Painting Plans

Well the plans for sorting out the front garden are underway, Mr G.T has measured up how much decking he thinks he'll need and we hope to buy it in stages so we can get bits done at a time, realistically without taking a week off of work to do it is going to take some weekends to get it done. Mr G.T is never happier than when he has some sort of powertool in his hand so I'm sure he will enjoy every second of it! Meanwhile we (me, GN and GS) will be getting the garden sorted out and getting the fence painted on the back, it's going to be busy but worth it once it's all done. I've found it so easy in the past 2 years we have lived here to just sit back and take up the dutiful babysitting role, but this year I want to get things done, it isn't easy with a toddler but im sure he will help where he can and enjoy it, I am being more confident at getting stuck in and getting on with it now, I can't spend my whole life sitting back worrying about GS getting in the midst of things when we can have fun getting stuck in together.

There is also the inside to continue decorating, realistically we aren't going to get it all done this year but as GS is now out of the cot and in to his big boy toddler bed (fanfare please!!) we really want to get his room done for him! We were going with a seaside theme, but as he loves Buzz Lightyear so much we thought a space theme was much more him, I already have a star stamp and hope to get some more planets and stuff painted on to his walls once the blue paint is on, very exciting!

I am very hopeful that we may have another little family moving in sometime soon :) I spotted a Great Tit checking out our new bird box with great interest and being noticeably territorial around it (chasing off a poor sparrow trying to get to the seed feeder) so fingers crossed he and the Mrs liked what they saw!!

I've borrowed "Creative Play for 2-5's" by Dr Dorothy Einon from the library and love her style, lots of great ideas for creative play and also links to what it can help foster and develop in your toddler too, plus recipes for making your own play dough, paints and glue :) i love it! I have to admit to being a little bit too overcautious on the mess of "messy play" and feel bad now that this could hinder GS's enjoyment of crafts and creativity which after all i enjoy with them would be awful, so i'm going to relax a bit more, LET THE MESS COMMENCE!!

Wintery Whiteout

As you can see the wintery weather has continued, with photos like these i really wouldn't mind were it not for how trecherous the roads are and the fact that Mr G.T was at work when the worst fell and I was due to go to the library for 1pm, that didn't happen! I hate letting down work especially as it's a public service and a lifeline to so many, but i just couldn't get out the end of my lane let alone down the hill, the library closed at 12 noon anyway so I would not have achieved anything even if I had've done something galliant and soldiered on. As it turned out hubby got to finish by 1pm and we spent the afternoon having a quick walk around the fields and making a snowman as requested by GS!

Granny Nanny and I were especially overcome by the gorgeous bullfinches that were drawn out of seclusion in search of food on to our garden, such beautiful colours, they were a very special treat! We have tried our best to keep our feathered friends fed, they were vigourously fighting over the seed bowl so we put a fresh one out, and a chicken carcass from the weekend, although some pesky fox has stolen both of our fat/seed/worm food trays (plastic trays and all) we put on the ground for the robins leaving some telltale footprints in the snow, although i guess they must have been desperate for the food just as equally so really i don't mind.

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!