Monday Monday!

Jo, waiting for his crust!

My Monday odd shot features Jo, my adored gander who has enjoyed paddling round the garden in the snow. By looking at his prints I could see exactly where he had been yesterday in the snow. When I opened the blind in the kitchen I saw two pheasants walking through the village, it was a lovely sight. The contrast of their colourful plumage against the whiteness of the snow. Wilma and i went for a walk and I could see many prints, probably foxes and badgers, it was lovely. To look at more Monday shots click on the links in the sidebar.

My odd shot was taken on 7th February last year. Yet last Friday the scene was exactly the same, so it was an ideal subject for a monochrome project. Although we have had no snow during the night the village looks wonderful and I will indeed be taking some photographs later. I did take some yesterday but there are issues with the re-chargeable batteries in my camera and I could not load my efforts, but this will be sorted later. Today sees me embark on a mammoth spring clean throughout the house. Today it is to be the kitchen cupboards. I will show the end results but not the current oes as the place needs a good sort. I have plans for each room and am very keen to get started. With the kitchen my plans will involve NOTHING to be stored on any of the work surfaces other than the kettle, knife block, microwave and possibly the toaster....toaster not used everyday just some days. I know I will be taking stuff to the charity shop as well as the tip so I need to be organised about it all, which I do feel I am. Rather than thinking "Oh the place is JUST SO Cluttered" I am thinking, yes there are issues here and I will address them. LOL! ie tackle each room at a time. I am making progress with my new mobile phone, having managed to send picture messages to poor unsuspecting friends and family. I also play a daily brain refresher exercise, involving maths, logic, mamory and visual skills.......room for improvement me thinks, especially on the memory skills as i can't remember where my mobile is, still I know my number so I can always ring myself! LOL! I

Weather here today, Thursday!

Whilst I knew the village would look magical today I did not venture from the house, so these photographs come to you from the comfort of the kitchen and the porch!

Heavy snow expected tonight, so I wont be driving tomorrow. The road is being re-surfaced at the moment so we have to use the back lanes which do not get gritted. This morning Jon went to work in the 4x4. Apparantly the cars were sliding everywhere and he had to turn round and get to the workshop via the untarmaced road, the type of situation he would describe as fun! LOL! Birk Brow, at the base of the Moor Road was closed by the police at 8.30am so our village was quite issolated. I settled down with a good old fashioned detective story by our very own Nicholas Rhea, the author behind the Heartbeat Series. I had to finish the book....a great way to spend a cold, wet day! What's the weather like where you are?

Let me in!

Monday's odd shot! Jo and Elsie sharing a moment! Will be back with my Monochrome!

Double Take for Tuesday!

Jo, outside the kitchen patio doors. Sunday

Clowns to the left of me, Jokers to the right, here I am, Stuck in the middle with you.

Just a quickie for Jonna's Two for Tuesday. Thank you so much for the lovely comments about Jo. To answer some of your questions.... Jo is male, a gander. He is a goose, about 15 years old. He is not viscious, but he is a good guard. He honks when he hears the motorbike, he can distinguish the sound of ours, possibly because it is a Honda and he knows his japanese bikes. He also knows the sound of our cars and always greets us with a honk! The picture you see in my profile is not Jo, but one of his former loves, Peggy. This was an oil painting I did one day when peggy decided to pose for me outside the kitchen window. I had never used oils before and was finding it difficult. When she stood there I knew it was something I could paint as I knew the subject so well, unlike the flowers in the text book I was following. No sooner had I finished, Peggy walked away. I did not add anything more to the picture, I felt I had captured her just right...the big blue eyes always staring through the window and the long orange beak. Jo was named after Jon's grandad. Peggy, after Jon's grandma and Dolly after my nana. Sadly Peggy and Dolly are no longer with us and Jo is a widower. He leads a very content life, his eyesight isn't too good as he has cateracts so he is familiar with the garden and paddock. He dislikes the church bells and honks away when they are rung on a Sunday. Anything I have missed out, please shout up and myself or Jo will answer any further questions.

Hibernation, Procrastination , Appreciation and Adoration!

Our Aga!

May God grant you always..

A sunbeam to warm you, a moonbeam to charm you,

A sheltering angel so nothing can harm you.

Laughter to cheer you, Faithful friends near you,

And whatever you pray, Heaven to hear you.

Irish Blessing

It's that time of the year again!
Time to light the Aga.
We have put it off for a while because we know it will be the official closure of the summer and autumn, closely followed by winter will be fast approaching.
There are other signs too, the definate nip in the air, Ella our puss, not wanting to venture outside and the nights are getting darker and colder sooner.

It is a time for hibernation and comfort living, home comforts.
The kitchen will be the warmest room in the house and the focal point of our daily activities.

