LAMBS AND A FROZEN NEWT

Difficult not to use the word 'sweet' here because they really are......

It's been so been great to have some sunshine, especially as I'm in chauffeur and social secretary mode with Origami Boy and his friends over the holidays. Nothing worse than bored nine year old boys stuck inside trying to convince me that playing the computer game 'Minecraft' is a good idea. If any of you are familiar with this game, you will know that its expert players will have conversations that make you scrunch up your face in a mixture of incredulousness and a deep, weary sadness at what the world has come to. Origami Boy told me proudly this morning that yesterday he had: 

"crafted a pair of diamond boots, three iron swords, a pair of gold leggings and a leather cap"

I tried to stifle a snorting kind of laugh, only to be asked what was funny. I changed the subject swiftly. He is VERY limited in the time allowed and never near bed time but it still worries me how totally engrossed he is with something so mindless. 

Anyway, enough of computer games....here are some birds....

Dunnock

Robin

Female Chaffinch

Great Tit

I took these next two one morning and it really does look like spring with the sunshine, but there is still no grass growing and Trigger has lost some weight. I'm still giving him hard feed in the morning and hay at night but the lack of grass is having an impact.

This is the strange puddle mud formation at the halfway stage where some of the water has evaporated away so you can see better what it's like:

Over the past week, every place where the frogs and toads had spawned has dried out. Everything but the stuff we moved to deep water has perished as had this newt we found in the tuppaware box we buried last year for our tadpole rescue. It had frozen. So sad. At least the spawn we moved have a chance but, by now, the big puddles are usually alive with wriggling tadpoles. 

It's due to rain all next week so at least that might kick start some growth. Snippet strained a muscle in his armpit playing with a Labrador friend yesterday so has been taking it easy today; something that doesn't come naturally to him. Until next time............here he is, basking in the sun covered in doggy stuff.