My juicy strawberries
I’m finding it hard to believe that I’m in Britain, as the last six weeks have seen what I can only describe as tropical weather. We now have blazing sunshine mixed with torrential downpours with dramatic thunder storms thrown in. The heady scent of flowers and the rhythmic sound of rain are becoming addictive.
I think the weather is messing with some people’s minds though, as we’ve had some very strange phone calls and visits to the rescue lately. Here are a few examples……
Tomatoes beginning to ripen.
A man came in carrying a box very, very carefully. He feared the hedgehog inside was dead. Sadly, we agreed, but told him that the deflated football covered in straw and moss had never had a pulse.
The same day a lady came in with a box saying that someone had left it in her charity shop. She was absolutely terrified as it contained a tail-less rat….you should have seen how gingerly she was holding it. Inside was the sweetest hamster you ever did see.
I cannot describe how delicious my loganberries are!
A guy rang up wanting to swop his rabbits for a cat as he was sick of them. We took his rabbits but he didn’t get a cat!
Another man wanted us to come out and catch an aggressive herring gull that kept on attacking him….after gathering more information re his crisis, we advised him to stop throwing stones at it….turns out he didn’t want it in his garden so was always throwing things at it, and now the gull was fighting back, and winning by the sounds of things!
My peas and broad beans….sure takes a lot of pods to fill a bowl.
Then there was the woman on the phone who was furious because we wouldn’t sell her some hay. The polite answer to that was we are not a shop.
Another lady threatened to call the police because we wouldn’t come out and rid her home of ants. We told her to feel free.
My pond is now full of water lilies and teeny, tiny frogs.
The funniest was the woman who called saying she had a bat on her bathroom ceiling. We contacted the batman who went out only to discover a patch of mold…..he advised her to get a pair of specs!
One elderly lady was concerned that the birds sitting on her chimney may get burnt, we assured her they would move if they got too hot.
The hot hazy days have brought the butterflies out en-masse and the buddleia is the best bee and butterfly magnet any garden can have.
One of my favourites was the man who called to say that a hedgehog must be lost because it was wandering around his garden at night…we explained that it may actually live there, he was really shocked!
It’s odd this year, we have hundreds of bumble bees yet I haven’t seen a single honey bee.
The cutest was a child who brought a butterfly in, it had been trapped in her mother’s car and she wanted us to make sure it wasn’t hurt. I looked at it long and hard, pronounced it healthy, then let her release it. She was thrilled.
And finally…..Sam, the biggest dingbat of them all.
What an interesting post. Liked the strawberries . great images. Well it is autumn for you and spring for us. We have just had storms throughout the country. Strongest winds since the mid 70’s – up to 150kh.
Lol, thanks Dessie, there are some crazy guys out there!!! I’ve just been potato picking!xxxx
I had to smile, but goodness me, how silly some people are. Wonderful produce.
I do think that the hot weather does have an effect on us. It is known that violent crimes of passion are more likely to happen in extreme heat. As I bang on about all the time, – everything is interconnected….and so not only is Mother Nature have to cope and change – so will we human beings. We Brits are just not used to it….not is our sear little Island!
I loved the stories….I can only imagine, the sorts of things you see and hear……and oh the Dingbat…..looks so handsome, even in silhouette:)
Continue to enjoy your summer…..this week I can feel and smell autumn in the air…
May your days be full of creativity, animals, laughter and love, oh and hummingbirds:)xxxxxx
I have to agree about the heat Janet, people do seem to act oddly. The animals just rest, maybe we should do the same whenever possible.
Lol….Sam is becoming a fine boy, he’s getting used to being admired and petted by strangers now and has completely lost his fear of men.
Y’know….I’m beginning to get the odd scent of autumn too. Thanks Janet. xxxx
It all looks so good! We’ve had an amazingly mild summer here in the American Midwest- I’m sure all of our farmers are enjoying the change.
Thanks Erik, lovely to hear you’ve had a good summer too. xxxx
Oh some of these gave me a good chuckle. Thanks for sharing them. And now I am craving produce because of your delicious looking pictures.
