…five! I can confirm today the sighting of FIVE baby swallows in the laundry nest, which means all five eggs hatched - hurrah! However, when I tried to take a photo of the five (not four) babies, one of them sunk back below the edge of the nest saying, ‘You ain’t seem me, right?’ so I only caught four on camera.
Here they are, looking very cross with life. But there are DEFINITELY five of them! Not four. I find it amazing that they can grow from baldy-wobble-headed-yellow-beaked-jelly-blobs to fully-fledged-aerodynamic-sleek-flying-machines in the space of two weeks. They will fledge in the next day or two, of that I have no doubt. I don’t blame them for not fledging today because a) it’s been wet and windy and therefore not conducive to successful maiden flights and b) there was a lot of slurry spreading yesterday in the surrounding fields and it’s been, quite frankly, eye watering. Even I haven’t wanted to go outside because of it. Luckily, I have my zesty lemon candle on hand to ward off invasions of acrid poo smells into the house.
However, I did go out today, despite Stinkageddon. Firstly, I went into town to purchase a sack of sunflower seeds for all the baby birds that are taking over the dovecote, and a couple of bags of cat litter for Bambino. Then I went to the supermarket to get a weekly shop.
And then I went to meet a friend for a coffee and a natter. I don’t know why I say ‘coffee’ because I don’t drink the stuff, it’s vile. I have tea. But my friend had coffee, and it’s just what one says, isn’t it? ‘Shall we go for a coffee/ have a coffee and catch up/fancy a coffee break?’ I also had a cheese scone, and my friend had a toasted tea-cake.
And then I dashed home for a quick lunch (soup - it really is THAT cold here at the moment) before piling Andy and Nell into my car and driving us all to the eye hospital in Stoke because Andy had an appointment there and was told he wouldn’t be safe to drive home afterwards, presumably because of having eye drops which would dilate his pupils. This turned out to be a big fat lie because no eye drops were used and he had his scan and was finished within ten minutes. He has to go back next week to see the eye doctor person for the verdict, and says he will drive himself.
Whilst Andy was attending his appointment, I took Nell to Pets At Home (obligingly, she did a poo and a wee en route) where we purchased a new toy called Monkey (because it’s a monkey) because, sadly, her previous squishy toy, Daisy Dog, is dead, by which I mean annihilated. Daisy Dog lasted two months, which is good by Nell’s standards as she has been known to destroy a toy on the day of purchase. I’m keeping my fingers crossed for decent longevity for Monkey.
Came home, did some Italian learning, made dinner, ate dinner, did washing up and I am now communing in my office with Bambino who is feeling unloved at being abandoned all day. Tomorrow, my son-in-law is coming over to service my car and change the taps on the bath, which have been dripping in a most irritating manner for WEEKS now. ‘Have they?’ says Andy. ‘I hadn’t noticed…’
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