Val's Site

Val's Site http://xmascometh.multiply.com/ Welcome one and all. Pull up a chair, pour yourself a cup of tea (or coffee ...) and help yourself to the choccy bikkies (it'll save me eating them all). The background picture is from my trip to Kingston Mills Locks last year. Enjoy! xxxx Mon, 18 Aug 2008 02:57:15 -0000 Wed, 13 Aug 2008 15:07:49 -0000 Val's Site http://images.xmascometh.multiply.com/logo http://xmascometh.multiply.com 100 100 Out of the Ashes - The USS New York <a href="http://xmascometh.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/upload/SKL3FAoKCsAAAHDwb7A1"><img class="alignmiddleb" src="http://images.xmascometh.multiply.com/image/1/photos/upload/300x300/SKL3FAoKCsAAAHDwb7A1/Out-of-the-Ashes-5.jpg?et=ubBAQBwu5iGUwzl%2C9nFVOQ&nmid=0" border="0"></a> This is from an email I recently received. I’d no idea this particular ship was being built, let alone that they were using ….. and I quote:               “24 tons of scrap steel from the World Trade Center.”                               How amazing is THAT! It is the fifth in a new class of warship - designed for missions that include special operations against terrorists. It will carry a crew of 360 sailors and 700 combat-ready Marines to be delivered ashore by helicopters and assault craft.  Steel from the World Trade Center was melted down in a foundry in Amite, LA, to cast the ship's bow section. When it was poured into the molds on Sept 9, 2003, 'those big rough steelworkers treated it with total reverence,' recalled Navy Capt. Kevin Wensing, who was there. 'It was a spiritual m... http://xmascometh.multiply.com/journal/item/122/Out_of_the_Ashes_-_The_USS_New_York Wed, 13 Aug 2008 15:07:49 -0000 That Particular Brand .... <a href="http://xmascometh.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/upload/SI0Z@woKCsAAACKjPJ01"><img class="alignmiddleb" src="http://images.xmascometh.multiply.com/image/1/photos/upload/300x300/SI0Z@woKCsAAACKjPJ01/Heinz-Canadian-Baked-Beans-Oct-07-004.jpg?et=zXrj1yZ03NgyDARcykmDHg&nmid=0" border="0"></a> It's quite normal to get hooked on a particular brand of foodstuff. Lots of people suffer the same problem. When we first got married and had very few pennies, his lordship used to get into a real tiz when I insisted on buying my favourite brands of stuff instead of the cheaper, dodgier kind. But I informed him that I’d managed to last all the way through College and Uni on a student grant (£2 a week) and remain loyal to my tastes and I had no intention of changing now. I simply went shopping by myself and bought what I needed and eventually he stopped moaning and ate what was put in front of him! Even now he has his moments. Since we’ve been out here I’ve been unable to find my preferred brand of some items so I’ve had to find alternatives. The toilet paper I’ve defected to is his latest moaning point. For my entire married life, wherever we’ve lived I’ve bought Andrex ‘toilet tissue’. When we went out to Moscow, because of the shortages at the time it was advised that we took a 3 y... http://xmascometh.multiply.com/journal/item/121/That_Particular_Brand_.... Mon, 28 Jul 2008 01:10:52 -0000 Where the Ships Climb the Mountain <img class="alignmiddleb" src="http://images.xmascometh.multiply.com/image/1/photos/upload/300x300/SIt2BgoKCsAAAGjOLtA1/Toronto-June-08-032.jpg?et=zFOy9HdPi8LD%2CaGar03LfA&nmid=0" border="0"> While we were down in Toronto last month, we took a mini road-trip round the tip of Lake Ontario and past St. Catherine’s, to the Welland Canal. We’d passed over the lower level of the canal in 2006 when we took the boys to Niagara. I can remember looking up into the hills and seeing a whacking great ship appearing out of the trees. It was the most bizarre thing I’ve ever seen, but we didn’t have the time to check it out and I’ve been whittering on at him ever since to go back and take a closer look. So that’s exactly what we did. We drove round Lake Ontario from Toronto and found the locks at Thorold. The place where 'The Ships Climb the Mountain'.   