Orchids, Woodpeckers and Cold, Cold Weather

There`s been no more crash, bang but a bit more thud and ouch since my last entry! The new oven glass will be here in a few days and with luck I`ll manage to slide it into the door in one piece. I sincerely hope so because I can`t afford any more disasters this year...lol! The thud and ouch refer to Thursday when I decided it was time to water the orchids...all eleven of them. Most of them are kept on the bedroom window sills until they come into flower. Then I bring them back downstairs and keep them in the living room. It just happens at the moment that none of them are in flower so all of them are upstairs....and there lies the problem. I thought,in my wisdom, that it would be a good idea to carry them all downstairs on a tray saving me the trouble of several journeys up and down the stairs. It was a VERY bad idea. !) there were far too many of them and 2) when orchids are dry they are very, light and therefore top heavy. Can you see where this is going? Anyway... as I was walking downstairs one of them started to wobble on the tray, I tried to balance it but it had knocked over another, and another resulting in a domino effect. I could only stand and watch as one by one they tumbled down the stairs spilling their compost. My stair carpet resembled a woodland floor and so after checking that the orchids weren`t broken I set about clearing up the mess. They were more than fine, in fact there wasn`t even a broken leaf between them and when I`d finished cleaning about half and hour later I set about repotting them all. The finished result was they looked better than before they were thrown down the stairs but I can assure you that I won`t be doing THAT again soon. Next time I`ll bring them downstairs in carrier bags....why didn`t I think of that before!

Oh yes, and the ouch bit was when I was demonstrating to Danny how the oven glass broke. I placed my hand on the hob where I laid the glass last week but it was still hot from where Jim had recently used it...and yes I did say OUCH! But I have to say that I haven`t really been in the wars all week. The orchid incident is just one of those things that happen to me. I have to say I`m safest when driving (work that out!) sitting down or sleeping...lol! and no I don`t sleep when I`m driving...lol!

Changing the subject, its getting much colder again after the last few mild weeks. They are forecasting snow on Monday and Tuesday with a bitterly cold easterly wind blowing in from Siberia. Well I don`t know where its blowing from but I`ve not long come in from walking Jake and it was seriously cold. I`m quite a fast walker and I usually get warm while out walking but not today, even though I was dressed in my warmest clothes I was glad to get in the warm again. I think Jake was too as he dashed in as soon as I opened the door.

This morning I saw a large Green Woodpecker feeding in next doors back garden. I`ve never seen one this far away from woodland before. I took lots of photos and spent ages watching it through binoculars. I just hope the people in the house opposite don`t think I was watching them. They always get dressed in front of windows without ever closing the curtains first. Its not a case of me looking but you can`t exactly not see them. Obviously they aren`t particularly modest but if you were getting dressed in front of a window and saw someone looking through binoculars from the house opposite, what would you think? lol!

Not the best photo but it gives you an idea. His red is bright red and its a pity it doesn`t show up better here. I couldn`t believe he was ground feeding for so long, easily 20 minutes. Mind you he kept looking up to have a good look at his surroundings. Yesterday at work I saw a Red Kite with part of his wing missing. It didn`t stop him flying and he seemed oblivious to it. I wondered what might have caused such an injury to such a large bird of prey.

The other day Kerry told me that after telling Roman off for some misdemeanor he told her that he wanted to "Live with Nana"! She told him that she would help him pack his suitcase which helped change his mind, bless him. I had visions turning up on my doorstep with his little suitcase in hand...hehehe!

Anyway my friends, Ill say goodbye for now. Have a lovely evening and keep warm. :o)