Today’s guest picture comes from my Somerset correspondent Venetia, who found herself, with a crowd of other musicians, singing the European National Anthem very loudly outside the Houses of Parliament to indicate their support for free movement for musicians after any Brexit. This is niche protesting brought to a fine art.
There were no protests here today and the temperature was comfortably above freezing at 4°C when I walked up to the health centre after an early breakfast to give a thimbleful of blood for testing. This is to check my iron levels which were a bit low a few months ago.
In a way, I would be obscurely pleased if the levels were still a bit low as it would give me a medical excuse for being frequently tired as opposed to a well founded suspicion that this might be down to a general dilapidation of mind and body on account of having had too many birthdays in the past. Mind you, it might just be the onset of winter.
It was grey day and when I got home the light meter on my camera told me that it wasn’t just grey, it was really grey so while Mrs Tootlepedal put in some time on her bike to nowhere, I did the crossword and occasionally looked out of the window, hoping that the temperature might rise a degree or two and that things might brighten up.
In the gloom, I could pick out a dunnock scavenging for fallen seed..
…and a party of greenfinches, peacefully munching away on the feeer.
The peace didn’t last long….
…as chaffinches and sparrows barged in.
It is always fun to see the concentration needed for landing safely on a perch.
I don’t know whether the gloomy weather makes it harder for birds to judge the landing but this chaffinch looks as though he is working hard.
I was frustrated to find that although the temperature had gone up a degree or two before lunchtime, it had also started to rain in a morose but persistent way so I gave up thoughts of cycling or walking, had some soup and turned to music practice and preparation to fill my day.
Mrs Tootlepedal was busy on some errands but when she got back, she thought the day was good enough to plant out the last of her tulips. I went out to offer her some light supervision and was delighted to find that one of the perennial wallflowers still had a flower or two on show…
…though it was so dark that I had to use my flash to capture it.
Our ever patient heron was on guard at the pond and I liked the pattern that the perennial nasturtium’s leaves made on the yew behind it.
(I had an appalling panto thought: It’s a behind yew.)
Next to the greenhouse, the rosemary bush is in very perky form…
…and one or two enterprising shoots have pushed through the ventilator into the greenhouse itself where they are putting out a few flowers.
In the early evening, seven members of the Archive Group assembled in our front room for our AGM. You may think that AGM stands for Annual General Meeting but I have been taking lesson from you know who and can tell you that AGM stands for A Great Meeting …and not just a great meeting but a really great meeting, a really, really great meeting….probably the best meeting in the world.
At any rate, we were happy with it as we have once again done a lot of work and met with appreciation for our efforts.
After our evening meal, I pulled myself together and spent a gentle half hour on my bike to nowhere in the garage and that rounded off a quiet but useful day.
The flying bird of the day can be seen pushing through the miserable drizzle.
Your raindropped wallflower looks like a beautiful piece of jewellery.
I agree.
You and Donald Trump are a pair, you made me chuckle.
oh not it isnt.
🙂
I can’t believe that you still have green plants and even flowers this time of year, the wallflower with the raindrops was beautiful!
In my opinion, which doesn’t count for very much, Brexit was mis-handled from the very beginning, even before the vote, and things have only gotten worse from what I read and hear.
I agree with you. As it affects the whole nation, the government should have gone for a cross party approach from the outset with everything explained as they went along. As it is, they have got themselves into a situation from which they cannot emerge with any good result.
The wallflower photo is a beauty!
That rosemary is the biggest I’ve seen. We ca’t grow it outside here because of the cold but if it is flowering it must love your weather.
I hope you aren’t anemic. My sister went through that years ago.
The rosemary has done unusually well this year. It must have liked the warm summer.
How lovely to see a colourful flower in bloom!
Even if it is the only one!
The perennial wallflower with droplets is gorgeous. Nice find!
Serendipitous as I had no option but to use the flash but a good result all the same.
I particularly like the landing shots. Not sure yew should continue with panto. Oh, no, I’m not
Yes, I am sorry about that but having written many pantos for the children in my teaching days, it is hard to get out of the habit.
🙂
Well done the Archive Group.
Appreciation for the work of Langholms Archive Group is well earned. Having had as many birthdays as you I shy away from any visit to the medical profession unless forced to.
A very good plan in general but we are blessed with kindly and thoughtful medical professionals here.
Same here! It is only in dire straits that I will see a doctor!
Well done Venetia.
I agree but I am not hopeful of it having any impact as the present government seems to place no value on arts and music at all.
It must have been a very stirring musical protest. Good for them!
Also…I could just about smell that rosemary!
I am so envious of your AGM. I have gone to many, many meetings, but none of them have ever qualified as AGM, and, alas, a few have qualified as ARM, or a rotten meeting. 😉
I have been to some of those in my time. We don’t like our RRRRGM to go on longer than 30 minutes.
Yes!
The raindrops on the wallflower photo is lovely and has been the only bright point of my day after listening to the news this morning. All Brexit meetings with all parties should take a leaf out of your book and make them last no longer that 30 mins….then something may get sorted quicker than now!
The 30 minute meeting is the answer to a lot of problems.
Wallflowers in December- just what the doctor ordered!
I agree…but they may be done after another frost today.
Nice one about the heron and yew. Oh yes it is!
Where?
The wallflower beaded with raindrops is particularly beautiful.