The original Welland Canal was built in 1829 to allow ships to travel easily from Lake Ontario (246 feet above sea level), to Lake Erie (572 feet above sea level) avoiding the difficult portages at Niagara Falls. Since then it’s been rebuilt 3 times, the latest in 1972 as part of the St Lawrence Seaway to accommodate the long... http://xmascometh.multiply.com/journal/item/120/Where_the_Ships_Climb_the_Mountain Sat, 26 Jul 2008 19:51:00 -0000 The Twin Bananas! <a href="http://xmascometh.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/upload/SIID2AoKCsAAABC69PU1"><img class="alignmiddleb" src="http://images.xmascometh.multiply.com/image/1/photos/upload/300x300/SIID2AoKCsAAABC69PU1/Banana-twins-July-08-003.jpg?et=UGczndu0lBGviDUh7gpyxg&nmid=0" border="0"></a> Quite a few people have written to me and asked if I would post a picture of the bananas AFTER I’d peeled it (It seems soooo weird to say ‘bananas – plural’ when talking about ‘it – singular’. Must be my teacher’s brain kicking in!).   So here you are folks. Two perfectly formed bananas laying side by side in the one banana skin + a bit of my ‘clowns head’ cereal bowl containing bran flakes and honey just sitting there waiting for the sliced banana and milk!   And yes, they tasted of banana (forgot who asked me that)!   http://xmascometh.multiply.com/journal/item/119/The_Twin_Bananas Sat, 19 Jul 2008 15:24:47 -0000 'Siamese' (Co-joined) Bananas! <a href="http://xmascometh.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/upload/SIDfzwoKCsAAACiSDEc1"><img class="alignmiddleb" src="http://images.xmascometh.multiply.com/image/1/photos/upload/300x300/SIDfzwoKCsAAACiSDEc1/Siamese-Bananas-July-08-002.jpg?et=szl7pNQungUhpflzkRuh6w&nmid=0" border="0"></a> For more years than I care to remember I’ve had the same thing for breakfast pretty much every single day! Am I a creature of habit? Probably. But I think I could be better described as a creature of ‘Anything for an easy life!’   I’m not a ‘morning person’ at all, and until I’ve had my morning walk and shower I really appreciate not being talked to, asked questions of, or given ‘choices’! So when his lordship is home and decides to make a bacon sandwich – that’s fine. Just so long as he doesn’t ask me IF I want a bacon sandwich. Crazy I know!   My ‘standard’ breakfast is Kellogg’s Bran Flakes served with honey, sliced banana and LOTS of milk. Just as a matter of interest, after all these years eating Kellogg’s stuff I had to go downstairs and check on the spelling!! I’ve picked out Kellogg’s boxes from supermarket shelves all over the world – and not realised there were 2 ‘G’s in his name! Fancy that!   Anyway, where was I? Oh yes, breakfast. I then have some sort of... http://xmascometh.multiply.com/journal/item/118/Siamese_Co-joined_Bananas Fri, 18 Jul 2008 18:25:32 -0000 Mountie Heaven!!! <a href="http://xmascometh.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/upload/SH4iqwoKCsAAAEirdRc1"><img class="alignmiddleb" src="http://images.xmascometh.multiply.com/image/1/photos/upload/300x300/SH4iqwoKCsAAAEirdRc1/RCMP-Sunset-Ceremony-27th-June-08-022.jpg?et=orOjzWr%2CK8pUkYiBlU0img&nmid=0" border="0"></a> His lordship arrived home early the other night (which doesn’t happen very often!) to take me on a surprise trip to see the RCMP Sunset Ceremony. That’s the Royal Canadian Military Police, or Mounties! Heaven!   