Sunday, 19 December 2010

Its my 100th Post!

I find it hard to believe that I've managed to waffle my way through 100 blog postings! When I first started the blog my intention was to write mainly about wildlife in the garden but I quickly discovered that not having a macro or telephoto lens for my digital slr was going to create problems and there wouldn't be many wildlife photos. I then expanded the blog to write about days out birding and again lack of lens was a problem so I have started to witter on about my other interests such as historic buildings, churches, gardens, theatre, fossils etc. My blog is still evolving and I am still not sure what final direction it will take but hopefully next year there will be more posts on birding. For one reason and another I have gone out birdwatching far less this year than usual.

I have delayed writing my 100th post as I was hoping to have something special to blog about such as a waxwing sighting! But still no sign and I never made it to Brandon Marsh last week as the only day I could go we had rain which turned to sleet to hail to snow!

We had about 15 centimetres of snow yesterday and temperatures dropped to -10.7 degrees centigrade last night and its already -8.3 as I write!

A snowy garden this morning




I did brave the elements yesterday - even the main roads were covered in slushy snow and ice - to drive to Castle Bromwich Hall Gardens as they were conducting one-off tours of Castle Bromwich Hall before renovations start to turn it into a hotel. I'll do a post on this when I have sorted out the photos.

Garden-wise there are plenty of birds coming for food although the pile of apples has still failed to attract anything but blackbirds. Highlight of the week was another visit from a grey heron. Squabbles between the birds seem to be petering out as they concentrate on feeding even the robins seem to have called a "truce" with just the occasional posturing. I do worry though the effect prolonged cold weather will have on bird populations.

We put up the Christmas Tree tonight - the decorations are a complete hotchpotch of ones we have collected over the years and ones the children made and bought when they were little. I haven't brought in the small real tree yet as its covered in several inches of snow on the patio! And I'm just about to start reading "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens (recommended by my son who has a lovely edition of the book complete with the original illustrations) to get me in the Christmas mood even more.


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5 comments:

  1. The Quacks of Life20 December 2010 at 08:17

    congrats on the 100 roll on the first year the first 1000 :D

    does the conversion to a hotel have any impact on the garden?

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  2. The Wessex Reiver20 December 2010 at 10:42

    Well done in reaching your hundredth anniversary, here's to another hundred or more with ease. We enjoy your "waffles"

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  3. Ragged Robin20 December 2010 at 12:14

    Pete - Thanks so much for the kind comment. The conversion of the hotel shouldn't impact on the gardens as they are owned by a trust that was set up to purchase them and are not owned by the owner of the Hall. There is, however, a slight possibility that the new owner might stop access to a small part that he does own called the "Best Garden" if he so wishes. He does though seem to have a good relationship with the Trust as far as I can see.

    Wessex Reiver - Thanks so much - glad to know someone enjoys my waffles :D Its so easy to write a post and think afterwards who on earth would want to read this!

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  4. Anonymous21 December 2010 at 12:50

    Here`s to the next 100 posts & beyond, Caroline.

    I, like the others, enjoy your waffles.

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  5. Ragged Robin22 December 2010 at 00:11

    Dean - Thanks so much for your comment - its nice to know people enjoy reading the blog :D

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