Just a few photo's I took .

I hope you like. I am not a person who spends all his time just working. I like looking around and enjoying life in retirement.

The pictures show The Twins who were there the other morning when I opened the kitchen door. My workshop ( needs a clean), Loppy Lugs the ewe in my field, and finally the lamb telling his mum he was just keeping the flies off his face!!

I love dogs

Very Funny.

Been away for a while, Just a few pictures for now.

I hope these will show a few things that make up my days. Some funny, some just what I see when out and about. The lake is 'Talyllyn', not far from me. Walking on water, the third man to do it, as they say. Th cat?, my nieces pet. She also took the photo ( She, not the cat!). The lady with the big coat has lost a lot of weight in the past few days. She was sheared by my nephew along with others. From a size 20 to a size 8, in ONE DAY?. Hows that for a diet!!! Enjoy.

Peace and Tranquility

On my walks I often see scenes like this. I photograph them and sometimes give one to the owner of the farm. I am very lucky to live in such an area. Just thought you might like them.

Cat and Owl at play

Cat and Dolphin

Enjoy this.

Update

Update on Super Squirrel

All my life I have been aware of how clever these creatures are but my Super Squirrel takes the biscuit. To be able to be such a gymnast and throw himself into prickly Hawthorne apparently ignoring the 25mm long spikes, was astounding. I tried moving the bird feeder away from outside the kitchen window but the driveway interferred.
I stood looking out the window two days ago when he (or she?) appeared with three of their young family. They were all climbing up and around the window, looking towards the nuts but not actually getting to them. I had greased the pole and the window ledge which they ( the young ones), disliked.
BUT, the Superman one climbed up the side of the window onto the stone wall of the house. He/she was some three feet above the window....it looked around and suddenly leapt from a standing position twisting around as it flew through the air and crashed into and above the Hawthorne 'hedge'. The gap was at least nine feet.
Instead of getting my gun I admit to admiring the animal. It had worked out everything I had tried to stop it doing. But not giving in, I decided to move the whole thing to another side of the house, which I did later. First though I cut all the grass with the tractor mower as I expected rain later ( I was right, it poured down) but got the grass cut OK.
Walking back to the house I saw the wired nut feeder lying on the driveway with both butterfly nuts unscrewed and the nuts all gone. Two days before I had filled the feeder ( and knowing how clever they were) made sure the wingnuts were as tight as I could make them...( previous knowledge pays dividens). Had the creature lifted the feeder off its hook? Never before in the seeven years it had been there.
Moving the feeder which was quite heavy with an oak post, I tripped on the way to the new location, wrenched my back and shoulder and dropped the whole lot. For the past day and a half I have been in agony and unable to do anything other that thinking............who wins??? The birds have no food until I repair the feeder, nor the animals, and I am making food as well as I can. Can't bend down, but everthing I handle falls to the floor so>>>>>>>>>>>
Should I have left the varmint to do as he liked?? What do you think????
Regarding my mentioning a gun, I love all animals. During my years in Africa I only shot for food when in the bush. I prefer the shots coming from my camera's. Take care all....oddjob

Super Squirrel

Some years ago I was pestered with squirrels getting on the birds feeding table and demolishing the feed as well as chewing the wood surrounds. I cured the later by putting a metal strip, but the food was still taken.

As "Baldrick", the actor in that wonderful series on the TV, 'Blackadder' used to say " I have a CUNNING PLAN". I made a metal cowling, like those hats that Eastern people wear when planting rice and fitted it below the feeders. It was a success right from the start. The pest would climb up, but under the hood, they were unable to see the food and eventually left things alone. They still climbed, but were thwarted at each attempt.

This lasted for some seven years, yes, seven years, until a few weeks ago. I was at the kitchen window and saw one sitting on the top of the feeder looking at me. I think he waved to me.. on second thoughts it might have been a finger!!

I cut a load of prickly Hawthorne and draped it over the table. A little later he appeared and looked at it. You could see his brain working. He went down and then appeared in front of me on the window ledge. He bunched himself up and flew through the air onto the thorns, without any pause and he was on the nuts again.

I chased him off but later in the day he was back on the window ledge but instead of jumping off as before, he climbed up the post and reached out to a tiny piece of leaf jutting out beyond the disc. He jumped and held on with one paw, then pulled himself up to the top like a gymnast on the parallel bars. I gave up and left him to it...... BUT,.... I am now thinking of another "Cunning" plan, and will let you know as soon as possible with any result.

