FROG FRENZY AND FEBRUARY BITS AND PIECES

What a crazy couple of weeks it's been. So much has happened I will doubtless forget most of it until I'm out walking and then will have forgotten again by the time I get home...that's being over 50. Anyway, the first thing to talk about is these frogs, who were having a whale of a time in my neighbour's very small pond. Not only were they in, and around the pond, but the surrounding grass was alive with them too. Here are the best of the MANY photos I took:

Since my post levels have been unfeasibly low, I'm chucking in the February bits and pieces here too. I'm at the point where I barely get through a third of my daily list of things to do every day so blogging has had to take a back seat.

The Golden Plovers are back:

He looks like he's seeing if anyone's looking before taking on a sheep:

Pompous looking Chaffinch:

Buzzard from below:

Marching Magpie:

Blue Tit...........

.........trying to hide?

Not the best looking Robin. Looks very fierce here:

Three Sisters?

Trigger looking for his neighbours:

Sleeping pony on the moor:

Ice patterns:

I love this; stunning morning light:

Blurry Jack:

Less blurry:

Snippet looking like a teddy bear

So what have I been up to? Mainly dealing with OB and the fact that he's being bullied again at school. Many meetings and complaints about the fact that it wasn't dealt with properly before Christmas. Things are looking up as they're now coming down hard. Anybody different is a target and it breaks my heart. I know I'm biased but a sweeter natured boy it would be difficult to find. Last Monday and Tuesday we were at Great Ormond Street for the long awaited therapy. Five sessions with an hour between each. He did really, really well and they think he could reduce the tics by up to a third and, with lots and lots of work at home, get back some limited control when he wants it, in a cinema for example. Over half term we went to see a film and he had to move seats as he was squeaking in a man's ear, so to be able to hold them in would be amazing. that incident made him very sad and it came up when we were in discussion with them at GOSH. He's so brave and I'm so proud of him. They had mock SATS recently and he's a level 7C in maths with his 11th birthday next Thursday. They can't officially grade him that high because the government won't allow it, but he is. What a star with everything he's going through. Anyway, I'd better go and get him to turn his light out after a draining day for many reasons. 

So, until next time, whenever I can, here are the canine boys, one of whom is in daily disgrace......a remote control citronella spray collar is on its way to try and deal with him.....more information about that next time as he needs a post to himself. It's not the hairy one of whom I write......have a relaxing Sunday and I'll try not to leave it so long. I miss you all. 

BELATED JANUARY BITS AND PIECES

I sincerely apologise for the amount of material in this post. I've already edited out a lot of other stuff, even at this stage. So, here are January's bits and pieces. Prepare for snow.....

Christmas card?

Everyone loves snow:

This is a section of a cow's spine in Jack's mouth; lovely.

First ever picture of a fox on the moor here....it was a long way off:

Our very own glacier:

Snow bath:

Long shadows:

The snow in the garden lasted for weeks and if it's not raining, the washing goes out:

A couple of phone pics:

Tertia:

That lovely Dun pony:

Another bone being gnawed:

Hawthorn berries with all sorts of different lichen:

More frost flowers:

A frosty morning opposite OB's school

Frost trees:

Dawn skies:

I have nowhere to work where there's any light, so resort to drawing standing up in the kitchen...please note the trusty rubbing shield on the drawing board! Phone picture, hence appalling quality. OB's origami butterflies are hiding a crack in the glass; functional AND beautiful.  

Half term is dragging a bit. Only a term and a half left until OB leaves primary school for Okehampton College. Terrifying on so many levels. He's really trying to be more independent but finds it SO difficult. He'll be eleven in a few weeks and wants a guitar. He's teaching himself how to play a half size one that he was given years ago in the hope of musical interest, of which there was none bar the odd tuneless strum. I had it tuned to thirds to make it sound better but he's really getting the hang of it now and uses some kind of tuning app on his i-pod and is writing music. Way beyond me as usual. Another Aspergers related talent. I may be rambling a little as my blood sugar is a bit low thanks to an over enthusiastic insulin injection after supper and I'm currently quaffing some vanilla flavoured milk....liquid ice cream really, which kills two medical birds with one stone: sugar to raise the sugar levels and calcium for the dodgy bone density. Time to hassle OB up to bed so, until next time, here are the snow dogs, or at least I hope they're here as I'm having serious problems loading pictures. This should have been published two days ago....have a lovely weekend all.