Musical pews, chairs and seats

Today’s guest picture comes from our granddaughter Evie who recently took her parents to enjoy the lights at Kew Gardens. As she is only three, it is possible that she commissioned one of her parents to take the actual photograph.

It was dull but dry when we got up, and Mrs Tootlepedal and I took different options when we went to sing in the church choir. She cycled but I walked with an umbrella in case it was raining when we came out. It was raining when we came out so I was quite pleased with my option.

There was a slightly bigger than usual congregation in the church and seven singers in the choir who made a joyful noise. As the hymns were generally both tuneful and cheerful, and the sermon wasn’t too long, I thoroughly enjoyed the service.

I filled the bird feeder when we got home, and after a reviving cup of coffee, I had a look to see if there were any takers for the seeds. A goldfinch was tucking in . . .

. . . and there were more birds waiting in the wings.

The feeder got quite busy and any spare perches were soon snapped up.

A greenfinch thought that it was too busy and rested on a nearby twig rather than compete for a place at the table.

I put the ingredients for a leek and potato soup into our new soup maker and while it cooking, I noticed that it had stopped raining. I took a little camera out into the garden to see if the pixie cup lichens held any water after a rain shower. It turned out that they are probably too small to let a raindrop in, let alone store one

Having come out into the garden, I I stayed out long enough to find a thriving peltigera lichen on the lawn . . .

. . . and then continued my wanderings past encouraging growth on a tree peony and in the rhubarb patch.

There are green shoots on every side. I think that these ones are snowdrops in waiting.

As well as different lichens, there is plenty of moss to be found in the garden.

We planned to include a little shopping on our trip to Carlisle for our Community Choir practice and as this meant an earlier start than usual, I came in from the garden to enjoy the freshly made soup with bread and cheese for lunch. Although I had to buy the leeks for the soup, the potatoes came from our garden, and we still have quite a lot left in store which is very encouraging.

I had time after lunch for another look at the birds. The greenfinches had got tired of waiting and were flying in from all sides now.

A sparrow arriving on the feeder found that it had chosen an empty hole. A greenfinch didn’t let it get more than one foot down before showing that it wasn’t welcome.

And then there was just time for another quick walk round the garden to add to my moss and lichen collection of the day. I liked the different varieties of moss hanging over the edge of the pond . . .

. . . and although a patch of lichen on one of the path slabs looks quite dull at first sight. . .

. . . a closer look makes it seem much more interesting (to me at any rate).

I scattered some of the fallen seed from the feeder on to the middle lawn, and then took a look at the wall of the house . . .

. . .before going in and looking back out to see a greenfinch in control on the refilled feeder . . .

. . . and a blackbird and a collared dove enjoying the scattered seed

The shopping on the way to the choir practice went well, though it would have gone even better if both Mrs Tootlepedal and I had not forgotten one of the things that we had meant to buy.

Several new people turned up at the choir practice, and with 69 people singing, the most for a long time, we nearly exhausted all the chairs in the community centre where we practice. For one reason or another we have been singing the same songs for some time, so it was a treat to get some new music to sing today.

We didn’t have much time to linger over our evening meal when we got home, because we had tickets for a Viennese Gala concert given by the Royal Scottish National Orchestra at the Buccleuch Centre.The orchestra had brought down a good complement of players and I think that there were about sixty musicians tonight. The program included included old favourites and one or two less well known pieces, and it was conducted and played with terrific zest and finesse. As it was introduced by a man who was both charmingly amusing and an excellent tenor, the whole evening was one of undiluted pleasure.

When we got home, I was able to finish off an excellent day with a selection of cheese, one of which I had purchased in the afternoon.

The flying bird of the day is a sparrow.