Clever little things

Just Thinking

Tranquility
Contented Cows and their Calves
My niece took this photo of her cat

Have been sitting here wondering what to do. Started to think of Spring and Summer. My Snowdrops are out and the Daffs are starting to bud...so I thought a few warmer looking photos from last year, might cheer us up.

Maternal Instinct

I have a lady visitor this evening. She is the most intelligent lady I have ever met......Apart from being an excellent sheep dog on my neighbours farm, she also acts as a mother to orphan lambs, such as in the photo. At the moment she is stretched out on the floor fast asleep.

She had a busy day moving sheep. She also had to stand being in a shower to clean her up before her mistress brought her to see me.

Cameras

I forgot to enter Wendy the Wool in a recent Blog. Hope she comes up in the right place

Looking at the new cameras for 2011 I notice the Fujifilm HS 10. Price quite handy. I have three FinePix cameras, two SLRs and a small one for the pocket. The SLRs are rather heavy but ideal when I want to do some serious photography.

I was able, some years ago, to get various lenses for them, which fits the two SLRs. I took up photography many years ago whilst working in Africa. Old films then, not digital. Then I used to develop my own, but now 5 minutes on the computers and I have a nice library. Such is life.

Wool v Fur

I forgot to put Wendy into the picture of my recent blog.

Have been reading the controversy of the Royal wearing a fur coat. I thought of Wendy the Wool. I took the picture some years ago. I wonder what she thinks of it all.

Still Learning

I have been trying to replace pictures which I deleted in error. I have been successful to a degree, but not yet perfect. We all have to learn sometimes. I still have a few marbles left so will keep trying. Please follow the trail and you will understand what relates to which picture.

The photo is a proper one of Grace, the Labrador, who has been shown as swimming in the pool in recent shots. (I hope)

What's the water like??

I forgot

'Yesterday I forgot to name the five dogs in the pictures I published. In order from the top they are Milford, the eldest and first of the pack, then Hudson, followed by Bevyn who is stone deaf from birth, then Grace, the Labrador, and lastly Murphy.

The new picture "What's the water like" says it all .

K9 Friends

Just been reading about dogs that help the people who are hard of hearing. Wonderful what they can do. Well trained, they even warn people re traffic and help with the post.

This reminded me of my first dog. He was a mongrel and I called him 'Rex'. He was a medium sized sheep dog. They say that a mongrel is hardier that a straight thoroughbred, but I won't labour that point as others think opposite. From a very young age he showed a great ability in learning commands and was treated accordingly. My mother loved that dog. He lived for 15 years. He caught distemper at just a few months old. Mother nursed him, looked after him as she had done so with me and my two elder sisters.

My son who lives in Texas with his lovely American wife, have FIVE, all from animal shelters. Let me show them to you. Take care all.

They are called Murphy, Gracie, Hudson, Milford and Bevyn.

Made a mistake somewhere

Hello again friends, Yesterday I published a blog after doing it all alone for the first time. Somehow I missed out on the message ( as in this box), so I will repeat and see if the original can be repeated.

I was just wondering about all that I have done with my life ( and that which I haven't). Thinking about all the years ( quite a few of them now and another date coming up in a few weeks) as how they all varied. Quite different to what I have been seeing over the past 36 years I have lived in this farming community in the Cambrian Mountains of mid Wales, my late wife's homeland.

The seasons change on a regular pattern, different to my early life. The Rabbits in my garden,

The sheep enjoying a siesta during last summer, and the recent snow as seen in my village.

All different to my earlier years. I wouldn't change them for a million pounds.

Hope this time I do it right

Just thinking about the year ahead

I have been sitting here just wondering about life in general, of all the things I have done, and hope to continue doing, for many more years, but all in the lap of God I suppose.

The seasons come and go with regularity. I know that we have had a pretty vile winter so far, but I thought a couple of photos would cheer us up.

The rabbits are wild ones who inhabited my garden, and still do, over the past three years. They were young ones who, in turn became adults with the usual outcome. The sheep with their lambs I took during the summer and named it "Afternoon Siesta under the Hawthorn Trees" And the wintry one was my village a couple of weeks ago. I think this links us all to the seasons. In farming they never vary. Each month brings in a different event. Have I made myself clear? I am not a Word Smith like a good friend of mine but I try my best. I wish you all a Healthy New Year. Bye for now..

Icicles and trying to look like a Kangaroo