The Garden Fence - proper Old Style support and chat!

MingVase

Odin the eagle owl. Plus my youngest aged about 14.

pollyanna_26

I read your post Monna so you didn't imagine it and I started a reply which took off into the ether. I've been trying to get hold of the pharmacy. as the notification dds meds are ready is very overdue. I can usually get them on the phone a short time after closing time but they're doing jabs now so it's harder.

I will post in a little while. I must let youngest know about teaching an owl to count. That'll keep her occupied for some time. Her boyfriend will probably be a bit dubious but he's known us for years  and should be used to odd behaviour by now.

I did wonder if yesterdays Thought for the day was wise. We have a firestarter in our midst who has no doubt been bulk ordering large boxes of matches. Someone needs to be on guard preferably with a hose pipe rather than a large bucket of water and keep an eye on the fence. I have images of the wicked witch of the North shrivelling away to nothing. That'll teach her.

pollyx

pollyanna_26

mothernerd said:

I love owls. Mum and I went to the Pontefract Liquorice Festival a few years back and there was a stand with owls which you could hold (they had about 6 of them, one kestrel too). The people were talking about the owls they had and then the man asked would anyone like to hold one. Me please, I said. You went to the back of the stand, they gloved you up, picked which owl you wanted to hold (I had the very large one) and then they handed it to you. I stroked it's head but the man said they weren't keen on that but loved having their chest feathers stroked. So I did that, telling him how beautiful and magnificent he was. Some people had photos taken but I didn't bother. I would like to go to one of the owl sanctuaries but it would have to be as part of a coach tour as they tend to be in out of the way places and I would have difficulty getting there by public transport.

I presume you are talking about Formby polly. I went there probably 35 years ago (I only had DS1 and I was still feeding him). Our coach (rattling old bus which should probably have been condemned) was the only one there and the children we had were quite young so it was quiet and peaceful. I read a few years ago about a flu epidemic that they were worried was going to wipe them out, but a year later the wardens recognised that some of the red squirrels they knew had had the flu, had survived and were stronger than ever (a little bit battered but they recovered).

Years ago when dd1 was running the Yorkshire Region.she ived near Ryehill. We ofter used to pass the Pontefract factory and if the car windows were open all we could smell was liquorice. I'd had a weakness for Pontefact cakes but we never got to go in there.

We did go to the Emma Bridgewater pottery in Stoke and many places in Scotland , England and Wales plus the area around Dublin when she was based there. I hadn't heard about the owls but it's a long time since she lived near there.

I was talking about Formby not far from where I grew up and a lot further away from where I moved to. Until a few years ago dd and I used to visit the village which had some very good wool shops , plus craft shops etc. We haven't been since Covid but there were a fair number of good charity shops including a newish one for the Carla Lane charity.

I'd always watched The Liver Birds, Bread and Butterflies. Carla set up an animal rescue in Liverpool years ago. The first I knew of it was a book stand at our local railway station with really good books either new or in very good condition. I looked it up online and it was pretty amazing. Every animal was welcome. She was against putting animals to sleep unless they were beyond help and suffering. Our local RSPCA would PTS any animal in their care after a short time if it wasn't rehomed after a  short time, All our cats were rescued from there and went on to have good lives.

The Carla lane centre started teaching people to cook and had many support networks. Carla left her money and her royalties to the charity We were unaware of the Formby shop until we spotted it a few years ago. Some lovely things on sale at really low prices.

Youngest and I have always loved Simon's cat. There was a full set of hardback books in pristine order plus an even bigger special edition we'd never seen.. I asked the woman serving if she was aware how much those books were worth she wasn't but pound coins became notes and I said take their true worth or I'll put them back on the shelf. Bless Carla  I looked up or over at Bella and Bertie many times  whether crossing back over the river, heading into my first job in the building they stand on top of or wallking past.

It's been very sad the waterfront has lost it's heritage status but we know the architect of that debacle and he will see his day in court. As long as Bertie and Bella remain all will be well. It's rather like the Ravens at the Tower of London. Our Liver birds have watched their  sailors, soldiers airman and many others come and go. Bella will stay watching over the river and Bertie over the city, they stood against the blitz and they will prevail.

pollyx

pollyanna_26

MingVase said:

Odin the eagle owl. Plus my youngest aged about 14.