He drives past their ‘training ground’ on his way into work and just happened to notice there was something ‘special’ going on (I think it was all the big tents, flags and in particular, the whacking great bandstand that gave it away). So once he got to work he checked it out on the web and found that the Sunset Ceremony was taking place that weekend. Apparently the display only takes place once a year, then they take it out on the road – or ‘rails’ depending on how far they’re going! They load the horses into their very own train carriages, and if you’ve ever seen ‘Due South’ with Paul Gross as the Mountie who’s gone down to Chicago and ends up staying there helping out the police, there’s an episode which uses the actual train WITH the real mounties all charging out o... http://xmascometh.multiply.com/journal/item/117/Mountie_Heaven Wed, 16 Jul 2008 17:17:41 -0000 The Piece of String <img class="alignmiddleb" src="http://images.xmascometh.multiply.com/image/1/photos/upload/300x300/SFZ77goKCsAAAGWpDWs1/A91AHMXCAV62RWACAHTZRB4CAMO4LEJCAXLCLG4CA2T3IWGCAP55WM6CAKXHQ1ECAUMRQVNCA682P7HCA923W5TCANKZFD3CAUYH?et=Eh7i76QHlmHxFEKIyDGw0w&nmid=0" border="0"> This may take some following! I originally wrote it as a comment for someone's blog and having read it (and given it a bit of an 'edit' in an effort to make it easier to understand!), I thought it might be of interest to those whose 'bad days' seem to go on forever!       I remember long ago when I was having a particularly bad time at Uni, one of my friends, who was probably fed up with listening to my constant moaning, came up to me with a piece of string that was about 2 feet long. Instead of wrapping it tightly round my neck, he took hold of each end and stretched it out in front of me. "Val" he said, "This is your life......" Then he edged his fingers from the very ends of the string towards the middle until they were almost touching. Perhaps a half inch of the string was visible still stretched out. The rest was dangling. He raised the taut bit of string up for me to inspect. "And this is your life right now. This is ‘Today’!"   He hitched his fingers along to... http://xmascometh.multiply.com/journal/item/116/The_Piece_of_String Mon, 16 Jun 2008 15:04:34 -0000 2nd and 3rd Trips to the Dentist! <img class="alignmiddleb" src="http://images.xmascometh.multiply.com/image/1/photos/upload/300x300/SFF6egoKCsAAAFcMKnk1/Gold%20Teeth.jpg?et=y0WmiJWUIy5QG6mA7zJUjg&nmid=0" border="0"> Going to the dentist was a unique experience! Because she:   a) Didn’t know me, b) Didn’t believe what I’d written about the amount of anesthetic I needed to kill ALL pain, and c) Thought I was joking about being a complete wimp where pain is concerned.   So instead of giving me enough of the stuff to knock out a horse, she opted for the 'less is more' method! BIG mistake! Shortly after the first injection she pinched my lip and asked if I could feel it. OUCH! Yes! And I could feel the entire area around that part of my mouth. In fact, the only thing that WAS tingling was the back of my throat where I'd swallowed the gel she used to deaden the effect of the needle! So did she give me a second dose? No! She gave it, "Another 5 minutes for the medication to take effect." What effect does that have? The tingling at the back of my throat wears off! Brilliant! So she gives in and injects a bit more. Result – slightly numb jaw and tingling lip. Off she goes, drilling away. Yo... http://xmascometh.multiply.com/journal/item/115/2nd_and_3rd_Trips_to_the_Dentist Thu, 12 Jun 2008 20:01:19 -0000 First Trip to the Dentist! <img class="alignmiddleb" src="http://images.xmascometh.multiply.com/image/1/photos/upload/300x300/SDtWFwoKCsAAAApWe@E1/Dracula.jpg?et=3pWopS0W9aSwreA5gIbPfg&nmid=0" border="0"> Okay people …. After two years out here in Canada, I’ve at last plucked up the courage to find myself a dentist. I have to admit it took a filling to drop out of one tooth and another to fall apart to give me that extra ‘shove’ in the right direction, but I’ve been for the initial appointment and have the bill to prove it!   