Happily Ever After

Life in The Rural Retreat with a beautiful wife, three cats, garden wildlife, a camera, a computer – and increasing amounts about running

Earlier posts can be found on Adventures of a Lone Bass Player, where this blog began life. Recent entries can be found here.

Tough Times For Siskins

by Russell Turner - 20:39 on 18 June 2017

A combination of bad weather, other things to do, and laziness had combined to leave the lawn (such as it is) looking shaggy at best and jungly at worst, particularly beneath the bird feeders. When I looked out this morning and saw Willow, who’d been hiding in the verdant herbage, rise like a jet-powered helicopter and snatch a siskin from the air, I knew something had to be done.

She’d already caught one before that, and had a third before I’d time to get to work. Sometimes cats aren’t nice.

Much effort with mower, strimmer and branch-lopper got half the garden (apart from flower beds, such as they are) tidied before lunchtime and left it much safer for airborne visitors, so Willow showed me who’s boss by bringing home a vole, which was dead shortly after. Some cats are definitely not nice.

Most of the rest was done in the afternoon; the last bits will be done tomorrow. That’s the easy part – many more branches need trimming and only a flamethrower will sort out the flowerbeds.

As Willow’s in disgrace, here’s the latest portrait of Maia, our least bloodthirsty moggy.

And to prove that birdlife still thrives, here’s a junior blue tit shouting for its tea.

Add your comment

Your Name


Your Email (only if you are happy to have it on the site)


Your Comment - no HTML or weblinks


Enter this number in the box below and click Send - why?Unfortunately we have to do this to prevent the system being swamped by automated spam