Starting from number one there are five new photographs on the photo page.
Only two photographs left.
Ferns unfolding, Betty Canada.
Niagara Falls, Betty Canada.
Ice looks like a whale, Betty Canada.
Closeup of falls Ice Feb 08, Betty Canada.
Sunny reflections of winter, Betty Canada.
Starting from number eleven there are five new photographs on the Photo Page.
Spring. Betty Canada
Hen Sparrowhawk in my garden. Mick
Heron looking at my pond. Mick
Orchids in the meadow at Sandhurst. Mick
Roe Deer also in the meadow at Sandhurst. Mick (Hampshire, Surrey and Berkshire border)
I managed to find time to cut back the bramble so that it was not in the way of the camera focused on the bird feeding table. I must admit for the first time in six years the feeders have been neglected so it is liable to take a week or so for the birds to start using it again.
The Badgers are not coming to the feed area a lot a the moment. They do get quite this time of year. With the ground being very soft with the rain we have been getting it is very easy for the Badgers to dig for worms, their favorite food.
We have had to take the Bagot Goats out of the Rhea Field as the Rhea are not getting enough feed that they need because the Goat go to the Rhea feed rather than their own. Since the Goats have been at Denbury we have had to wait over half an hour every morning and evening to keep the Goats away from the Rhea Feed, and we really cant afford to waste over an hour every day. We tried fencing off with gates a feeding area for the Goats. It worked for one day but after that a few would go into the gated area and a couple would not, and they seemed to take it in turns so we had to move them. They are in a double stable at the moment.I will probably put stock fencing around the main Horse Field so that the Sheep and Goats can share it with the Horses. Sheep will eat what the Horses wont, and Goats will eat anything, so it should work well. It will also stop our Sheep from going into our neighbour’s fields.
It should have been an easy job to move the Goats, but they had a different idea. We fenced off a large area and eventually coaxed them in but one of them managed to find a small gap under the gate and off it went with another two in tow up the drive. We could not chase after them or they would have gone farther away so a long detour was needed to cut them off and get them back into the fenced area so we could load them into the horsebox. Getting them from the horsebox to the stable went well until we went to close the stable door. A gated runway was used but one gate fell as we closed the stable door allowing one of the Goats to get out. After a bit of a run about we eventually got it back with the others. I always swore that I would never have goats. I know why now.
Starting from number six there are five new photographs on the Photo Page.
We are still very short of photographs.
Chickens silkies? Betty Canada
Beautiful clouds. Betty Canada
Unusual cloud pattern from my back window. Betty Canada
Our local river. Betty Canada
Bleeding Heart. Betty Canada
The continuous rain that we are getting is starting to concern me about the Canada Geese nesting on the Lake at Denbury next Spring. The intention was to put in another wildlife pond in the bottom half of the Horse Field. Natural springs in the bottom of the Field make it very wet. As much as we have tried to drain the area with drainage pipes, that we had buried in to the ground nearly 10 years ago, it is still lies very wet. So the natural springs make it an ideal spot for another Pond. We arranged for a local building contractor to start to dig the new Pond on the 14th of September. They never turned up to do the job on that and after nearly a month of empty promises and crap of when they would start, and why they could not do on the dates promised, and not even answering our phone calls in the end we had to find another contractor. Trouble was a week before they were due to start this prolonged spell of rain started. You can not move heavy machinery on wet ground, especially when digging a pond dig. The machinery will make the Fields extremely muddy scar the ground for years.
Our only hope of digging the Pond is if we get a long spell of frost over the Winter. We wont be able to do any digging in the Spring as the grass we be starting to grow for the Horses to graze on. Without the new Pond there will be little chance of the Geese retuning to Denbury to nest as they will fight with the Swans. we had intended to move the Swans onto the new Pond for the few months that the Geese were on the Lake. We may have even had the Geese land on the new Pond as that would also have been a good nesting area as we had intended to have an Island in it.