As soon as I got home, I emailed his lordship (who was mid flight between somewhere in the Yukon and Vancouver, or Vancouver and Montreal. You can’t say he doesn’t get around much!) to let him know why his bank statement is going to be ‘rather low’ in a couple of weeks! And when I read it over just before I sent it, I thought, “You know? I reckon my avid readers would enjoy this JUST as much as his lordship!” In fact, I think you’ll enjoy it more than him (and learn a lot more about my smile at the same time!).   Here goes:   “What a performance!!!!   Ye gods! An hour in the chair - and that was just having my teeth minutely cleaned and polished ... http://xmascometh.multiply.com/journal/item/114/First_Trip_to_the_Dentist Tue, 27 May 2008 00:31:32 -0000 The Cat <a href="http://xmascometh.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/upload/SDnEnwoKCsAAAD6VH601"><img class="alignmiddleb" src="http://images.xmascometh.multiply.com/image/1/photos/upload/300x300/SDnEnwoKCsAAAD6VH601/Nelson%202.jpg?et=luESeuppJhY2AUE69d%2CkNw&nmid=0" border="0"></a> Every morning (unless it’s raining, or particularly windy, or freezing cold, or boiling hot, or foggy, or if I sleep in, or if I’m ill ….), I think I’ll start again.   MOST mornings around 7 o’clock, I get up and go for a 40ish minute walk around the neighbourhood. It’s lovely at that time of day. The sun is up, but not too hot, there’s usually a soft breeze to keep you cool and there’s hardly any traffic on the roads.   The only people you come across at that time in morning are the dog walkers complete with their super, duper, pooper-scoopers (plastic bags!); other walkers like me (but generally fitter!); and those crazy ‘joggers’ who you can hear pounding down the pavement behind you for miles before they ‘wheeze’ past, dripping sweat in their wake and spitting into the grass by the side of the path.   The Red Cardinals are ‘birdie, birdie, birdie’ing’ from high in the tree tops while the North American Robins (whacking great things the size of your average British... http://xmascometh.multiply.com/journal/item/113/The_Cat Sun, 25 May 2008 20:02:09 -0000 Mitchy's Fototastic Challenge 3 Food Glorious Food I don't normally do these Photo challenges, but the title of this one was just too inviting! My entry is the photograph I took of the 'food' (and I use the word VERY loosely) my sons cremated on our little barbecue back in the UK. Anyone who believes the myth that ALL men can cook food on a barbecue, beware! They can't! I think the evidence speaks for itself...... <IMG class=alignmiddleb src="http://images.xmascometh.multiply.com/image/1/photos/upload/300x300/SDBCdwoKCsAAACBJgCo1/Boys%20Barbeque%20011.jpg?et=gzsko3ClwOL1J%2C1RtQs5eg&nmid=" border=0> The photo I'd LOVE to put up but daren't because they'd never speak to me again, is the one of my sons (taking by clandestine means), in the act of 'cooking' the above..... One is playing 'keepy-uppy' with a soccer ball, and the other is sitting reading the newspaper, both totally oblivious to the flames pouring out of the charcoal fired barbi!!!! What makes this photo all the more poignant, is the fact that at the time, both boys were working summer jobs as CHEFS at a sea-side restaurant! Needless to say, they both decided that cooking was not to be their eventual profession! http://xmascometh.multiply.com/journal/item/112/Mitchys_Fototastic_Challenge_3 Sun, 18 May 2008 15:02:49 -0000 Prison. Arizona Style! <A href="http://xmascometh.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/upload/SCM7YgoKCsAAAH45Y0Y1"><IMG class=alignmiddleb src="http://images.xmascometh.multiply.com/image/1/photos/upload/300x300/SCM7YgoKCsAAAH45Y0Y1/tents.jpg?et=GF4gDwYIeMTTreo8gl8yLg&nmid=" border=0></A> This email landed on my machine today and when I did a bit of research on Sheriff Arpaio, I found this particular email has been doing the rounds since 2003! I still thought it was worth reproducing, and I’ve added a couple of paragraphs at the bottom with information of what the good Sheriff has been up to more recently.   