The reason I am complaining is I have become addicted to walking outside....sounds strange but as winter is now upon us in West Chester, I should, like everyone else, go the gym. But I just can't bring myself to do it. Take today for example, really blue sky and any little bits of snow from Sunday (light dusting, that people then put deicer down and it melts freezes and produced lots of ice! for unsuspecting pedestrians like moi!) , the roads and pavements are clear of the slippy stuff and once bundled up, I am surprisingly warm doing a brisk walk (my favoured mode of exercise) and off I go. I travel along to where there is a small lake. It is so pretty there and I like to see what's happening. There may be ducks, geese or fabulous ice.
Yesterday the lake was free of ice, although bitterly cold but after a clear night the chances were that the lake was frozen and in deed it was. The criss cross pattern amazing and the whole thing iced up. It literally sparkled in the morning bright sunshine and once satisfied that my inspection was complete, I stomped back up the steep hill and through the estate another steep hill and finally home! Along the way I could hear bird song and was even lucky enough to see a cardinal close up. These startlingly red birds are such a delight to see and never fail to lift flagging spirits, even on a cold day. There is a superstition that you have to watch a cardinal till it flies away and I understand why. They are mesmerizing and I adore them.
The other day I was lucky enough to spot a red squirrel up close. They are so sweet but boy can they move fast. The are meant to be the more aggressive out of grey and red forms. But I have to say grey ones now look chubby and rather insolent!.
See I am addicted to the outside, wind in my face and things to look at.
Talking of wild life we have mice..............yes I know it's cold and therefore they are driven inside but as yet my coping mechanism isn't working. That would be screaming and sort of flapping my arms in a useless but comical fashion until I realise that is what I am doing and leave the room!
Of course we have Bella and Archi (our indoor killing machines) but they find the mice more fun to play with and I can't stand the mice jumping. Damian has installed plugs they emit a noise that mice aren't meant to like. It transpires that neither do I! It is a high pitched noise and makes me demented............I must be half mouse. So to see Bella (of course it would be the girl doing the real work), yesterday with the mouse hanging in her mouth. I didn't have the presence of mind to do anything other than said actions above. With the addition of pleading looks to Isaac...he left the room saying he couldn't cope with it. What could I do, I left too. I left the cats in the area all day (they did have the radio on!) and they still didn't catch it. I have no idea where the mouse is. But I am sure that should it appear they will give it a head start of about 2 seconds!!!!
Finally I have Woman Exchange stories. My first is about a lovely colleague that volunteers as a pricer, so I see her Mondays. Her name is Fanny....it means something else here. So Fanny was talking to me about her family and she is Danish and Norwegian ancestry and said that she had a great grandfather who was Norwegian and he went to a private school on the Isle of Man and while he was there he drew a map of it and she has it hanging at home. She brought it in on Monday to show me. It is wonderful and the map had a shield in the corner saying Heywood House Academy and the date (of course I didn't write that down) but when I come to think of it I think I know where the building is on Ridgeway Street in the Isle of Man opposite the Corporation building.
My next story is about another broken down picture that came into the Exchange to be consigned. It is a simple water colour of Walberswick Ferry, Sussex, England. As it happens this is where my parents lived when they first met, Walberswick and the ferry is a small rowing boat that goes across a river. Strangely enough there is a woman who also volunteers at the Exchange that is from Norwich, also in East Anglia in the UK and she being from the same area where Walberswick is visits there every time she goes home. She bought the picture and at $7.00 that is a bargain!
I often have these amazing stories from the Exchange and it always leaves me with a sense that we are indeed a small place with many connections and maybe I am not so very far from all things familiar and home.
This really is finally...Louie has a big performance this weekend at the University, their dance festival. The YMCA who he dances with has a dance team that he is part of. There are 17 girls and Louie. They are doing a lyrical dance to a song called 'some nights' by a band called Fun. It is a big deal as this festival is for alumni of the University (you can study dance there) and they are all older and really good. Having seen the film of last year and the Y's team that took part it is amazing how well the Y does and really is on the level as the others.
The effort that Louie has put into this is stella and he is still singing the song and excited about the two performances this weekend. His Aunt Julie will be coming from Florida to see him perform and of course all Fozard's here will see him dance.
This is the dance team 'hair' dress rehearsal. Louie is in the Middle!
Mr Cardinal feasting between my house and Margey's
Mr Cardinal straight on..red bricks are a bad background for a red bird. But you get the idea...he is red!
My favorite Mrs Cardinal puffed out and looking lovely!
Off to Ace Hardware now for some insulation for the kitchen windows............can't set foot in the kitchen even with the blinds down, without being fully dressed and wearing a coat. Oh how we love old houses!!!!! But I really shouldn't complain, Damian is in Kitchener Canada and they are into the double figures and in minus farenheit. -14f...really cold.
Cardinals are cool!
ReplyDeleteRussell