As the Black Swans nest in the Winter the Lake would have had interest all through the year. Although we have noticed that the Lake has come to life since the Black Swans arrived. The amount of Wildfowl using the Lake since they come has increased. Although there has always been Coots and Moorhens on the Lake we rarely saw them. Now when we feed the Swans they hang about for feed. We get the odd pair of Mallards nesting in the Spring and Summer, and although many land as soon as we went to the Lake they flew off. In the Winter we never saw Mallards, this year there are 5 pairs that look as if they might stay, with more flying in for short periods during the day. I may be wrong and the Geese will come back if we have only got the Lake for them to land on. It is possible as the Black Swans unlike other species of Swan will live and nest in groups.
Starting from number one there are five new photographs on the photo page, all taken by Vicky whilst on Holiday at Denbury last week.
Trio of Silver Laced Wyandotte. Vicky
Silver Sebrights. Vicky
Young Hen and Cock Buff Orpington. Vicky
A young White Silky Hen. Vicky
A young Black Silky Cock. Vicky
I didn’t get as much feed back as I thought I might about the checkout lady coughing into her hands whilst touching our food. With the spread of Swine Flu I thought that there may have been a few suggestions.
I phoned the Store Manager yesterday, he believed it wrong and was looking into what could be done to stop it happening. The worse one that we saw was in the same store a couple of years ago when one of the self stacker’s was picking his nose whilst stacking. I had not choice to complain and it was addressed immediately. The man in question may have been backward, but it did not excuse his filthy habit when working with food.
Could this be put on for me please Mr, Farmer, Think this is soooooooo, Sarah
Possibly the best letter ever to come out of the Inland Revenue….
Taken from the Guardian, an actual letter sent by the Inland Revenue:
Dear Mr Addison,
I am writing to you to express our thanks for your more than prompt reply to our latest communication, and also to answer some of the points you raise. I will address them, as ever in order.
Firstly, I must take issue with your description of our last as a “begging letter”. It might perhaps more properly be referred to as a “tax demand”. This is how we at the Inland Revenue have always, for reasons of accuracy, traditionally referred to such documents.
Secondly, your frustration at our adding to the “endless stream of crapulent whining and panhandling vomited daily through the letterbox on to the doormat” has been noted. However, whilst I have naturally not seen the other letters to which you refer I would cautiously suggest that their being from “pauper councils, Lombardy pirate banking houses and pissant gas-mongerers” might indicate that your decision to “file them next to the toilet in case of emergencies” is at best a little ill-advised. In common with my own organisation, it is unlikely that the senders of these letters do see you as a “lackwit bumpkin” or, come to that, a “sodding charity”. More likely they see you as a citizen of Great Britain , with a responsibility to contribute to the upkeep of the nation as a whole. Which brings me to my next point; whilst there may be some spirit of truth in your assertion that the taxes you pay “go to shore up the canker-blighted, toppling folly that is the Public Services”, a moment’s rudimentary calculation ought to disabuse you of the notion that the government in any way expects you to “stump up for the whole damned party” yourself.
The estimates you provide for the Chancellor’s disbursement of the funds levied by taxation, whilst colourful, are, in fairness, a little off the mark. Less than you seem to imagine is spent on “junkets for Bunterish lickspittles” and “dancing wh*res” whilst far more than you have accounted for is allocated to, for example, “that box-ticking fa
Starting from number eleven there are five new photographs on the Photo Page.
rose, Betty Canada
rose, Betty Canada
hydrangea, Betty Canada
hibiscus. Betty Canada
Petting zoo near us chickens type unknown. Betty Canada
The unknown chicken sent in by Betty is a Silver Laced Wyandotte. We have a breeding trio at Denbury that with other types of Chicken we are going to breed next year. Vicky has taken a number of photographs that I will show on the Photo Page some time this week.
Duck race cancelled because of high rive
DURHAM’S annual duck race has fallen foul of the weather after concerns were raised about the height of the River Wear.
Organisers announced they would have to cancel the event at 12.30pm today after the river rose by two feet overnight – the event has been rescheduled for Sunday December 6.
The Grand Durham Duck Race, organised by Durham University Charities Kommittee, was to have seen 20,000 rubber ducks released from Elvet Bridge in a race down the Wear to Kingsgate Bridge, with a
There are no photographs as there are not many left and I will spread them out over the coming days. If you have any send them in.
Elsie, I am sorry that I did not explain on last nights Diary that LET me see if I understand all this, was sent to you.
There was an anonymous entry on the Forum that I did not approve as it was anonymous, suggesting that it was racist. Sorry who ever you are, the truth is not racist, it is fact and I should think that the majority of this countries indigenous population agree with it. A Government Minister last week all but said the same.
One of our Holiday Guest who visited in the Summer sent in this warning. And below is another bit of controversy.
PLEASE FORWARD THIS WARNING AMONG YOUR FRIENDS, FAMILY AND CONTACTS!
You should be alert during the next few days. Do not open any message
with an attachment entitled ‘POSTCARD FROM HALLMARK,’regardless of who
sent it to you. It is a virus which opens A POSTCARD IMAGE, which
‘burns’ the whole hard disc C drive of your computer.
This virus will be received from someone who has your e-mail address on
his/her contact list. That is the reason why you need to send this
e-mail to all your contacts. It is better to receive this message 25
times than to receive the virus and open it!
If you receive a mail called’ POSTCARD,’ even if it is sent to you by a
friend, do not open it! Shut down your computer immediately. This is
the worst virus announced by CNN.
It has been classified by Microsoft as the most destructive virus ever.
This virus was discovered by McAfee yesterday, and there is no repair
yet for this kind of virus. This virus simply destroys the Zero Sector
of the Hard Disc, where the vital information is kept.
I just had to send you this. I
Starting from number six there are five new photographs on the Photo Page.
5 photos i took of fungi around denbury. Vicky
Coprinopsis atramentaria -common ink cap, Vicky
Daldinia Concentrica – King Alfreds Cakes, Vicky
Hirneola auricula-judae – Jew’s Ear Fungus, Vicky
Mycena Pura – Lilac Bonnet, Vicky
Xylaria hypoxylon – candlesnuff fungus, Vicky
What the heck, lets have a bit more controversy. Elsie sent this below in.
LET me see if I understand all this. Sent in by Elsie
IF YOU CROSS THE NORTH KOREAN BORDER ILLEGALLY YOU GET 12 YEARS HARD LABOUR.
IF YOU CROSS THE IRANIAN BORDER ILLEGALLY YOU ARE DETAINED INDEFINITELY.
IF YOU CROSS THE AFGHAN BORDER ILLEGALLY, YOU GET SHOT.
IF YOU CROSS THE SAUDI ARABIAN BORDER ILLEGALLY YOU WILL BE JAILED.
IF YOU CROSS THE CHINESE BORDER ILLEGALLY YOU MAY NEVER BE HEARD FROM AGAIN.
IF YOU CROSS THE VENEZUELAN BORDER ILLEGALLY YOU WILL BE BRANDED A SPY AND YOUR FATE WILL BE SEALED.
IF YOU CROSS THE CUBAN BORDER ILLEGALLY YOU WILL BE THROWN INTO POLITICAL PRISON TO ROT.
IF YOU CROSS THE UNITED KINGDOM BORDER ILLEGALLY YOU GET A JOB, A DRIVERS LICENSE, PENSION CARD, WELFARE, CREDIT CARDS, SUBSIDIZED RENT OR A LOAN TO BUY A HOUSE, FREE EDUCATION AND FREE HEALTH
CARE.
Starting from number one there are five new photographs on the photo page.
In town and cities all over this Country there are Children, the old and disabled who live in flats and houses with no gardens and no opportunities to experience wildlife other than in communal parks. Some with ponds and lakes that attract wildlife and wildfowl. For some children feeding the wildfowl is there first and only opportunity in their childhood to interact with wildlife. What signals about wildlife are being given out to children when told no no you must not feed the ducks,swans, geese and wildfowl or mummy will be fined lots of money for letting you do what children have done for ever. Money that they cant afford or deserve to have taken for being a good parent.
I see ponds and lakes in parks as areas to attract wildlife and for leisure and enjoyment of all, with the facilities any particular park offers. Feeding the wildfowl comes into that category. Of course it would be better to feed wheat and flaked maze if you are able to source it, or for some afford the cost, but I have never seen ducks floating with their legs in the air because they have been given bread. Or have I seen many overfed ducks become so large and bloated they can hardly walk, that can be said to be in that condition because of being give bread. Animals like human come in a shapes and sizes. Being large is not always caused by unhealthy diets.
As for feeding the ducks being a dubious pastime, and that children only enjoy it because adults teach them. Adults teach most that children learn including how to enjoy themselves. Taking them to feed the ducks is not dubious. Some people may not agree with it. I experienced the delight and enjoyment of a child feeding the wildfowl at Denbury when I went to feed the Geese and their Goslings on the Lake earlier this year. I will never forget his face when he kept looking up at me showing his enjoyment.
As for our local park is a far more pleasant place since duck bread was banned as there is no longer a risk of slipping on unsightly rank leftovers. If you look where you are going and side step any of the small amount of bread that may be left, you wont slip over. Better still instead of councils giving employees pens to write out fines for those in the parks that they pay for out of their council tax, give them a broom.
I feed and allow those visiting Denbury to feed our wildfowl and Swans bread. Our wildfowl as those in communal parks are able to eat grass or water weed on the banks or bottom of the lakes.
There are to many council and government Jobs Worth’s spoiling this country with unnecessary new laws, rules and regulation that they were not elected to pass.
In town and cities all over this Country there are Children, the old and disabled who live in flats and houses with no gardens and no opportunities to experience wildlife other than in communal parks. Some with ponds and lakes that attract wildlife and wildfowl. For some children feeding the wildfowl is there first and only opportunity in their childhood to interact with wildlife. What signals about wildlife are being given out to children when told no no you must not feed the ducks,swans, geese and wildfowl or mummy will be fined lots of money for letting you do what children have done for ever. Money that they cant afford or deserve to have taken for being a good parent.
I see ponds and lakes in parks as areas to attract wildlife and for leisure and enjoyment of all, with the facilities any particular park offers. Feeding the wildfowl comes into that category. Of course it would be better to feed wheat and flaked maze if you are able to source it, or for some afford the cost, but I have never seen ducks floating on their backs with their legs in the air because they have been given bread. Or have I seen many overfed ducks become so large and bloated they can hardly walk, that can be said to be in that condition because of being give bread. Animals like human come in a shapes and sizes. Being large is not always caused by unhealthy diets.
As for feeding the ducks being a dubious pastime, and that children only enjoy it because adults teach them. Adults teach most that children learn including how to enjoy themselves. Taking them to feed the ducks is not dubious. Some people may not agree with it. I experienced the delight and enjoyment of a child feeding the wildfowl at Denbury when I went to feed the Geese and their Goslings on the Lake earlier this year. I will never forget his face when he kept looking up at me showing his enjoyment.
As for our local park is a far more pleasant place since duck bread was banned and there is no longer a risk of slipping on unsightly rank leftovers. If you look where you are going and side step any of the small amount of bread that may be left, you wont slip over. Better still instead of councils giving employees pens to write out fines for those in the parks that they pay for out of their council tax, give them a broom.
I feed and allow those visiting Denbury to feed our wildfowl and Swans bread. Our wildfowl as those in communal parks are able to eat grass or water weed on the banks or bottom of the lakes.
There are to many council and government jobs Worth’s spoiling this country with unnecessary new laws, rules and regulation that they were not elected to pass.
Starting from number eleven there are five new photographs on the Photo Page.
Nearly out of photographs.
Mouse on my bird feeder, I wondered where all the nuts were going ! Clive
A wasp nest removed from a nest box, it filled the entire box. Clive
A Harlequin Ladybird emeging from the pupae. Clive
Spider eating a maggot in a web stretched across a window. Clive