Enjoy! This man is truly my hero!   “TO THOSE OF YOU NOT FAMILIAR WITH JOE ARPAIO, HE IS THE MARICOPA COUNTY SHERIFF ( ARIZONA ) AND HE KEEPS GETTING ELECTED OVER AND OVER AGAIN. These are some of the reasons why: Sheriff Joe Arpaio created the "tent city jail" to save Arizona from spending tens of million of dollars on another expensive prison complex. He has jail meals down to 40 cents a serving and charges the inmates for them. He banned smoking and 'rude' magazines in the jails, took away their weightlifting equipment and cut off all but "G" movies. He says: "they're in jail to pay a debt to society not to build muscles so they can assault innocent people ... http://xmascometh.multiply.com/journal/item/111/Prison._Arizona_Style Thu, 8 May 2008 17:43:58 -0000 The Tree Guys <A href="http://xmascometh.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/upload/SBuCeQoKCsAAAH7Ma5g1"><IMG class=alignmiddleb src="http://images.xmascometh.multiply.com/image/1/photos/upload/300x300/SBuCeQoKCsAAAH7Ma5g1/Sorting%20out%20the%20trees%20-%20pinning%20the%20maple%20%20%20May%201st%2008%20003.jpg?et=WWpNDxft6AHb0MurJwFqYw&nmid=" border=0></A>We’ve been in this house just over a year and last year I did nothing to the garden because I wanted to see what it already had to offer. As far as the grass was concerned – not a lot, especially out in the back garden. His lordship did try to nudge it into a state of ‘green-ness’, but it didn’t really want to play along and despite all his efforts, remained looking more like the surface of a playing field. So this year, we decided to bring in the ‘professionals’ and see if they could make it look any better (well, let’s face it, it can’t really look any worse!).   Yesterday, I had an unannounced first visit from the ‘Green Space’ garden people, who proceeded to shower my 'grass' (and I use the word ‘grass’ VERY loosely) with white pellets which they warned me NOT TO WALK ON. They didn’t tell me why and I didn’t ask. Maybe my feet will fall off. I’m not into walking on mud, so as far as I was concerned their instructions would be very easy to follow. What I didn’t take into accoun... http://xmascometh.multiply.com/journal/item/110/The_Tree_Guys Fri, 2 May 2008 21:07:39 -0000 The Joy of Having Sons <A href="http://xmascometh.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/upload/SBt2vQoKCsAAAE1x8So1"><IMG class=alignmiddleb src="http://images.xmascometh.multiply.com/image/1/photos/upload/300x300/SBt2vQoKCsAAAE1x8So1/Petrie%20Island%20Aug%2007%20018.jpg?et=Mm8eVdU4GbUmtAWuittOZQ&nmid=" border=0></A>   Another email …. I’ve read this one before, but it still made me howl with laughter. So I thought I’d share it with you lot!   You find out interesting things when you have sons, like:- 1.          A king size waterbed holds enough water to fill a 200 m2 house to a depth of 10 cm.   2.          If you spray hair spray on dust balls and run over them with roller blades, they can ignite.   3.          A 3-year old Boy's voice is louder than 200 adults in a crowded restaurant.   4.          If you hook a dog leash over a ceiling fan, the motor is not strong enough to rotate a 20 Kg boy wearing Batman underwear and a Superman cape. It is strong enough, however, if tied to a paint can, to spread paint on all four walls of a 6m x 6m room.   5.          