Oh Mar wait until youngest sees this. She's going to want one. I always knew there was a good heart behind your Evil Edna exterior. Just make sure you put the matches down . The yellow flowers on the Goldenrod were probably a warning.

pollyx

Floss

I haven't got any photos of the eagle, little and barn owls we met that day, this was in October 2007 on a falconry trip in Cheshire. 

About a year ago I was staying in Worcestershire and on our way back from a meal out we turned a corner to find a barn owl sat in the middle of the road. He looked at us, we looked at him and then watched as he flew off silently. Magnificent!

Florenceem

Never heard of owls dancing in a house loft so I choose them over squirrels.

MingVase

Nice Harris floss ! I love their eyes, very clever birds.

pollyanna_26

monnagran said:

Just to let you know that I still have my beady eye upon you.  I'm relieved to find that you are all as batty as ever.

Sorry not to be here more often.  Looking after my lovely 94  year old toyboy is time consuming and exhausting.  Never mind.  He is surviving and his flat is gradually filling up with bin bags destined for charities, recycling or landfill.  Today I have a break and am off to do my stint at the mini-market.  It's not my turn to cook today so I have a few minutes to catch up on forums.

Polly, I love your stories.  It is so important to get our life histories down for our grandchildren and great-grandchildren.  I keep meaning to do mine, but it is difficult to know how to tackle it, bearing in mind that both my children are adopted.  They, and their children are entitled to know what lies behind their family life so I will do it.  Sometime.

I'd better get myself off, but PLEASE keep the matches away from the flower container, or at least keep the insurance up to date.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY 

In my defence, the moon was full and I was left unsupervised.

Here is your post from yesterday monna that's the one I remember reading. I was glad to see you were off to the MIni Market having filled lots of bags at David's. The Rev sounds very interesting in fact you seem to have a number of interesting friends.

I started to post about how to tackle the story of the adoption. One of dd2s roles is as a senior safeguarding officer. Nowadays most young children either newly adopted or a few years back will have background info on them usually collated by the safeguarding team if they are involved. That info isn't freely available to youngsters especially if they have been treated cruelly or neglected and abused.

Any physical or mental health issues in the birth family may be noted too. That info is for the future when the child is older and wants to know the hows and whys of their past.

Hester and her dd will be aware of how things are done nowadays. It's a long time since you adopted your beloved boys. You probably were told some of the back story but not a lot. I do think it's important you write down how and why they became your boys both for them and your grandchildren.

I always knew I was loved and cared for by parents and family but it was where was my brother ,why hadn't he come home from the hospital and why was I in a house I'd never seen before no gardens or allotments.

I believe I should have been taken back to the prefab for a few days before mum and dad moved. A street party in a strange place  wasn't a good idea. At some point someone should have told me what has happened to Tom but no one talked about him.

Even if your sons are aware of how and why they came to you get the story down for them and the grand children. I remembered yesterday mum had a big family bible with births, marriages deaths and all sorts in it. I don't remember seeing her using that after the last day I remember with my brother. but my youngest cousin does.

As for the thought for the day "In my defence, the moon was full and I was left unsupervised" who do we know considering  a bit of arson and looking for a good excuse? Thought for the day ticks the boxes.

pollyx

pollyanna_26

That's a lovely pic Floss. If that's you in the pic you have a very familiar face. Have you ever worked at the Royal?

I do love how conversations go all over the place on the Fence and Mar will forget to be fierce and drop her guard. I used to call on Odin to send the wind on still days when I had lots of washing out. It always worked and the children would look at me strangly, it did spook them.

So storm Evert is heading in. Hope it doesn't have the strength of Chris Evert's backhand shots , she used to slam them in.

pollyx

mothernerd

I used to call the children's kittens in for their food. My ex had come to take the boys for the weekend and told me not to be stupid, they weren't dogs, you can't call for cats. In they trotted, I just looked at him, "I guess you can" he conceded. My semi feral cat (gifted by a neighbour who was moving out) had taught them to go under the furniture shop shed for shelter when it rained. In return, they taught her to use the litter tray (at first she would only come in at night when the children were in bed and only as long as I left the back door open so she could escape when she'd had enough company). Imagine one large black and white cat, sitting in the middle of the litter tray, with three small black kittens sitting surrounding her, watching.