Lol, thanks Susanne. I certainly have to chuckle too!xxxx
Lol….Sam….sighs….he is a one!!!
You’re spot on there Jo, we waste a lot of time on silly calls which takes us away from sorting the animals. At times it can be frustrating, especially when the rescue is really busy. Lol….I was on the side of the herring too, the man sounded like a right bully!
Oh, you really should have a peek at the Iron men, they certainly make an impression. Thanks Jo.xxxx
Ahhh, I see Sam is still up to his old trick of sitting on the pub table, he makes me laugh so much. Going by these stories, I think it’s the humans who make the most work for the rescue, not the animals, and good on that herring gull for fighting back. It looks like you’ve got an abundance of fresh fruit and veg, the harvests make all the work earlier in the season so worth it. I’ve just caught up on your last post and really must try to get to see those iron men, I think they’re brilliant. They stir up so many emotions and really make you think. That paella looked delicious, did you partake?
Great post Snowbird. Love the birds on the chimney.. !!
Thanks Rusty duck…….hopefully they’ll fly off if they get too warm!xxxx
I have been distracted for a few days… and now here, I get a good lesson on how distracted people can get. Please send me your phone number at once. I see that you guys are the people to call when life gets too complicated. Moreover, I have a few too many carrots here right now. If you have a couple of free rabbits please send them over so the carrots won’t rot. Yours truly….
Hahahahahaha……brilliant! I love it!!! xxxx
Hilarious and crazy and unbelievable! But the last one with the little girl and butterfly was so sweet. I’m not in the slightest bit jealous of all your produce, not at all!!! Yum. xx
Lol….thanks Suzy! I must say I’m having a great harvest this year.xxxx
Ha, ha !! I laughed so much at these very funny stories. I’m not sure which is the wackiest. Maybe the pigeons getting burnt or even the police being called to ensure that you got rid of those pesky ants ! I’m sure they would have given her short shrift had she called them
And what a bountiful garden you have. All I’ve managed to harvest so far are gooseberries, blueberries and some rhubarb. The figs are only just starting to grow.Hope they ripen before the weather changes.
And that last photo of your dear doggie. Lovely 😀 xx
Lol…thanks Kegs!!! I often doubt what I’m hearing, some people don’t seem to have any common sense. I told the woman who rang about the ants that we were a rescue, not pest control, but she simply wouldn’t listen and worked herself into a terrible rage!!!
Oh wow….you have gooseberries, BLUEBERRIES, and figs????? I don’t have any of those so am very green eyed here!!!!! Ah…yes….Sam….what to say?????xxxx
What an absolutely wonderful post, which had me laughing out loud. Terrific pictures as well. xx
Lol….thanks Flighty……some folk sure are funny!xxxx
You are so patient! Just the right person to be at the rescue centre. Great photos too!
Thanks Linda, I’m not always patient….I try not to show my irritation though!xxxx
Just loved the post, Snow Bird; what odd animals walk about on two legs…must have been a combination of your unusual weather and the full moon! So happy you and your colleagues were present to these queries. Strange as they were, and even laughable, innocent critters could have been hurt had you not brought common sense to the various situations…
How gorgeous your garden gifts are! We’ve had a bountiful summer, too…my second freezer is packed with topped and tailed gooseberries and cherries, and the raspberries and blackberries are still being harvested, along with herbs and veggies: Wow! Thank goodness for freezers. 🙂
Thank you, again, for all the tender, protective care and love you offer our companions on this funny and beautiful planet. 🙂 Joy to your week’s end.
ThankS Kitty, Oh yes, the two leggeds can be truly zany! All in a days work eh? Maybe it was the moon!!!! lol
Our summer has been wonderful and is continuing to be warm maybe up until the end of August.
