Today’s guest picture comes from Mary Jo in Manitoba and shows a really good excuse for taking a break from a painting job.
Our good spell of weather ended with a day of strong winds. However, the promised rain turned out to be no more than one or two early showers and I found a dry moment to go up act as relief feeder filler at the Moorland Project bird feeders.
I stopped for a while in the hide but there was nothing out of the ordinary to see….
…but no trip to the feeders is wasted if I see a woodpecker.
The fungus that I saw on my last visit had vanished but new crops had sprung up to take its place.
When I got home, I noticed a couple of curiously coloured blackbirds in the garden….
One flew up onto a telephone pole stay and regarded me with disfavour.
I only stayed outside for a moment as the very strong winds made taking garden photos difficult. I have enjoyed the hostas this year as they have not only flowered profusely but lasted well too.
Mrs Tootlepedal was hard at work in the greenhouse and I took a picture of one of her thriving basil plants on the shelf there and twinned it with a very small thyme plant just outside.
I was quite happy to have a quiet sit inside after yesterday’s vigorous pedal but that pleasure wore off after a while and I went out and mowed the drying green and the paths on the front lawn.
Right on schedule, a delivery man turned up with my new phone and I spent some time getting it out of the box and fitting the card and battery. To my surprise, it worked. It is a cheaper deal than my old phone but seems just as good. I only ever used about 5% of the capabilities of my last phone and I am going to work hard to get a bit more value out of this one (if I can), The manual has 129 pages so I don’t feel that I will master much more than a fraction of its potential.
As it is, I can make calls with it but I can’t receive calls so I visited my account page on the web to try to solve the problem and it said, “Enter the number for your new sim card here. The number is on the box that the card came in or on the card itself.” There was no number on the box and although there was a number on the card, it didn’t look right. I entered it anyway and a message came up saying, “That is not the right number,” and giving me a telephone number to ring. I rung the number and a robot voice said, “Before you can proceed, please enter your sim card number.” I broke down, sobbing uncontrollably. I will try again tomorrow.
It takes good pictures though…
…so I am encouraged by that.
At lunchtime, I watched the birds for a bit.
The chaffinches kept coming in in waves. I took a couple of ‘coming into land’ sequences and as I am not sure which way round to pair them up, I have tried it both ways toady.
In the afternoon, we took two big bags, in which our logs were delivered, back to the garden centre and I took the opportunity to buy a new type of bird feeder. It claims it will encourage more blue and great tits into the garden. We shall see.
We went home by way of Gretna where I bought (under careful supervision from my stylist) two new pairs of trousers at a very reasonable price. My old pair of trousers has been condemned by the trouser inspector as worn out and I dare say that she is right but it is very wearing having to rush out and buy new clothes every ten years or so.
I was hoping to go for a walk when we got home but the very strong winds and some gathering clouds, partnered with my natural indolence, got the better of me and I pottered about doing a little tidying up instead.
I did see a blue tit to go with the earlier great tit.
I look forward to an exciting day tomorrow trying to get my new phone working properly but as more strong winds are forecast, it may be a good thing to have something lengthy to do indoors.
The flying bird of the day is another of those chaffinches.
Tootlepedal's Blog 
I really look forward to the feeder shots. They become my favourites. What a social spot for all those birdies! Flowers and birds-what not to love?!
I certainly enjoy them both.
A printed manual! Now there’s a rarity. (Not that it did you much good.)
I guess that blackbird is an embarrassed teenager.
It’s not printed. I downloaded a PDF. The blackbirds must have had a late brood owing to the weather.
Nice bird shots! 🙂
Thank you HJ.
Hostas like as much water as they can get and they’re showing it.
That phone really does take great pictures. The color on the rudbeckia looks perfect.
Beginner’s luck. I shall see if it lasts.
That sedum is particularly lovely.
I hope it will be a butterfly magnet when it flowers.
Commiseration on the technology debacle; Congratulations on the new wardrobe. 🙂
The trousers are very dapper.
New phone, new bird feeder and new trousers in one day! Too much excitement! As Musiewild says, the blackbird is a teenager.
Luckily I had a quiet day to sit down after the excitement was over.
Good luck getting the new phone to function, you’ll probably find the number that you’re looking for was printed so small as to require a microscope to read it.
It does take good photos, although that’s most likely due to the person operating it.
Fall must be approaching, it seems like there have been more species of birds showing up at your feeder lately. Too bad that one of the woodpeckers hasn’t moved into your neighborhood to stop at your feeders, as I enjoy seeing them when you go to the Moorland feeders.
We would need to be a bit nearer the edge of the town. I know people who have woodpeckers in their garden all the time. It is most unfair.
Loved all the chaffinch pictures! Excellent.
I can relate to the phone troubles. It’s enough to drive a person crazy. The manuals are usually terribly complicated and the print, tiny. I hope you get it sorted out before you drown in your own tears. 🙂 It does take lovely photos though.
Thanks for the smiles regarding the trouser stylist and how tedious it is to have to buy trousers every 10 years. I do hope these new ones last a very long time so you don’t have to go through the shopping torture again…
My agent looks after these things with tender care.
Technology is a major nuisance, you are almost obliged to have it these days and when it doesn’t work it is such a headache. Just as well you have all those lovely pictures to take your mind off the problem. I liked the tit with its head right in the feeder.
Glad you had a successful shopping expedition – you can relax for another 10 years now.
Very clear pictures on your new phone. But oh! the frustrations of a robot voice when you need some help.
Good luck with the phone, for once the weather will be doing you a favour.
Thank you.
The “coming in to land” sequences are always interesting. It’s remarkable that the birds don’t crash headlong into the feeder.
Sorry about your phone woes, although I have to admit that I laughed out loud at your description (easy for me when here I sit, three years after the fact, and I still haven’t opened the tome to find out how to program my oven – much easier to stay home and babysit it!).
I agree that the simple life is the thing.
I cN sympathise with your new phone problems. New technology always ends in tears for me and the helplines tend to be anything but helpful. I hope you have it sorted out by now.
I do.
I find the most difficult thing with my iPhone is to make a simple phone call. It excels at all sorts of other functions.
You had the classic tech service problem there, well described.
🙂