Is This a Partridge?

[appledore]

Hi Will. I hope you and hubs are well. I bet you thought I'd left the country. We've had a very busy few weeks moving house. We've thought about it for a long time, but we've done it at last. We have a small garden, but it's lovely.
We can't wait until the weather picks up and we can get out there. We have lots of shrubs in pots from our last house so we'll plant them and it'll be more like home. We have a garden room too, so we're looking forward to sitting in there when we get some furniture. We're waiting until the shops calm down a bit.

We asked the new people to feed Pirate and left some food. We couldn't bring him with us as we think he belongs to someone. We miss him though.

I expect you'll have finished your Christmas shopping now and be all ready for the big day. Christmas seems to be taking a back seat here this year as we have had so much to do with unpacking and getting sorted. We're spending Christmas Day with our family so we're looking forward to that. Are you going to visit hubby's mum?

I'm pleased you still have your visiting foxes and hedgehogs. We haven't seen many birds since we moved here, but we saw some blue tits the other day so we've hung some fat balls on one of the trees and hope they come back.

Happy Christmas to both of you and all the best for 2019.

[WILL*REMAIN*STRONG]

Hi apples, and Happy New Year! I hope you are all doing very well.
I am thrilled to hear you have moved, and love your new home. A smaller garden will be much more manageable. And those birds will come, they just need to find all your feeders, it does take time.
I bet you do miss Pirate, he'll be ok, but I am sure will miss you a lot too!
I hope you had a lovely Christmas, what a great time of year to move. I would like that when we eventually move to a country home, be in just before Christmas.
We had an amazing time, CP was excellent. We stayed in the honeymoon lodge again, and have booked for next year. I am mourning Christmas, just want it back! I love every minute of the crimbo hols, and hate them coming to an end, such a long time before the next one. Oh I wish it could be Christmas everyday!
We are looking at booking another holiday now, but can't decide on where to go. Ireland is top of the list at the moment, just looking at whether to take car, or rent one there. I have always wanted to go to Southern Ireland, so hope we do go.
Our little Rudey is doing great, he has completed the next stage of mummy training..I am a complete sucker basically...he asks he gets...most of the time! LOL Bless him, he's such a happy boy, with cats you just want to spoil them..well any animal really. The foxes will be bonking soon, I have put my order in for 4 more cubs. It is Cookie the dominant male for a 2nd year, and his choice of female is between 3 as usual. I do hope he picks a mellow girly, because there is a skittish one, and last he picked the skittish one. But they do tend to calm down and brave up once cubs need feeding.
We have had goldcrest in the garden, still have bullfinch, thrilled to have a pair of nuthatches now and again. But I have only spotted the woodpecker once, need more of those. There are treecreepers, but no siskins yet. And I am still to spot a brambling here!
I can't wait to see some photos of your new home and garden, I do hope you are settling in well, and have nice neighbours this time.
We are off for a woodland walk now, I would like to go fishing, but hubby is still not into it. I will go next week.
Take care, hope to hear all about your new home and whether you have a garden full of birds yet...oh and a new feline visitor perhaps?

[appledore]

Hi Will. Hope you and hubs and Mr. Puss are doing well.

We're settling into our new home. Hubby is settling in better than I am, but I'll get there. We were in our last house for twenty years which is a long time. We're getting some jobs done. We knew we needed a new gas boiler, sooner rather than later, but didn't realise how bad it was. It was held together with rust so had to be replaced straight away, and the garage door wasn't much better. We've replaced that too.

You're right about the garden, it will be much more manageable. Judging from your photographs It's about the same size as yours. There are lots of trees round us. The birds are starting to eat the fat balls. We don't have as many birds as we did in our previous house, but we've seen some blue tits, and there are starlings and blackbirds. The neighbours are nice.

I'm pleased you enjoyed CP and the honeymoon lodge. You'll be looking forward to going back again. We haven't been to Southern Ireland. It's nice to go somewhere different.

We miss Pirate, and hope someone's looking after him. It sounds like Rudey has you wrapped round his little finger. Or maybe I should say little claw. We've seen three cats since we moved here. Big, ploddy cats.

What are the foxes up to?

I'll post some photos when we can get out in the garden and tidy it up a bit.

[WILL*REMAIN*STRONG]

Hi apples, glad to hear you are both settling into your new home, if a little harder for you. It will take time, 20 years in a home is a long time. But once you have it just how you want it, I'm sure it will be lovely. Nice neighbours, manageable garden, just a little more birds and a garden spruce and you'll be over the moon with it.

