Today’s guest picture was taken at their home by Irene, my South African correspondent Tom’s wife. Life is tough there in the autumn but someone has to live it.
Tom rubbed salt in the wound by complaining about their drought when he sent me the picture and it felt especially painful when we woke up here to another day of endless rain and drizzle.
It didn’t matter a lot to me though as my cold had got worse and I wasn’t fit to do much anyway. It was a day to sit about and consider all the little aches and pains that accumulate with age and to mention them from time to time until advised to knock it off by the long suffering audience.
It was an indoor day with the heating on and Mrs Tootlepedal used it to dismantle and clean her mechanical tiller before sending it off for a service.
She has big plans for it in the remodelling of the middle lawn and flower beds over winter.
I lent her a hand when needed and then went off to put a week of the newspaper index into the Archive Group’s database and croak my way through a few of the choir songs.
From time to time, I looked out of the kitchen window but once again there was surprisingly little bird action. After a very busy start when the feeder went up, things have tailed off. Perhaps the mixture of frost and wind has discouraged birds from going to far to look for food.
There were a few goldfinches.
Birds are very messy eaters so it is lucky that the cement mixing tray is in place under the feeder.
Sometimes the goldfinches concentrated on eating….
…and sometimes they broke off for some hard staring.
I stared back.
A chaffinch in the plum tree seemed to be huddling for a bit of comfort from the rain.
But another one had had enough and decided that a bit of head banging on the feeder was the way to go.
I sympathised with him.
I found a brief moment when it wasn’t actually raining to get a breath of fresh air and check on the flowers.
There are plenty of calendulas with a bit of life left…
…and the cornflowers have outlasted the poppies.
The Nicotiana have lasted well but there haven’t been many calm, dry evenings when we have been able to go out and enjoy their fragrance.
The most amazing of the survivors is the clump of sweet rocket which is undaunted by frost, wind and rain.
The camera makes it look a much nicer day than it actually was, though by the time that the evening came, the rain had stopped and it had got quite warm.
I am hoping that a day of doing nothing and an early bed will settle my chest down a bit and stop the irritating coughing and from the forecast, it looks as though tomorrow might well be another good day to do nothing much.
On a brighter note, I did get a better flying bird of the day today.
The calendulas and cornflowers should grow side by side. They’re beautiful together.
I hope the cold is a gentle one and I hope the tiller comes back as good as new. It’s hard to get by without one.
We don’t use ours a lot but it is very handy when we do.
Lovely, colorful shot of the chaffinch in the plum tree. Hoping you’re back on on the seat soon, many of us in my area are putting up with a cold strain. They are not pleasant and I detest their intrusion. 🙂
I don’t often get one so it is more annoying when I do as it dents my (bogus) self image as being indestructible.
Wicked looking tines on Mrs. T’s tiller. Most around here have flat pieces of metal about an inch wide, bent to about 90º – far less scary looking! Hope you beat that cold back soon; the constant state of feeling poorly, but not quite bad enough to be bedridden, wears one down. Good for moaning though!
My moaning skills are good already but are being honed at the moment.
I wish you a speedy recovery from your cold. It hasn’t prevented you from shooting great images of the remaining flowers or birds though.
I suppose that some one nicknamed Attila the gardener needs an appropriate weapon like the tiller.
Ha ha! Yes indeed.
I like the pair of gold finches at the feeder, giving the hard stare! The rain and cold has to be hard for the birds, too.
I presume that it is although it was light enough on this occasion not get the birds thoroughly soaked.
That was a stunning picture of the cornflower. Sorry about your aches and pains, hope today brings an improvement.
I hope you are soon over your cold, Tom. I look forward to reading about Mrs. T’s plans for the garden.
I am using pure thoughts and clean living to get over the cold but without a lot of success at the moment.
They do say that one should feed a cold so I hope scones are on the menu soon. I’ve just been re- planting rocket all over the garden as it is such a good doer in all conditions. Didn’t know that the chaffinch had so many different coloured feathers and I love its pose. Lovely bright coloured cornflower and calendula too and still lots of buds to open on the calendula…another saying …the old ones are the best!
The rocket has been very successful and may well be spread out.
We definitely need more sympathy for the aches and pains. Get better soon.
Your sympathy has improved my condition already. 🙂
Excellent flying bird – illness has not diminished your skill with the camera. 🙂
It is more good light and good luck but I do practise a lot.
Julia says that practice is a element in my ability to imitate an idiot.
I must say that Julia sounds like a partner who will definitely reduce any tendency in you to become big headed.
Yes, though in fairness I do have much to be modest about. 🙂
Don’t we all?
🙂
Awfully sorry that you did get an uncomfortable cold. Complaining makes it go away faster, surely!
It hasn’t worked this time.