You should not throw cricket balls up when the ceiling fan is on. When using a ceiling f... http://xmascometh.multiply.com/journal/item/109/The_Joy_of_Having_Sons Fri, 2 May 2008 20:17:54 -0000 How to make babies happy How about this for a happy family! I would just love to know what the dad does to make everyone laugh so much. It's definitely in the 'Ahhhhhh' (sigh!) category. Enjoy. xxxx http://xmascometh.multiply.com/journal/item/108/How_to_make_babies_happy Tue, 29 Apr 2008 22:17:48 -0000 Britain is .... Repossessing the USA A Message from John Cleese to the citizens of the United States of America: [Put your ‘JOHN CLEESE’ voice on]: In light of your failure to nominate competent candidates for President of the USA and thus to govern yourselves, we hereby give notice of the revocation of your independence, effective immediately. Her Sovereign Majesty Queen Elizabeth II will resume monarchical duties over all states, commonwealths, and territories (except Kansas, which she does not fancy). Your new prime minister, Gordon Brown, will appoint a governor for America without the need for further elections. Congress and the Senate will be disbanded. A questionnaire may be circulated next year to determine whether any of you noticed. To aid in the transition to a British Crown Dependency, the following rules are introduced with immediate effect: 1. You should look up 'revocation' in the Oxford English Dictionary. Then look up aluminium, and check the pronunciation guide. You will be amazed at just how wrongly you have ... http://xmascometh.multiply.com/journal/item/107/Britain_is_...._Repossessing_the_USA Tue, 29 Apr 2008 14:36:35 -0000 I want to BUY a gas fire! <A href="http://xmascometh.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/upload/SBXwigoKCsAAABZRNhM1"><IMG class=alignmiddleb src="http://images.xmascometh.multiply.com/image/1/photos/upload/300x300/SBXwigoKCsAAABZRNhM1/The%20gas%20fire%20001.jpg?et=vZ%2Bq93JxCDl%2BVeldM4ZD7w&nmid=" border=0></A>   I didn’t realise the problem I would have getting a new gas fire! I don’t want anything fancy, just a gas fire that I can turn on and it works without blowing the house up, and turn off and it stops working.   The one we have at present is an absolute death trap. It’s a couple of fire-proof logs on a grate with a gas pipe running beneath them. When it’s lit I’m assuming that it’s supposed to give the illusion of gentle flames fluttering around the logs. I’m also assuming that it’s supposed to fill the room with an atmosphere of pure warmth and gentle calm.   Nothing could be further from the truth. For a start, to turn the thing on you have to turn and push the control button. This seems easy enough until you find that it is so sensibly situated ….. underneath the grate. Actually, that isn’t so much of a problem when you’re turning it on, because there are no flames or heat to contend with. But I’m getting ahead of myself.   This wonderful control has 2 settings... http://xmascometh.multiply.com/journal/item/106/I_want_to_BUY_a_gas_fire Mon, 28 Apr 2008 15:44:24 -0000 Paddling at the Niagara Falls can Endanger your Life! Take a look at this! How can anybody be so stupid! And I'm not only talking about the bloke in the water, I'm talking about the helicopter pilot!!!!!! Durrrrrrr! <A href="http://www.glumbert.com/media/niagara">glumbert - Firefighters save man from Niagara Falls</A> http://xmascometh.multiply.com/journal/item/105/Paddling_at_the_Niagara_Falls_can_Endanger_your_Life Fri, 25 Apr 2008 14:04:41 -0000 Sorting the Trees Out Spring has reached my garden so fast that I’m reluctant to close my eyes for a moment in case I miss it. The buds are turning the bare tree branches a beautiful shade of green, and from the very first moment the snow began to recede from the garden, the green tips of spring flowers started to appear from the snow mould covered ground. They are literally bursting forth with the speed of time lapse photography – but for real!   The weather clock seems to have missed the ‘spring’ setting completely because we’ve gone from – 17C on one day, directly to +33C the next! This has caused havoc with the spring bulbs I planted last October. They are in such a rush to get themselves above ground before they wither and die in the heat, that one minute they’re in tight bud and the next moment they’re in full bloom. I’m talking of course of the bulbs that survived being dug up and eaten by the squirrels!   