NEARLY SPRING

Yet again, where has that month gone? I must get more disciplined, writing the blog more frequently with shorter entries and more pictures.

Yet more selling

I’ve sold the old bookcase/display cabinet using eBay. I had thought to keep it for all my books and for sentimental reasons. But no, be strong, it must go. This downsizing house clearance business is not easy, especially when sentiment is involved. I suspect modern furniture does not generate the same sense of family attachment as used to be the case.

James was very keen to have the bookcase as it just fitted a space in his place. Bought me a bottle wine as thanks! He and his son came to collect so I got them to put the carcase of the military chest on the roof of my car and I drove it back up to Melton to put in the store.

Doing 50mph in the slow lane was very relaxing. Everyone else has to work round you!

Bike

Is now fully fitted out with mudguards, panniers and padlock. No excuse now for avoiding exercise by cycling and swimming. I can cycle down to the pool in ten minutes. Deep breath!

 

 

It’s not easy getting in and out of the wheelhouse!

I’ve ordered a cover so that I can keep it outside.

 

New bird species

 

Delighted to see a pair of Teal close to Lady Cate. First time I’ve ever seen them. They are delicate and graceful in build and movement. Beautiful.

 [Pictures from Google Images]

 

Mailbox

Really settling in now so I’ve got a mailbox. It has to compete with the many others outside the office stairs so I thought I’d get something slightly different. I needed to paint my name and Lady Cate’s on the side but couldn’t get transfers or stencils anywhere in Woodbridge but I found some children’s play letters, painted them and stuck them on.

 

The finished article.

In place on the office stairway post amongst the others, flag aloft!

 Low tide, clear morning, wide open skies

A picture is worth 10,000 words.

Four more teals?

beaks down flat happily sucking, slurping, sieving across the mud. Not the same as the first pair I saw. I didn’t know there were many varieties of teal. These new ones are most probably a bird I’d never heard of, Garganey, females.

 

Wander in London

Having stayed overnight with Allie, my younger daughter, a curate in Shadwell, I wandered back to Liverpool Street station through the transformed old docklands and the City. The walk to the Tower, despite intense residential development, is very peaceful. Everyone's at work!

Surprising wildlife on the way.

Bold, confident Canada Geese.

Tufted Duck in the old dock waterway.

Memorial sculpture with The Shard in the distance.

Feeding the birds.

A bold black-headed gull.

Cluttons – one of dozens of estate agents dealing with the thousands of flats built in the renovated warehouses.

Early morning grey! The Shard, The Council House and Tower Bridge.

Thames moorings at low tide.

Rear of the warehouses, now converted into flats, with London hire bikes.

The Dickens Inn, St. Katherine’s Dock

St. Katherine’s Dock, rescued anchor at one end of a retractable pedestrian bridge designed by the great canal engineerTelford.

More of Telford’s bridge in the foreground, brutalist hotel, converted warehouses and luxury yachts in between.

The cannon of the Tower of London reminding Boris who’s boss.

HMS Belfast and a modern river ferry.

Hard at work guarding the Tower!

Bemused tourists.

Ancient and Modern

And in to The City past one of its guardians.

 HASTA LA VISTA!