The kitchen is filled with the scent of lilies, a gift from daughter for mother’s day, along with a splendid, huge, black bamboo. That, I think, shall live in a pot.
Please ignore any dust, I have neither the time nor inclination to do housework!
Daughter, who is a total sweetheart, took me for a smashing lunch, to a rather posh garden center, the ambiance was great, the prices of the plants…not so great.
I’m soooo very lucky to have such a lovely daughter….
a daughter who is also my friend.
My neighbour retired recently and received endless bouquets so passed one on to me, several other neighbours were on the receiving end…..what’s not to like?
The Albert Dock.
Hubs is now another year older.
As usual, it rained as we spent the day roaming around Liverpool!
We have lived in Formby for twenty seven years now, and have never seen the tide this far in, usually we walk a mile to reach the sea, must be the new moon and spring tides.
How Annie loves the water.
Slowly but surely the garden is waking up. I’m trying to spend an hour a day clearing the front which is still buried in leaves, and now of course, the weeds are rearing their tenacious heads.
Most of the time I turn a blind eye to the mess and sit in my little courtyard where plants are suddenly bursting into life. It’s much easier to enjoy a small space, no detail is ever missed. My acer on the left of this picture, is now flowering, along with the jasmine and a multitude of other plants, despite Buddy sitting on their pots. Male dogs seem to be sun-worshipers.
It’s been a productive weekend, rescue-wise. My first release of the year, four perky pigeons now back where they belong!
Just marvelous!
I’ve also done a hedgehog awareness talk at a junior school and survived to tell the tale, no awkward questions this time, having said that, the guy who was with me was asked why he was wearing scruffy trousers and trainers…..ouch! I felt his pain!
Two home- checks, in two days, will now see three, long-term cats going to superb homes. Yey!
Soon I shall be releasing hedgehogs, must check out some new locations.
Freedom…sighs…
And Finally….
I shall have have to work a little harder on my bird whispering skills. This macaw arrived at the rescue yesterday, and is intent on slicing fingers to the bone. I stood in front of his cage, holding a very shiny red apple and proceeded to cut it into quarters.
The macaw cocked it’s head, eyeballed me and said, “hello”….. I looked around thinking someone was behind me, it sounded just like a guy with a croaky voice! Then it let loose a blood-curdling shriek!
Oh my! That will get old while mucking out a hundred hogs!
He is ringed, so hopefully we can trace the owner.
I’m sure that macaw will be in love with you in a flash. 🙂
I admire your faith in me!! If only eh? Happily he has now been reunited with his owner so all is now well. Thanks Casa.xxx
For a “creepy” bird, he surely is beautiful. You’ve captured his those gorgeous blue shades of his delicate feathers.
Loving those glittering shots of the sun on the waves. And I admire your tenaciousness with the garden work. With our spring rains, we’ve also got extremely healthy weeds. I wish I could train Wimsey to leave the lizards alone and pick on the weeds instead! Do you think you could try cat-whispering? If I pay for your airfare and bake you cakes?
That bird had the most beautiful feathers, such gorgeous colours! Happily he’s back with his owner now so a happy ending all round! Hahaha….sadly I doubt I could train cats to do anything, they are a law onto themselves!!! Still I’d give it a go just to sample some of your cooking!xxx
What a rich and varied post. I especially enjoyed the photos of your daughter — and belated birthday wishes to himself!
Your pigeons reminded me that I finally have found someone capable of keeping my own pigeons at bay. A boat-tailed grackle has discovered the peanuts in the shell I put out for the blue jays. He comes, picks one up, dips it in the bird bath to soften the shell, and then “peels” in. While he’s around, he’s not putting up with any pigeon. You should hear the screeching! They’re not about to try taking him on, and fly off.
I love seeing the tulips. They’re one of my favorite spring flowers, but of course we don’t have them here: too warm. So, I enjoy photos, and just every now and then will pick some up at the grocery store, if they’re not too expensive.
