SKY-BLUE PINK AND THE TREE IS UP

Sorry this picture is spilling over the side of the allotted space but it just wasn't big enough in 'extra large' mode. We are all in the mood for Christmas now. Origami Boy has been having a difficult time recently so we're throwing a little Christmas party for him and his three best friends on Friday. Everything needs to look festive. I'm a huge fan of the colour changing LED and bought what I thought were five rather naff angels until I put them up and started the lights going. I love them! The effect in the dark is fantastic as you can see below, alongside my father's Lion and Unicorn pieces from 1952. He and his first wife, Susan, ran the Richard Parkinson Pottery in the 50's and early 60's. More about that some other time......

A few of you mentioned 'sky-blue pink' after the last post and so I had a look online for its derivation. The only thing I could find was on a site called 'World Wide Words' which says:

The expression has been variously used — by exasperated adults to children when pestered about names for colours, as a “mind your own business” off-putting reply to an unwanted question, a sarcastic description of some over-the-top or inappropriate colour, as a hand-waving term meaning “whatever colour you want”, or a dismissive comment to the effect that colour doesn’t matter.

However, it first appeared in the states at the end of the nineteenth century, for example:

Brilliant colors in masculine garb are beginning to appear in Paris. ... The innovation will be a boon to some of our young men, who will find ample exercise for their faculties in determining whether pea green or sky blue pink would better suit their various complexions.

The Haverhill Daily Bulletin, Massachusetts, 14 July 1881.

I haven't shared any bird table pictures recently so here are some from the last week:

Great Tit

Great Tit with the Sparrows

Great Tit....again

Chaffinch

Great and Blue Tits

That gorgeous Woodpecker again

and again.....

and here relaxing on a branch and, at one point, closing its eyes for a snooze!

I saw this amazing fungus a few weeks ago on a beech twig in Trigger's field. It disappeared over night but then reappeared about a week later on exactly the same twig. I've had no luck identifying it so submitted this picture to the i-spot web site in the hope that someone will be able to. If you know what it is please get in touch!

I know I go on about Fernworthy Forest being an eyesore, but the other day, with storm clouds building and whispy mists swirling, it did look quite dramatic, so I've deigned to give it space

Hmmm - the clouds are definitely more interesting than the forest. 

The herd have really come back together over the last week or so, minus Lizzy and numbers 1 and 2 of course. Difficult to photograph them all together but here a couple of groups and some individuals:

Number 3, Thelwell candidate

Plush velvet. I think this is number 8's sister, born last year

Number 8

Numbers 4 and 8 

This post was actually meant to be published two days ago but we lost the internet on  Saturday and have only just got it back for long enough to finish writing and uploading. When Snip and I were out, we met this dopey hound, miles away from his pack and very lost. They're really not very bright.

Finally, a HUGE thank you to Cindy at justnorthofwiarton.blogspot.com who sent me a lovely unexpected Christmas present of two maple leaf shapes made of crystalised maple syrup after I mentioned how my great uncle used to send them to me from Toronto when I was a child. They arrived this afternoon and a nibble transported me back forty years. What a lovely surprise!

And so, with only a week to go, I will leave you with a fluffy Snippet. Hope all your Christmas preparations are going well/finished/started. I will no doubt speak to you before the day. Until then..............

WOODPECKERS AND WEATHER

Today we have had rain, snow, sleet and massive hailstones, all polished off with a high wind. The birds come flocking in a desperate fashion when I clink the porridge bowl at about 2.00pm. They used to sit in the trees until I closed the door but are beginning to get more bold and flutter down, tweeting and bickering with each other before I even get inside. I've been hoping to catch the woodpeckers with the camera but, until now, they have shot off every time I try and creep to the window. This one was quite a way away on a dead branch, so it missed me. A bit grainy but I hope you'll forgive that.

We have a new peanut feeder and the pair of Nuthatches, who look identical, can now be distinguished by whether they are capable of getting inside the feeder or not. One can do it, one just pecks on the outside. This is the pecker:

And a lovely Blue Tit looking askance at the porridge before tucking in anyway.

Yesterday I managed not to get rained on and struck out towards Fernworthy Forest which is frankly a Forestry Commission blot on a beautiful landscape. It's very rare for it to make even the tiniest appearance in any of my photos! Its escapees appear periodically though, in splendid isolation. I may pop along nearer Christmas with a bit of tinsel....

Here are a few more pictures from yesterday:

These two rocks prove very useful in the snow when the landscape becomes difficult to navigate

That funny foal from a few weeks ago again

I cropped off the forest to the left!

What's left of the herd scattered in the distance

Today, along with all the negative weather, Snippet and I had ten minutes of sunshine. I had to take the little compact camera as I don't have a fail-safe way of keeping the new one dry. I'm still really impressed with the depth of field it achieves. Better than the new one actually! I did miss the zoom though.

One of the best bronze age stone circles....that post will appear eventually....sorry!

Rain coming

Meldon and Natterdon Hills in the distance

Betty and friends

Number 10 challenging Snippet

Number 10's Mum - I think. The foal directory is on our old laptop and it takes too long to warm up!

Back to Masterchef - the Professionals now. I wish I'd never started watching it. I spend most of the time getting irritated by the repetitiveness, the stilted face pulling, the ridiculous editing, the contestants, and the pretentious terminology but am addicted nonetheless. Enjoy the rest of your week and thank you for your comments - they are really appreciated. Until next time....little number 10, surviving against the odds.

GOODBYE TO LIZZY AND HELLO TO SOME OLD FRIENDS

I haven't wanted to say anything until I was sure, but I am now. Lizzy has gone. I feel ridiculously sad. She and Betty disappeared for about a week and then Betty appeared alone with her mane a bit tidier and her tail trimmed. Her owners are incredibly responsible and kind so I'm sure Lizzy is either with them or has gone to a good home but I'm bereft. How silly to have got so attached to a little wild thing. Big piebald Number 2 has also gone; I have seen his mum alone too.  Just as he was getting bold and close. This afternoon, I thought I saw Lizzy up by Kestor and went running up there in a very ungainly fashion only to discover some old friends we haven't seen for months: foal numbers 5, 8 and 9. From a distance number 5 looked very like Lizzy. It was only when I got up really I was able to identify her correctly. I was hopeful till the last, even though Betty was nowhere in sight. It was lovely to see them after so long; I'm pretty sure the plain coloured ones also belong to the same people. Here they are:

Lizzy-like number 5 with number 9

And again

Beautiful bay number 8 looking a bit rough round the edges

5 and 9 again looking at Snippet

The splinter group with Betty were down the hill a bit. I have to admit to shedding a tear today. Feeling tearful generally so any excuse really. Here she is looking beautiful and a couple of little but furry number 10:

Beautiful Betty

Furry number 10

Some other pictures from the last few days:

Lesser Spotted (I think!) Woodpecker in our Hawthorn tree

Scorhill Tor quite distinct for once with the sunlit hills beyond

Stick attack

Snippet's nemesis 

A selection from the bird feeding station:

Mrs Blackbird

Blue Tit

Mr Chaffinch

These two are of the sky last night in Trigger's field

I will attempt to find out what has happened to Lizzy. I keep missing the person who might be able to help me but will persist. Sorry to be so down about it but I do miss her. Along with number 2, she was the most engaging and charming of all the foals and I'm glad I have such a huge photographic record of her. Until next time..........here she is again when she was really young.