I was late getting to work this morning because I had a busy start – taking Julia to breakfast, helping her buy cement, fighting my way through several sets of road works and, finally, dropping her off at the garden.
That left me with twenty minutes to get to work, which was only just enough. Technically,I wasn’t late, as I was still there a few minutes before I was due to start. In practice, it felt late as I like to get settled and have an unhurried start to the day.
There were two big sales on at Spinks in London this morning and the boss was bidding on line. (I won’t add a link to Spinks as I’m currently arguing with them – I bought two lots off them a months ago – they lost one lot and the other was nothing like the description. They are not, currently, my favourite auctioneer.)
The problem was that my computer, though old and clunky, is probably the best in the shop, and is the only one with sound.
That meant I started late, answered some stupid questions from customers, and then had to swap computers when the auction started. It’s surprising how much a strange workstation slows you down.
I don’t mind questions when they have a point, but some are just a waste of time and energy.
Eventually the auction finished. It seems to have been quite successful, though everything seemed a little more expensive than he would have liked.
I had a similar experience when I looked in on an auction in the afternoon. I’d decided to save my money by not bidding, but two the three lots I would have bid on went for more than I wanted to pay so I’d have left empty-handed anyway. I’ve spent enough recently so it’s good to save.
Fortunately we managed to make a few sales in the shop too – it’s nice to get a bit back after all the buying we’ve been doing.
Julia rang me in the afternoon. She’d been working in the garden when she noticed some commotion by the polytunnel. There are two nestboxes with Great Tit families in them and the one by the polytunnel was under attack from a magpie, which had its head stuck in the hole.
Great Tit at Wilford
She chased it away and we’re hoping it won’t be back.
I know it’s nature, but there are plenty of other things to eat.
I am sorry about the incompetence of the auctioneers. Is there no one to rely on these days?
I fear not – founded 1666 and still can’t communicate. 🙁
Quite a day! And at times animals can be a little more intrusive than we might like. Last week, a section of our backyard fence was broken. As it was the section by the compost bins, we think something large was trying to get in. Like a bear. Fortunately, the chicken wire we ran along the edge seemed to have stopped the intruder. Originally, we put the chicken wire there in a vain attempt to keep the cats in the yard. You can see what kind of excitement we have here on Narrows Pond Road. 😉
I always wondered what bears did in the woods. I never realised it was compost theft.
Sometimes bird seed theft. One time a bear came into our yard and smashed flat one of our bird feeders. That was before the backyard was fenced in.
I once read an article on keeping bees in New York state – bears featured in that too. Interesting to read about but not much fun to share a garden with!
I haven’t been keeping up with my reading at all – so I went back a bit to see if I missed some info. But I am still left with my original question, which is: What is Julia up to that she needs cement?
She’s attempting to make ornamental plant pots. No good will come of it…
Oh, awesome! ( Both her ambition and your reaction to same. )
🙂
Julia fends off the Magpie
To prevent the loss of a Tit
Success the result of her first try
But future attacks worry us a bit
Excellent rhyming summary. Thank you.
We noticed a preponderance of magpies (a new collective noun, perhaps?) throughout the forest winter this year
They do tend to take over a bit. Preponderance would be a good name for them. I remember a time when we didn’t have any in the east of England. Now they are everywhere.
We had no magpies at all here until three years ago and now we have many.
They brighten the place up but they are a mixed blessing. 🙂