Friday 14 February 2014

A day for just laying around

The Safari has done very little today. Frank woke us up at a few minutes after 05.00 dohhh that's early! But we weren't as early as the local Blackbirds and Robins who were singing all around us, although it was quite cold it sounded almost springlike.
Having a day off we didn't do anything in the morning as we were at the consultants for him to review his handiwork on our hand - he's happy with the outcome so we are too.
After our hospital visit it was off to to the wild north of Safari-land for a bit of birding and a bit of St Valentine's day dinner with Wifey. 
The further we got from Base Camp the worse the weather became, heavy rain, increasing wind and sleet splatters on the windscreen. Would we get our walk in?
We did, parking the car and getting Frank out he was eager to go a-sniffin but the tree-tops were singing in the wind. The rain had eased and we opted to take the sheltered route rather than the more interesting but far more exposed estuary route.
The shelter was good as the rain started spitting again. And then we got to a section where the old hedge had been recently laid...one of our favourite hobbies, we love the constructive destruction and the fact you can have red hot baked potatoes in the ashes of the brash fire at baggin time. Not sure if our hands are upto doing more than a few pleachers at a time now
Sadly this cracking piece of work had reduced the high level shelter, great if your a little creepy crawly down at ground level lots of dense new cover down there but not so good for a human taller than the top of the woven branches - no shelter what-so-ever! Time to turn round and head for the pub.
Frank likes the pub, suits him down to the ground! A hot fire and the chance of treats, a perfect combo particularly if the treats appear.
We sat and had a our dinner and a few beers while the rain lashed against the tiny old windows, the pub dates back to 1660 - wonder how many high tides like the one the other week its seen in that time.

The rain was still lashing as we dived across the car park as quick as maybe to avoid getting soaked. No way we were going to twitch the Spotted Redshanks lurking in the creeks in that, nor did Wifey fancy driving the narrow lanes on the off chance we'd be able to spot a few Bewick's Swans through the rain soaked windscreen.
Doesn't it just always happen - half way home the rain stopped and the sun started to come out! Too late!!! 
There's two days of the weekend left so no doubt we'll get out somewhere.
Where to next? The nature reserve could be favourite for tomorrow.
In the maintime let us know who's been overactive with the axe in your outback.


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