It always seemed to rain in the middle of the night when we were packing up

[Stanley]

We had a sky like that this morning Sue, it was notable. Orange enough to remind me of Trump......

[Stanley]

Definitely working on the cylinder!!
Later at almost 08:00. I have broken the drought and started on the tapping and drilling for the cylinder.



Six studs less!

[Sue]

Morning

Woke late this morning as we missed Sky Arts portrait of the year at 8.00 because of pilates and watched it on catch up later, so we went to bed late. My art workshop went well and I am really pleased with the picture, sewing in the afternoon , not so well. The machine jammed and I had to cut my piece of sewing out of the machine, then it came out of the embroidery frame and I didn’t get it back in , in the same place. Thus I had an extra row of stitching visible in the final piece that I had to try and unpick. Not my best piece of work.

Today is pilates at 10, yoga at 6.30, and not much planned in between. I did start assessment 5 on my archeology yesterday so may finish that. I am unsure of the weather forecast at the moment, so walking may or may not be on the cards. So thats it for now. I see all boroughs in Greater Manchester have declining covid numbers but still exceptionally high.

So have a good day, think positive, keep busy and stay cheerful