Monday, 25 February 2013
I finally gave
up this week and turned on an extra radiator. Normally I only heat the kitchen
for me and the dogs and my office/library, but it has been SO cold that moving
from one room to the other just got unbearable! As I had the all clear to
remove the back brace I think I am a little more susceptible to the cold than
usual.
We have just
finished the two weeks of half term and I have to say that although it has been
bitterly cold and sitting in the flying field with an easterly wind driving up
from the pond has been a heroic effort by the visitors, we have still had
them!! Of course I really think they are nuts, I would have sat by the fire
with a book and a cuppa given the chance!! However it has been lovely to be
busy again and although the second week has been very cold and grey it has been
DRY!!! In fact my field is finally drying out and for the first time in
probably 10 months the pond is not overflowing.
The daffodils
have stopped dead, they obviously have said to themselves that they blew it,
they have been the same height for a week and my poor crocuses and not happy
either. The gardens look a little bare I have to say, but my staff gave me some
garden vouchers for Christmas, which of course I have not been able to spend,
but now I am mobile (ish) again, I can go out and have fun with them.
My hospital
appointment went fine, the fracture is healed and I was told that some people
wait a couple of weeks to take off the brace and others take it off as soon as
they get home, I carried mine out of the hospital! I did offer it back to them,
but the surgeon looked a little affronted and said would I wear a secondhand
brace – absolutely I would especially when I was waiting for the damn thing to
arrive for several days! Although I have to admit mine is held together with a
bit of wire where a screw came out. It is residing in the butler’s pantry until
I can think of something to do with it!
We have two
horses in the field for a month – and no I am not riding again, I don’t think I
could get on a horse right now if I tried, and anyway although they say my back
is mended, it does not exactly feel like it, it’s pretty sore still. These
horses are in foal mares that belong to two good friends of mine and they are
here so she can sort out her field and buildings ready for foals! It’s good to
see a horse in the field again, although I think Nathan is less pleased. He
started to mow again – hooray, it always looks so nice when things are mown. My
front lawn I am told looks like Basra, with landmines from the dogs and mole
hills, I am about to wage war on the moles as they are causing a lot of damage
all over. It’s a shame you can’t train burrowing owls to get moles, I could
earn a fortune!
The birds are
laying furiously, Hemp has an egg (not that is will be fertile, but she is a
great sitter). The Griffon Vultures have hatched their baby all by themselves.
The two Grey Buzzard Eagle babies are doing well now. Some of the owls have
eggs and the Hooded Vultures have laid too, we are hoping they will hatch as we
want to keep them and fly them. I will not be sorry when the weather warms up,
although I would be happy if it would warm up to a drought please, its always a
worry with eggs and really cold weather. Here is hoping it will change soon.Monday, 18 February 2013
Life is hectic! It’s
been glorious weather for the last week, we have seen the sun for days at a
time, which is nothing short of a miracle!! My absolute favourite winter
weather. Cold clear nights, cold frosty mornings, warm (well OK not that warm,
but warm enough not to wrap up) days, with sunshine. The birds, wild LBJ kind
are singing spring songs, the daffodils are showing a tiny bit of colour and
supposedly it is all going to go to pot later on in the week, but we have
enjoyed it for now. It has also been perfect for the school half term. We
appear to have two weeks of half term, Gloucestershire was last week and
Herefordshire and Worcestershire this week, so that is good for us and we have
been busy.
I have to admit
that I was extremely worried last week, the bank balance was looking worse that
I thought it should, but thank God and David Morton, although it probably
should be the other way round, we discovered that some miserable lazy thieving bastard
has stolen my debit card details and since Dec 27th been helping
himself to just over £10,000. So no wonder we looked a bit thin on the ground.