I managed to cut the grass in February, first time I have been able to mow so early in the year. Now it is sodden, and weather awful. I went fishing yesterday, caught a few chub on maggots. I was going to have one last fish on the river before closed season, but tomorrow will be gales, so that's off. I fished in the snow, it was fab! I caught 8 Perch in the morning, it was magical. I caught a lovely pike on the canal a couple of weeks ago, I got some nice lures for Valentines day, and I used one for the first time and a lovely pike came for a kiss. I doubt I will ever tire of fishing.

Three female foxes have had their chubbins now, I hope they will survive, we have one very busy male at the moment, we are putting extra food out. In 6 – 7 weeks we should have some fluff balls in the garden, can't wait! We did have a pair of nuthatch a while back, our favourite bird, but they stopped coming. Such a shame, we can't seem to keep nuthatch in this area, they always stick to the woodland just down the road. I saw a tree creeper this morning and goldcrest, but couldn't get a photo. I see Kingfishers every time I fish almost, opposite me on the river last time I fished, there were two across from me a lot of the time. So lovely to see. When I think back to a few years ago, I had never seen one and was dying to see one. Now they are almost like sparrows, but better of course.

Rudey is his usual gorgeous fluffy self, cuddly, lazy and demanding. He sends a belly flop.

Not too long till our hol in Ireland, very excited! The property we have booked looks lovely, I think we will be driving a lot.

Hope all is well, look forward to seeing your garden when you have had a bit of spring weather to get it how you want it.

[appledore]

Hi Will. I hope you and hubby are having a good Easter, and haven't eaten too many Easter eggs. Hasn't the weather been lovely? We've been gardening, there's lots of weeds, but we have lots of trees and shrubs. There are three Magnolias. One is a Star Magnolia, white with double flowers. The flowers are about finished now, but it's been beautiful.
There are Azaleas and Rhododendrons, and a Camellia and lots of plants that we haven't identified yet. We are going to get the Silver Birch cut down as it's far too big for the garden, and it's not tree shaped anymore. It's stopping a lot of light too.

We've been busy in the house. We've got a new roof and new windows and doors. There's still a lot of decorating to do, but we'll get there.

How's the fishing going? I can just picture you fishing in the snow. It would be nice and fresh. How are the baby foxes? We don't see foxes here, but there are more birds than when we came. We don't have a visiting cat yet, but we've seen a couple walking down the street. We couldn't understand why the traffic had stopped when we were out the other day, then we realised there was a cat on the zebra crossing. Just sauntering over like he had all the time in the world.
I hope Rudey is ok, give him a cuddle from me.

Have you been to Ireland yet?

[WILL*REMAIN*STRONG]

Hi apples, hope you are all well, we are doing great. Just come back from Ireland, it was wonderful and so much fun. I can't wait to go back. I'll upload some picture videos some time on YouTube.
Sounds like you had a lot of work to do on your new home, but how nice to again get it just the way you want it to be. Decoration and finishing touches are always the best bit, it is when a house becomes a home.
Your garden sounds wonderful, nice that you can keep some trees, I'm dying to see some pictures of it!
We haven't seen cubs yet, but I think it is only a matter of time before they bring them. We have four adults coming to the garden, three female and one male. All females have had cubs, but no idea how many will have survived?
Rudey is doing well, he says thank you for his cuddle and sends a belly flop.
We've had hot then cold spells haven't we! One minute it is summer, then it suddenly feels wintery again. Looks like we are in for a bit more cold weather yet, we still haven't turned the heating off. Although I don't mind the cold, it is the heat I don't like.
I really need to get a move on now and plant some flowers in borders and sow a few small patches of grass into lawns. The garden is looking nice, we have loads of tadpoles in the pond.
I have been fishing a bit, but not as much as I would like. But it is closed season on the river, and the canal is not as much fun. But I will go once the clouds come over. At the moment I am just getting on with a bit of gardening whilst the sun is out.
Are you feeling more at home now you have had a bulk of the work done on your house? I felt no end better once we had decorated here and made it all homely. I still love it, and love the garden too. But in five to seven years we will be looking to move to the countryside. That is a strange but wonderful thought, it is in my mind all the time to be in countryside. Peaceful surroundings, private and hopefully some good fishing. Hubby is desperate to retire, he would much rather be busy doing hobbies and having fun. I don't want to rush time as it goes by fast enough anyway. But I am so looking forward to Hubs being home and us being busy with all sorts together. I cannot understand people who say they are bored when they retire! Bloody glass half empty nitwits, must have boring marriages and no hobbies or interests. I don't think we would ever stop having things to do, we would be busier than we are now. Well I can't wait, not rushing time, just very excited!

