Feed the Birds

Despite the awful weather conditions we have experienced on the Hill in the past week (severe gales, lashing rain...) the garden birds have been out in full force feeding from our various seed holders, peanut boxes, fat ball feeders & bird table. Granted the gales have blown a lot of them off and we've had to launch a reconnaissance mission to retrieve them, and the bounty has fallen on the floor from the constant swinging, but the Robins, Wrens and Tits seem to love that even more, foraging on the ground for extra bits and bobs!
I only wish I could capture them on camera enjoying my garden, I can't wait until Santa has been and hopefully Mr G.T & I will be able to afford a nice SLR camera, as sadly my little point and shoot fails miserably at things like this, sigh!
So far this Autumn on our feeders we have seen;
Great Tits
Blue Tits
Goldfinch
Blackbirds
Starlings
House Sparrow
Tree Sparrow
Dunnocks
Wrens
Robins
Chaffinch
Collared Doves
Black Redstart
and even an occasional Sparrowhawk that tries it luck at grabbing an unsuspecting bird whilst they are munching away, cunningly evil but gorgeous creature!

I am hoping my passion for wildlife and feeding my garden birds will filter through naturally to GS, he loves being picked up to peek out of the window at whats on the feeders, he even points at our newly erected bird nestbox and says "Birdies make house have babies Mummy!" awww, well that's the hope anyway son!

There are 3 important things to remember when feeding garden birds, patience (it can take a while before the birds suss out the food and make sure the area is safe for feeding before they become regular visitors) and keep feeding throughout the year, it's bad news for birds if you stop feeding in the Spring or forget one year to put them things out, once they have sourced you out as a regular pit stop they will keep coming back looking for that lovely stuff you put out, so you have to take it on as a commitment, and finally water, the need this as much as food and it's vital to have a bird bath or just a tub of water for them to drink/bathe in. The RSPB have some terrific advice on feeding and encouraging birds to come in to your garden here http://www.rspb.org.uk/advice/helpingbirds/

Stay tuned for winter bird pics hopefully after Christmas, fingers crossed!

Autumn is here!

Well, it certainly feels like Autumn this week, everywhere is beautifully decorated in red, orange and yellow and it's certainly dropped chilly, but I love those sunny frosty starts and cozy nights snuggled up under a blanket, I wonder if it's just really because I love wearing my winter boots, but whatever the reason behind it, I love Autumn in all it's glory!

I've been easily distracted this week making and baking, so firstly i will share some pictures of the fruits of my labour so you can see I really have been busy and not avoiding you all in the slightest!

These are the handmade baby burping cloths I made for my friend who is pregnant with twins, she loved them which made me very proud, I hope she will have a million and one uses for them and enjoy them! I've started on matching bibs and toys but I will send her these once the twins arrive i think.

This is actually an Apple Meringue, and tasted delicious, i followed a simple recipe out of the Somerfield magazine i picked up and it was great and not too sugary either, i even made the pastry myself instead of buying frozen like the recipe suggested, pah, i love pastry making why not do it yourself!!!

We've also started enjoying our country walks even more now, it just feels great to get wrapped up and stroll out somewhere, I guess it's easier now GS is walking and we don't have to drag the pushchair around everywhere we go, it makes fields, forests and felleys a lot more inviting, not that our 3-wheeler buggy wasn't pretty good at trails, it just feels like we have much more freedom without having to take it everywhere, as well as GS enjoying chasing alongside us and of course the obligatory jumping in puddles and kicking leaves... you just can't do that in a buggy! I'm finding myself drawn more and more to revisiting old haunts from my childhood, places i remember and enjoy from being a kid, wanting to pass on that experience and enjoyment to GS, we are blessed we live so near such beautiful countryside. I have some great photos from our recent walks to share, but alas I am tired tonight from a long day, so am off to snuggle with my hot mint chocolate and will post more tomorrow i hope.... so long x

I made this!

After a slow and steady start I am really enjoying handmaking gifts now, and more importantly seeking out new projects i can sew/stitch/bake/create!

It was only when i uploaded my photos for the week today that I realised what a home-made week I have had;

tomato soup for dinner on Thursday

completed some hand-stitched drinks coasters for my friend's wedding present (plus a bottle of rose fizz- i didn't make that i may add)

A little hand bag for my 2 year old niece (am hoping to make some more items for her in the same fabric)

I also made thank you cards for my GS birthday presents, and a salad solely using items out of the garden.

The sewing projects have been the most rewarding for me seeing as it's the one i needed the most development on, having rarely been able to sew even a button on in the past. I have sewn the items totally by hand, and although not as neat & precise as a sewing machine, I find I am resisting the use of a sewing machine (despite my MIL offering me hers) as it feels more authentic, more hard work if I do it myself and I find comfort and pride in that. Sewing by hand is almost like the labour of giving birth to my final creation, whereas i am not sure i'd have the same satsifaction from using a sewing machine. Maybe once I have reeled off a few more project then common sense will prevail and i'll use a machine, but for now I am happy by hand.

It's rainy on the hill today, there is a real feel of Autumn in the air, although the weather forecasts to be finer for this week, the temperatures have certainly dropped and I felt frozen today when visiting the car boot sale in Tansley, in the harsh open Derbyshire countryside.

Poor Daisy has been in the wars also; our warrior princess seems to have been in a scuffle with some other creature (unsure what, maybe a dog, another cat or even a fox) and has a nice deep puncture wound on her right behind that she growled and hissed at us every time we got near, poor little thing was not happy at all, so off to the emergency vet we went, and thankfully we had caught it in time as it was forming an absess, so a hefty bill later she seems much better full of painkiller & antibiotic injections and sardines (GN spoils her!)

Look at her being brave!