It sounds like that grackle rules the roost now! How interesting to hear he softens the shells in such a way! Pigeons are clever though, I bet yours figure a way around that grackle!!! The screeching sounds hard on the ears!!!
It turning out to be a good year for the tulips, I have some lovely varieties popping up, I always forget what I have planted so many happy surprises this year. xxx
Lovely to see the tulips in the front garden…and the monkey puzzle tree, your courtyard, dogs enjoying the sunshine and the beach. You have a sweet daughter. Best wishes for many happy returns to your husband. All the best with all the rescue animals and especially with the macaw! Our daughter has got excited at seeing flowers on her Japanese maple in her courtyard garden. It’s satisfying what she can grow there and it’s a good place for her to relax after a busy day at work. Hope you’re managing to do the same after work and at the weekends.
It’s proving to be a good year for tulips, I have some lovely varieties popping up. Spring is such a wonderful time isn’t it, we are all so hungry for the first of everything…..it’s good to know your daughter has a lovely courtyard too, I just love mine, it’s my own little paradise. Thanks Linda.xxx
I don’t have any daughters but I do love my nieces to bits and get on so well with them – it’s like having grown up friends and they keep me young at heart! Your daughter is gorgeous and so like you Dina, you’re justifiably very proud. Lovely that you’ve been able to release so many of your rescued friends, your work is so rewarding – and best of luck with finding the owner of the screecher, hope your fingers stay intact!
Thanks Caro, your nieces sound lovely! Releasing animals is always so rewarding, I always wonder if they feel a real thrill at suddenly being free again.
We can all sigh with relief now as bird and owner have been reunited. Clearly that macaw loves it’s owner! I just love a happy ending.xxx
So English mother’s day is apparently on a different date than America’s. Regardless, it sounds like you had a great one! Your daughter is a real sweetheart.
It’s odd Mother’s day is on different days across the pond isn’t it? Daughter is a little gem. Thanks Jason.xxx
What lovely Mother’s Day gifts, Lilies always smell so good.
What a fun photo of you and your daughter – I like it.
Belated Happy birthday to your Hubs.
So nice to see the sea in your photo’s, I love how the light shines in it too!
I do hope you can find the parrot’s owner …
Take Care
All the best Jan
Thanks Jan. Bird and owner are now delighted to be reunited! xxx
Daughter, husband, rescues, dogs, flowers–you are rich!
Indeed I am! Thanks Brenda.xxx
I have lost my WordPress blogs and now start back with a Blogger blog -which will deal with all genre subjects.
Great post as usual and fantastic images. April has started with some very bad weather – spinoffs from tropical weather through Australia down to us in NZ.
I shall have to check your new blog out! Oh…your weather doesn’t sound great, here’s to it improving.xxx
Lovely view of the sand dunes. Twenty seven years ago, just as you were moving to Formby, we were leaving Ainsdale for Devon!
Daughters are super aren’t they, what would we do without them!
Oh yes….daughters certainly are super! Do you ever miss Ainsdale? I suppose after twenty seven years Devon must now feel like home.xxx
Lovely to see your part of the world coming to life after winter. Your daughter looks gorgeous, and congrats to Hubs on his birthday. That Macaw looks like trouble, another Parrot with high self esteem issues…..(but cute)
When I was teaching in the inner city of Sydney I got someone from the RSPCA to come and talk to the kids about looking after animals properly. The speaker had memorising dangling colourful earrings, and I’m sad to say that was the only thing the kids remembered about the talk!
Thanks Gerrie. Thankfully the bird is now happily reunited with his owner, and what a happy bird he is! Good we don’t have to run the gauntlet of that beak! You have me laughing re the RSPCA officer with the dangly earrings, maybe I should get me a pair!!!xxx
That bird is wonderful, the colour of its feathers. I do hope you find the owner.
Happily, bird and owner are reunited, a happy ending, the bird was over the moon to see it’s owner again. xxx
The Albert dock is just so recognisable, it’s more years than I can remember since I visited.