What a harvest you’re having….oh yes, where would be be without our freezers. I didn’t get many cherries, the birds got to them first! Ah well, I have plenty so can’t complain. The sun has given us wonderful crops this year…I have tons of potatoes, onions and carrots to dig up….so exciting!xxxx
Well well well, look at those Strawbs! Very impressive. I laughed so much at the guy with the hedgehog, I don’t know whether it’s adorable or ridiculous x
I can tell you those strawberries are delicious!!! Oh that poor guy, he really thought it was a hedgehog, and to be fair it did look like one!xxxx
A great post and some fantastic pictures. You are have a similar summer to what we had last season. It must keep you busy with all the little creatures being brought in to you. I laughed about the hay, shop indeed. Enjoy the rest of the summer. We are in mid-winter, so spring will soon be in the air.
Thanks Peter…..yes…the wacky types certainly keep us on our toes! Mid winter already….I can’t imagine winter yet!xxxx
A fantastic post, Snowbird. I have laughed – but I’m also reading in some disbelief. It must be the sun, as you say – or there’s something in the water! But this crackers behaviour has given you some fabulous stories. Your fruit and veg look delicious, no red tomatoes here yet, unfortunately. And I love gorgeous Sam sitting high up so he can keep a proper eye on things!
Thanks Wendy.We do get a lot of wacky calls and visits, but lately it’s getting plain silly. You have to laugh though!!!
The sun is really great for the fruit and veg isn’t it? My toms have only just started to ripen, I actually picked eight today, now my salad is complete!
Sam….I despair….he’s a law onto himself…but adorable with it!xxxx
There are some funny people about aren’t there – it’s a wonder you manage to keep a straight face. Oh, thank you for putting me straight – your picture of your loganberries are what I have been eating for the last couple of weeks thinking they were funny shaped raspberries – now I know better. And you know what – I prefer them to raspberries. I must have picked the wrong plant up at the garden centre – SHOULD HAVE GONE TO SPECSAVERS!!!!!!!!
There’s nowt so queer as folk!!!! Hahahahaha….dare I add you to my list of dingbats?????
Actually, that was a lucky mistake, I agree, loganberries are so much nicer than raspberries, they have such a delicate flavour don’t they. xxxx
Great stories.Reminds me of when I discovered a bat living in my apartment. It was hiding in the dishes piled in the sink. Really. When I started to wash the dishes, it flew up like a bat out of – a sink. Then it flew round and round the room. I tried to shoo it to an open window, but no luck. Ultimately I stunned it with a spatula, then carefully took it outside and left it. Never saw it again, hope it recovered.
Oh….poor little bat! Hopefully it recovered as you didn’t see it again. Thanks Jason.xxxx
Was the first story really true? We have had some honey bees so there are some about – not seen any lady birds yet though.
P.S Glad that guy didn’t get a cat – some people don’t deserve to have an animal near them!
All those stories are true Sue, you’d be surprised how little some people know about wildlife….I know a woman who actually thinks mice have no bones in their bodies! To be fair to the guy though, the deflated football did look remarkably like a hedgehog!!!
I’m glad to hear you have honey bees, I haven’t seen many ladybirds either, I saw lots in the spring but the cold weather killed them all off.xxxx
Another gorgeous post – soooooooooo funny!! And such lush pictures. You’re so clever :yes:
Thanks Gilly! The garden is growing beautifully at the moment.xxxx
Delightful! I’m so glad you’ve saved these wacky stories. And look at all that glorious produce from your garden!!! Everything looks so lush and gorgeous.
I just purchased a couple of buddleias and am looking forward to butterflies visiting rather than flitting through.
Lol….thanks Nikki. I think the sunshine and rain is really bringing everything on. Now I know what your weather must be like!
You won’t regret getting the buddleia, when I stand by mine I feel as though I’m in a butterfly house. I actually counted eight species of butterfly on it this morning. And the best is the plant needs hardly any care and grows like a weed!xxxx
Like a weed, you say? I surely hope so!
I’m not quite sure if I should hope for more dingbat stories or not! They are funny when they are reported, but must be rather challenging to deal with in person 😉 Happy weekend!
Oh yes….grows JUST like a weed….high and bushy in a couple of months, with NO care at all. Here it grows along railway lines and canals and has become a veritable haven for wildlife and pollinators. The seedheads are also brilliant for the birds in the winter, so I only hack mine back in the spring. I’ll look forward to seeing how yours grows. xxxx