I sit beside the fire and think of all that I have seen,
Of meadow-flowers and butterflies in summers that have been.
Of yellow leaves and gossamer in autumns that there were,
With morning mist and silver sun and wind upon my hair.
I sit beside the fire and think of how the world will be
when winter comes without a spring that I shall ever see.
For still there are so many things that I have never seen,
in every wood, in every spring there is a different green.
I sit beside the fire and think of people long ago,
And people who will see a world that I shall never know.
But all the while I sit and think of the times there were before,
I listen for returning feet and voices at the door.

composed by Bilbo Baggins

Yesterday I spent the afternoon baking comfort food for Jon's work breaks over the weekend.
He is working both today and tomorrow.... so no biking adventures planned for the moment!

I will be busy sifting through my clothes, finding something suitable, practical and warm for the weeks ahead.

Having said that, I do want to make the most of the daylight and season changes so I will be out and about with my camera. The rain has stopped momentarily so I think a bike ride up the lane is called for!

One member of the Nesbitt household has been enjoying the garden, especially whilst it has been raining. Jo loves to peer through the patio doors of the lounge......here he is!

Enjoy!

For more Camera Critters visit Misty Dawn.

I SPY WITH MY LITTLE EYE...something beginning with G!

Continuing with my village we are now in September. Strangely enough there is a definate "nip" in the air....... G is for.....GAZETTE! Each day the Evening Gazette is delivered to our village. Around 12 noon a little white van pulls up to the postbox and leaves the gazette under the stones on the wall belonging to Tickhill House.

G is for Geese. Several neighbours keep Geese, some are being fattened for Christmas...

But Jo is safe! He earns his keep by keeping the grass down in the paddock. He eats 70% grass and enjoys his bread.

We know when he is peckish (LOL) because he comes to the kitchen window and taps on the glass with his beak.

G is also for Gates. I never tire of the view from our drive. I think it would be an interesting project to photograph these gates on the 1st of every month and see the changing landscape.

Here are the same gates a few months later.

Here are more gates on our travels around the village..... Up Handale,

Gates to the Church and Graveyard.

All of the village help out with the maintenance of the graveyard. Here you can see Jon's sit on mower. Jon was clearing the grass from the back at the time.

Just by the church are gates on Church House Farm, leading into one of the grazing paddocks for the sheep.

and finally just an odd metal gate we come across by the score. So rural, a scene all in itself.

September leaves come tunbling down, harvest fields a cloth of gold. The Moors a purple carpet spreads, Autumn Beauty to behold. George Skaife 16.01.90

Please feel free to join in with ABC Wednesday, by signing up to Mr Linky here. To see the ABC Anthology see here

MONDAY MONDAY!

Odd Shot Monday!
Jo, our gander waiting for his bread!

Jo. was concerning me ....
he seems to have arthritis.

So.................we took him to the vets, as you do......
and thr vet checked him over, just incase it was an infection. He was fine, just a bit arthritic....so we have to give him some medication!



Jo eats 70% grass, but does like his bread!
Take the measured dose....






apply to bread






let Jo eat up every crumb...

and see the movie!






Yes, he has SO MUCH responded to treatment!

For more Monday oddshots visit

Katney

Jo..........................my favourite Goose!

Jo

We moved to our present house, 17 years ago.
We have a paddock attached to our land.
We were advised on various solutions to keeping the paddock attended to.
Cows, sheep, pigs, horse....................all were suggested.
One night I was reading and stumbled across the fact that geese were good grass eaters and in fact 70% of their daily diet consisted of grass.

We acquired our geese soon after.

Sadly we lost Peggy and Dolly over the years, but Jo still remains.
Art in all its form every day.
An absolute living piece of art in our very own paddock!

A definate favourite!

This is so true:-


Next fall when you see geese heading south for the winter... flying along in V formation...you might consider what science has discovered as to why they fly that way:

As each bird flaps its wings, it creates an uplift for the bird immediately following. By flying in V formation the whole flock adds at least 71% greater flying range, than if each bird flew on its own.

People who share a common direction and sense of community can get where they are going more quickly and easily because they are traveling on the thrust of one another.

When a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of trying to go it alone... and quickly gets back into formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird in front. If we have as much sense as a goose, we will stay in formation with those who are headed the same way we are.

When the head goose gets tired it rotates back in the wing and another goose flies point. It is sensible to take turns doing demanding jobs...with people or with geese flying south.

Geese honk from behind to encourage those up front to keep up their speed. What do we say when we honk from behind?

Finally...and this is important...when a goose gets sick or is wounded by gunshots, and falls out of formation, two other geese fall out with that goose and follow it down to lend help and protection. They stay with the fallen goose until it is able to fly or until it dies, and only then do they launch out on their own, or with another formation to catch up with their group.

If we have the sense of a goose, we will stand by each other like that.


For more Thursday favorites or to join in vist Blue,

Boo!

Photo a Dy
20.04.08
Jo!

“How do geese know when to fly to the sun?
Who tells them the seasons?
How do we, humans know when it is time to move on?
As with the migrant birds, so surely with us, there is a voice within if only we would listen to it,
that tells us certainly when to go forth into the unknown.”

Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

My first contribution to Misty Dawn's camera critters Sunday meme!
It is of my wonderful gander, Jo.
I so often find myself sitting and watching him in the garden.
he is just so beautiful!
As I have been sitting here at the computer, the bells were rung in the village church.
Jo doesn't like the bells and always honks out until the noise ceases.