There have been some very swollen tides with huge undercurrents. In parts, great for surfers.
The dogs are really at home in the courtyard. I wonder if they will pick up any of your gardening skills 😉
The freed pigeons are always a reminder of the the birds that attached themselves to your home and made it theirs for a while.
Now, what do you think the kids are being taught at school? (Little ones have no guile whatsoever). Exclusive labels worn and seen will soon become de rigeur.
xxx
The Albert Dock is certainly very distinct! Oh yes, surfers would have loved those tides, I thought it rather odd that we’d never seen one that swollen before.
I often think of those doves and look out for them but sadly have seen neither sight nor sound of them, such a shame.
Children certainly come out with cutting remarks, you wonder how they are being brought up!!! Thanks Menhir. Hoping a little sunshine is coming your way.xxx
I see that your orchid is still managing to stay blue. Children do not hold back any punches do they?
The orchid is slowly clearing colour-wise, it’s a very pale blue now, hopefully it will eventually throw out white blooms. Oh children…..you never know what is likely to come out of their mouths!xxx
Look at your lovely courtyard!¬ and your lovely daughter … and your lovely hubs – it’s all gorgeous but you sound a little weary, me dear xxxx
Thanks Gill, I always feel a little overwhelmed at this time of the year, everything needs doing at once in the garden, I need to be more patient and realize I can’t do it all at once….slowly but surely it’s getting done and I am enjoying seeing it all burst into life.xxx
Oh, my, Daughter has lovely taste in flowers, too! And is as beautiful as her mother, inside and out, it seems!
Your garden is certainly coming to life, Dina! The pups look so happy sunning/lounging like princes…and this time, I did spy sweet Annie lying in the background. 🙂
A rainy day isn’t all bad for a birthday (today is my dear one’s…and it’s rainy), if a nearby pub beckons. Your beloved looks quite merry! And it looks like, despite the weather, you were able to enjoy the beach for a while, too: Perfect!
It must feel so wonderful releasing those sweet birds, healed and ready to merge with nature again. I hope the macaw minds his nipping and you’re able to find his family.
Joy to your new week!
Ahhh, thanks Kitty, daughter is a little sweetheart! I just love this time of the year, everything is bursting into life and each day there is something new to see, it has to be my favouirte time of the year. A very happy birthday to Philip, I hope you two had a wonderful day, rain and all, you just can’t beat a good Inn!!! It’s always such a treat to release birds, seeing them flying and free is a real thrill. Happily, the macaw has been reunited with his owner, how delighted he was to see him!!! Hears to your garden waking up and a little sunshine.xxx
As usual a most enjoyable post and lovely pictures. xx
Thanks Flighty.xxx
What a delightful post….Yeah! Like Mother, like Daughter…..Hugs to you both…and Congrats to ‘Hubs’….Have a Super April Week! Hugs!💕💕
Thanks Bushka, April has certainly started well!xxx
Hmmm, watch that beak. I’ve still got a scar on my finger where one bit me as a child, I ended up at A&E having a tetanus jab. How lovely that three long term residents have got new homes to go to, for all the suffering you must see at the rescue it’s stories like these which make it all worthwhile. Your house must smell lovely filled with all those beautiful flowers.
Ouch! That sounded painful!!! I bet it put you off parrots for life. The macaw has now been reunited with his owner which is great news, turns out he’s only three, apparently they can live until they are fifty. It;s always lovely seeing animals released and re-homed, definitely the most enjoyable part of the job. I’m amazed at the scent of those lilies, they’re still going strong.xxx
What wonderful Mother’s Day gifts. Happy birthday to Hubs and I love the photo of you and your daughter; she looks so like you. Good luck finding the parrot’s owner – he certainly is a beauty. xx
Thanks Veggiemummy. Happily, the macaw was reunited with his owner, clearly he loved him very much.xxx