Because of the wonders of modern technology, I can state with accuracy that I t... http://xmascometh.multiply.com/journal/item/104/Sorting_the_Trees_Out Thu, 24 Apr 2008 17:15:16 -0000 Spring has Sprung - At Last! <A href="http://xmascometh.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/upload/SAoQ9woKCsAAAH9G8cU1"><IMG class=alignmiddleb src="http://images.xmascometh.multiply.com/image/1/photos/upload/300x300/SAoQ9woKCsAAAH9G8cU1/Spring%20-%20Iceburgs%20on%20the%20river.%208%20April%2008%20001.jpg?et=1FZ70W7IfKf7rUPWcVSTyw&nmid=" border=0></A>   I remember the snow arriving (how many months ago???) and being all “WAHOOOO!!!” about it. Now the sun’s come up, the snow’s vanishing without flooding the basement and his lordship’s on about putting the lights up for Halloween! I’m not kidding. We went for a walk a couple of nights ago (you see, we can go for walks again – it’s brilliant!) and now the snow has receded like a massive tidal wave, it’s made us all aware of the folks whose husbands didn’t listen to, or who weren’t nagged enough by their wives to get the Christmas decorations down before the major storms hit in January.   Now the snow is no longer covering them, there is the evidence scattered across the front gardens, in full view for all to see. Father Christmas statues, massive deflated inflatable ‘Winter Scenes’ complete with wiring all tangled in the snow rubbish and grass mould, and fancy artificial ‘seasonal’ decorations dangling from walls, trees and eaves-troughs (gutters!) - IN THE MIDDLE OF A... http://xmascometh.multiply.com/journal/item/103/Spring_has_Sprung_-_At_Last Sat, 19 Apr 2008 15:38:46 -0000 Yet More Shovelling He's suffering withdrawal symptoms now the snow's stopped falling, so he's had to resort to slinging the snow ONTO the parts of the garden that are no longer covered!!! Actually, he's trying to get it to melt quicker! It's working too! Spring has http://xmascometh.multiply.com/video/item/7/Yet_More_Shovelling Fri, 18 Apr 2008 16:46:27 -0000 Spring squirrel chase. April 08 The little grey squirrel is happily 'squirting' his way along the base of my garden fence, and past 4 black squirrels sitting up in the surrounding trees ..... http://xmascometh.multiply.com/video/item/6/Spring_squirrel_chase._April_08 Sat, 5 Apr 2008 19:08:17 -0000 Red Cardinal He was singing away in the tree outside my bedroom window and I managed to get a few shots of him. I love his 'birdie, birdie, birdie, birdie' song, it's so cheerful. He even made me think it was almost http://xmascometh.multiply.com/photos/album/3/Red_Cardinal Thu, 13 Mar 2008 17:34:05 -0000 The Red Cardinal thinks spring is in the air! 13th March 08 He was singing away on the tree outside my bedroom window. I love his 'birdie, birdie, birdie. birdie' http://xmascometh.multiply.com/video/item/5/The_Red_Cardinal_thinks_spring_is_in_the_air_13th_March_08 Thu, 13 Mar 2008 17:22:48 -0000 Squirrel making a nest - The return journey February 2008 One of his many trips back to the nest. He's just rearranging the collection of twigs and bark in his mouth ... and stopping to 'mark his territory'! The trip after this one, he slipped off the fence, and of course I didn't have the camera http://xmascometh.multiply.com/video/item/4/Squirrel_making_a_nest_-_The_return_journey_February_2008 Tue, 19 Feb 2008 13:54:23 -0000 Squirrel making a nest February 2008 This little chap was making the most of the sudden 'heat wave' (4C). We'd just had a massive Ice Rain storm followed by rain and eventually a couple of hours of mild weather. As the wind started picking up again, his trips to strip bark off the neighbours trees became more and more frantic. http://xmascometh.multiply.com/video/item/3/Squirrel_making_a_nest_February_2008 Tue, 19 Feb 2008 13:47:26 -0000