Sunday 1 January 2017

A plethora of wildlife

Wow January again already. Happy New Year.

We started our day watching the film Storks. We only got half way through before I asked if we could have a break. I had only just got up and I was falling asleep. Moo, Small and I played Cluedo (Clue here, too long a word!!????) and Small won - he always does! Smallest and Huffle played table tennis. Both boys built their minuscule Lego style things they had for Christmas.

I asked my lovely family if we could possibly go for a walk and enjoy the beautiful sunshine (in the -3* cold). I persuaded them that it wouldn't be a full blown walk, just a little one to feed the chickadees by the lake. They agreed and we had lunch and then packed a bag with birdseed, treats for us and water.

Around 1pm we set out and went to the lake where we then walked over 8km. We started on a trail that we diverted to give the couple and dog in front of us some peace. This trail was much longer and treacherously icy. The trail joined up with the couple and we went off into the forested part where we tried to feed the chickadees. There was a woman in front of us with a huge bucket full of food so we didn't fare too well and walked instead towards the water. We encountered some huge turkeys on the way and managed to feed some of the smaller birds.

The beach was surprisingly warm and so we sat on a tree trunk and watched the water. I had a silly idea to continue along the beach and back onto a trail we have done many times, not realising the trail was further away than I first thought. The beach walk was nice and sunny but the water was coming in and we had to duck under and around some trees to get where we wanted to go. We recreated the Grand Tour Beach Buggy episode. Moo was James May, slow and steady and always at the back. Huffle was Jeremy Clarkson, arrogantly ahead. Smallest was Richard and Small was Hammond and constantly annoyed Jeremy/Huffle. I was Giovanni - the butler.

We fed some more birds, saw a rabbit and a red squirrel, more turkeys and an owl, plus some deer (mostly alive but one dead) and several huge dead fish. We found our old trail and walked through the forest and out onto the road of slow cars where Smallest found a caterpillar and called him Gary. Small was annoyed we had walked for so long but I think he secretly enjoyed it. (Small edit - NO!!!!!!). On the beach we sat and enjoyed our treats and water before carrying on.

We were all hungry and Huffle managed to find us an unassuming pizza place where we had PinoSticks (lovely soft breadsticks dipped in garlic butter and Parmesan) and played 'Headbandz' until our calzones were ready. YUM yum, these were delicious and the staff were very accommodating plus they had a sense of humour. When they brought our food out they told Huffle his had anchovies in it.

Back home Smallest wasn't feeling too well. Very cold and tired so we put him on the sofa and covered him up. Small and Huffle played on the XBox and Moo and I went out again to see the Fantasy of Lights. We had to go in Huffle's car as my windscreen has a crack in it. Very weird, don't know when that happened! Unfortunately we had to drive through the light show as the car parking was in a different place but when we got to park we then walked around the whole thing. It was very cold but really nice. Lots of lovely music and hundreds of different light displays. I think we walked round twice.

We came home and put Smallest to bed with a game of Beano Top Trumps. He was very lively and feeling much better.

This evening we watched Through the Keyhole and The Crown.

 

No comments: