There seems to be a problem loading the photos in this post, which may make the first line slightly puzzling. If I refresh, it comes right and makes sense. 🙂
I swear there was a Great Tit perching when I pushed the button
First – an acceptance. It’s a good start to the day (it was waiting when I switched on my emails) and it’s a good start to last month’s submissions. The normal caveats apply – past performance is not a guide to future success, one day the illusion of my talent will fall apart, and, mostly, I have submitted to a magazine I have never submitted to before and three editors that have always rejected my work, so there could be tricky times ahead. However, for now, I have a smile on my face.
See – there was one
Julia got up early and went for a run. She is finding retirement hard as she hasn’t enough to do and she has nearly worn the new floors out with sweeping, hoovering, mopping and polishing. I feel sorry for them. While she was out, I took pictures of several birds, but mainly just the recently vacated feeders. When the Blackcap came it fed from the opposite side of the feeder so I couldn’t get a decent shot and, later, when the Long-tailed tits arrived, I had already taken the camera away.
Breakfast was ready for her when she got back. It was only cereal and toast but it’s always nice to have something ready to put on the table on her return. At our age these things are just as important as chocolates and flowers. In fact, a healthy breakfast is better than chocolates.
That was a blue tit a split second previously . . .
On that subject, I note that our breakfast blueberries came from Morocco. Last week they were from Peru. It’s good to have healthy food and a good variety, but it does make me worry about my carbon footprint and whether my breakfast is contributing to the end of mankind. It could, I suppose, be worse. At least no pigs are harmed in this sort of breakfast.
I’m currently in the middle of writing submissions which need to be done by the 15th, but with twelve days to go, the sense of urgency has not yet cut in, and I am finding it hard going.
And that used to have a blackcap on it
It’s a bit like homeopathy, my photography, pared down and diluted so that only the suggestion of a possibility of a bird remains. Or “inept” might be the word I’m looking for.
Congratulations on the new acceptance, and many more to follow! Spring will bring plenty of outside work for you and Julia, and as Laurie stated, volunteering is a possibility.
Local berries can always be frozen away for winter use. You may also have varieties available in your area like the Top Hat blueberry bush, which at 1 to 2 feet high, are suitable for container planting. I see more and more of these types of berries that can be grown successfully in containers. I am having some luck with strawberries in containers, too. Voles, mice and birds have been raiding our berries out in the garden..
https://territorialseed.com/products/top-hat
We are in that year of seeing what we have already and deciding what will go where. 🙂 If we have blueberries we might have to do without a fig, and figs do yield better than blueberries here, though I don;t find them as useful.
Figs are borderline up here in the foothills over here. People down in the valley in the warmer conditions of lower elevation seem to have little trouble.
They always surprise me by how hardy they are, bhut I suppose your weather is colder than ours.
A bit colder with wider swings in temperature.
And more snow. 🙂
Not so much snow in my area. Up in the mountains, yes. It can be green in winter where I am up in the foothills, and the mountains are white with snow. Snow forecasts from the weather service go by elevation. I am at 800 feet. We can see Mount Jefferson from town, and coming across the valley from west of us, other peaks are visible.
I’m on the ege of the Fens. They are flat. We don’t do elevation or scenery. 🙂
I used to live below sea level last time I lived here.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fens
That was an interesting link. The Fens have a long history.
It’s almost over now – all blown away by our poor custodianship.
The great tit photo is a fine metaphor for persistent submissions
🙂
I like your zen approach to bird photography.
I agree that eating blueberries from distant parts is a problem. I started eating them for health reasons recently but I have stopped now until I see some from a bit nearer home.
I did grow blueberries at one time, but the yields were not worth the effort. I may try raspberries instead. Prolific and lacking air miles versus fashioanble and packed with anti-oxidants. Tough choice.
Congrats, congrats! Love the picture of the Robin. Volunteer work for Julia, perhaps?
She is currently waiting for the Nene Valley Railway to get back to her about volunteering. They have a station about 400 yards from us, which will be very convenient.