As I mentioned yesterday, this is National Downsizing Week, so any pet lovers out there try and find some unwanted items, or clothes and take one bagfull into your local animal charity shop.
If we all took just one bag, together we will have made a great contribution to the charities who need our help, and think what we could do with the extra space we have made.

I am continuing with my big sort out but we are encountering a domestic appliance breakdown situation at the moment........I will be back to share the details once the dishwasher, washing machine are fixed...and we have found a new electric cooker! Does that sound dramatic enough to wet your appetite?
What a good job I am married to an engineer!

To visit more Camera Critters visit Misty Dawn here

Later on, still Saturday!

Photo of the Day
22.03.08
Jo, 5pm tonight.

SOMETHING TOLD THE WILD GEESE

By Rachel Field

Something told the wild geese

It was time to go,

Though the fields lay golden

Something whispered, "snow."

Leaves were green and stirring,

Berries, luster-glossed,

But beneath warm feathers

Something cautioned, "frost."

All the sagging orchards

Steamed with amber spices,

But each wild breast stiffened

At remembered ice.

Something told the wild geese

It was time to fly,

Summer sun was on their wings,

Winter in their cry.

As you can see, we had snow this afternoon.
I was putting Jo to bed and thought he looked beautiful.


Have a good night!

Skywatch Friday!

A Photo a Day
04.01.08
Songthrush in our front garden yesterday.

The winter's evening settles down
With smells of steaks in passageways.
Six o'clock.
The burnt-out ends of smoky days.
And now a gusty shower wraps
The grimy scraps
Of withered leaves across your feet
And newpapers from vacant lots;
The showers beat
On empty blinds and chimney-pots,
And at the corner of the street
A lonely cab-horse steams and stamps.
And then the lighting of the lamps.

-- T. S. Eliot

I have a book called "Poem for the Day"
This was the poem for 4th January and I felt it was appropriate for today.
T.S. Elliot died on January 4th 1965.
I was surprised as I always imagined him from an earlier time in the literature scene.

Yesterday was quite a dramatic day here with snow falling quite quickly and thickly.
It was very cold too.
Although Jon unlocked Jo's shed door at 8am he was quite happy sitting inside until later in the morning, when he came out and stood with his old bag for a while.
He has bonded with the bag of sand which was delivered for the building work Jon did last year on the shed. Each day Jo will snuggle up to the bag and nibble some sand.
When the bag was used up we ordered him another....is he spoilt or what?

As you can see his pond was frozen but he has a big bucket of fresh water each morning.
It is situated under the kitchen window.




I empty the contents on the front lawn.
There are often bits of bread which all of the birds enjoy.

Yesterday I spotted the blue tits eyeing up the birdhouse, chaffinches, blackbirds, robins and the lovely songthrush.


Wilma was at the workshop with Jon so I had Elsie for the day, as indeed I do today.
We have had her a year now and it is all prt of the plan for a harmonious home life.....but dog lovers amongst you will know that with rescued dogs this is often an area of education and great patience.

Wilma is very nervous and we are going to be taking her to an animal behaviourist as she is still spinning around and wanting to rush through doorways. The patio doors in the kitchen have knocked off their runners several times.

Elsie has a "thing" for men! (No comment! LOL)
So we are trying to interupt this pattern and she is spending more time with me.

She had a great time playing in the snow yesterday!

Here she is in our paddock.
The paddock is on the other side of this tree.

This seat was one I picked up from the tip!
I thought it looked inviting yesterday.....lovely in the snow.

Looking out, the sky looks full of snow right now, although the road is clear I wouldn't be surprised if we had another fall.
I will get a few things we need but then will spend the day here.
I got lots done yesterday and can finally say the house is getting back to normal.
Once all is sorted I will continue with some more decorating...watch this space.

Happy Skywatch Friday everybody.
This wasn't the picture I intended to show, but I like to show pictures which reflect current season or feeling!

Have a good day!

Boo!

A Photo a Day 29.12.07 Boo! The phrase, "Wouldn't Say Boo to a Goose, is just a country proverb, perfectly clear to anyone who is familiar with geese, as in earlier centuries virtually all rural European people would have been. Anybody who shouts loudly and firmly at geese can intimidate them; indeed minding geese was traditionally a job for small girls. Anybody who doesn't dare say "Boo!" to a goose really is a wimp.

So there you have it! Now you know where the phrase originated from! This photograph is from my Photobucket files... I have spent most of today and yesterday trying to organise my computer and save files ready for my laptop to be re-formatted. Jon does his regularly and mine has got to such a slow speed it is painful waiting for it to do the most basic tasks....... so all my pictures are now stored over on Jon's machine, I have organised all my word and publisher files I have also stored as well as on discs! If you haven't heard from me by next week you will know there has been a problem...... but there WONT be a problem will there? I mean computers are sooooooooooooooo reliable aren't they???????? Watch this space........and hope! I mean, I haven't told you about the olives yet so I can't be away for too long...and there's my review of our 2007! You don't want to miss that! LOL! See you soon......