I even sold my car and put the funds in the business. I hope they catch whoever
it is, I have offered if they do, to remove the perpetrator's testicles whilst they are
still awake and feed them to the Condor, but I suspect they will not tell me
who it is – shame really, because I bet the penalty is not as great as it
should be. Anyway the bank is putting the funds back today, so I am hoping to
get some sleep tonight, which I have not done for the last two.
The birds have
been flying brilliantly, my eagle is really coming on now, the new Red-tailed Buzzard
is jumping to the fist, John will have to find a name for him soon. Generally
all the birds are doing really well and I think they too are enjoying the
weather. We did our last two Owl Evenings for this part of the year, they start
again next November. The Friday we had 50 people and the Sat we were full at
61, which was great and because the evening weather was good, they all went
away happy. The mulled wine on the Saturday was probably one of my best!
I gave a lecture
on the Vulture Crisis at Swansea University last week, Linda kindly drove me
over there as I can’t manage a long drive yet. Sometimes you know when you have
given a good lecture and I was pleased that I felt that it was a very good one.
It was lovely to speak to a large audience who wanted to have the knowledge and
the lecture theatre was great.
I have a
hospital appointment tomorrow and might get rid of my brace. I broke it last
week, but Tom put it back together with some wire! I wonder if they will want
it back, I am sure they will, but it will have to be refurbished anyway I
guess.
Richard is coming
soon to do the lights in the flats and then Holly and Jimmi will not have to
shower by candle light. We still await the new front door for the flats though,
I think they are growing the timber for it! I have to say though Swinton Car
Insurance have a star from me. I found out I was paying them £8.45 per month
for Car Rescue, but I had not asked for it. So when I pointed it out they
immediately stopped it and are refunding the money. Financially I am better off
already!
Other than that
there is not much news, the breeding season carry’s on, the lawns need mowing.
I thin Art is doing well, there are the signs of leaves on some of the shrubs,
we have lambs next door, and spring is not far away.
Thursday, 7 February 2013
Shanny died
today, a sad day for us. She was 17 years old, Mark brought her in the night
before this because she was looking a little down. Her weight was OK, she was
not thin, but it was a very cold night last night so we were happy to have her
inside. This morning we gave her some skinned food with antibiotics, which she
took readily and looked very cheerful and an hour later she had died. Seventeen
is a good age, and she went with her
normal grace. She taught many people both staff and experience days, she came
to the US with me and back again, she was of our old breeding line, a real lady
with charming personality and manners. We all went down to the field just
before dark and buried her and toasted her with some wine.
Holly got back
today, she must be very tired as she went straight into work, but it was lovely
to see her. She has learnt a great deal and is very excited about the coming
breeding season. We candled some of the eggs this evening and she has a fertile
African Fish Eagle egg to manage and a fertile Tawny Eagle as well – so a good
start to the season.
We have a zoo
inspection tomorrow, which should go OK, the place is looking fine considering
how short staffed we have been in the last six weeks. Everyone has worked
really hard and we have achieved a great deal particularly while struggling
with winter weather as well.
The flying team
are going well, Pleiades flew particularly well today – much better than the
other day when she ended up in the wood! The owls are doing well and are ready
for our last two early year Owl Evenings. The Saturday is nearly full and the
Friday looking pretty busy as well. They have booked up well in the last couple
of weeks.
The flats are
done all but a new front door which we are waiting for, and a light and
extractor fan in the bathroom. They do look nice and are very snug and warm as
well, I am pleased we took the time and effort to get them back to being nice
again. Jimmi said the new shower is great even if they have to shower by candle
light, but it is very pleasant!
My trip to
Edinburgh went well, it was lovely to see Anna and David for a couple of days
and they looked after me very well. I was taken to a concert and the cinema,
neither of which I have done for a long time. The lecture went well and it was
nice to go to the Veterinary College and see where it was situated. I was a
little concerned as there are 74 steps up to their very beautiful flat and I
did not know how I would manage them, but surprisingly I managed fine and did
not die of lack of breath at the top either!
It is good to be
open again and see old friends visiting.
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