[appledore]

Hi Will. Hope you're both well. We're both fine and full of busy. We're busy in the garden, so the decorating has had to take a back seat. We'll get there. We got the Silver Birch cut down, and it's made a lot of difference. There are lots of trees behind our garden, but they're not too close so shouldn't cause us any problems. We've been removing Wisteria from the back fence. It was taking up a lot of space, and I just don't like it. I can't really explain why, it's just creepy. It's like you and Daffodils. I've been planting some bedding plants this afternoon. It's nothing like the marathon we had at our last house. Have you planted some bedding plants in the borders? I prefer this garden to our last one, it's just the right size. We feel more at home now, and it's much more convenient for shops etc now that we're getting to be a couple of old fogies.

I hope Rudey is well, and being a good cat. Please give him a cuddle from me. We don't have a visiting cat yet, but we live in hope. We've seen a couple wandering down the street. There are more birds than when we came, and a lovely Robin. Have you seen any fox cubs?

We've had some very cold, wet weather. It was pouring down this morning, but it's warm and sunny this afternoon.

I'm pleased you enjoyed your holiday in Ireland. You'll be wanting to go back.

I can imagine you both living in the countryside. I hope you find somewhere peaceful. There's always plenty to do when you're retired. We don't get bored. We often wonder how we found the time to go to work.

[WILL*REMAIN*STRONG]

Hellooo apples! Been a while. We are doing great, hope you and yours are good too.
We have recently been on holiday to Wales, it was so lovely. Hubby has turned 50, so we had two holidays for his Birthday really. Spoilt Hub. We are off to Scotland again in a couple of weeks time, a hot tub lodge on a river bank. I will pack my rod! We fished the other day together, goodness it was hot. We caught 3 fish. 1 Pike, 1 Perch & 1 Chub. Not bad seeing as others had done badly. Must have been our lucky day!
Sounds like you have been busy, have you finished the decorating yet, or are you still working on the garden? We have been busy, but just making things for fun. We are always pottering in the garden or garage. We put 3 bird boxes up the other day, we really hope the Nuthatch might nest, we made one box with a larger hole just in case.
We haven't done much more with our house, other than add a few new ornaments. We still haven't built a deck. I think we might do that next year, but who knows?
Your garden sounds lovely, I would love to see a photo of it. I laughed about the Wisteria, I think I know what you mean about it being creepy. It reminds me of miserable uptight housewives, old people and moth balls. Not that all old people are creepy, just some. Daffodulls and Hydrangeas give me the creeps too. We are funny.
I planted lots of Petunias with lobelia this year and there's still some pansies on the go, not sure how they lasted so long. I just buy flowers in bulk quite cheaply and add a bit of colour. I much prefer trees and shrubs to flowers. But it is nice to have some colour in baskets, pots and borders. Our ferns are getting big! I had to thin them out like I was giving them a hair cut, you couldn't see the pond. Well it is a puddle after all. We had about 100 tadpoles, still a few tadpoles left funny enough, sprouting legs later than others. It was a slow year for frogs. We have Jays, Woodpeckers, Bullfinch and Nuthatch, some of our favourite birds. Rudey is eating his way through Voles and Shrews, which is a shame. He only catches a bird very occasionally, thank goodness. He is doing really well, such a cuddly baby. Have you any visitors yet? We saw a large tabby cat sat at the end of the garden on camera the other night, it was watching the foxes. They never crossed each other, don't know what would have happened if they did? The hedgehogs had babies, one was killed by a fox sadly. But there are a few hedgehogs visiting. Two mice run around the garden every night. We made them a box to keep them safe, at least I hope they use it...or Rudey will eat them given half a chance. Although I never allow him out at night. We have watched the fox cubs grow into adults, we think there are around 9 adults now. But can't be certain as they all look similar, they are all wonderful to watch.
We are desperately wanting to move to the country, Hubby thinks he has 5 to 7 years left at work, unless we suddenly inherited money or won the lotto. We would never be bored, not for a second. So many hobbies and projects to get on with. We work well together, I learn something new from him every week. I'm really lucky as Hubs it good at most things, so when I want to know how to do something, I go to what is like Google with a cuddle and a kiss. I call him Jeeves sometimes for a laugh. Ask-Hubby.
I bet you have been boiling hot! How are you taking the hot summer weather? I hate it, as usual. I am really dying for Autumn to come, can't stand this heat! I honestly wish it was snowing some days. Christmas is coming, so I will get excited about that once we have been to Scotland! I know you and your Hubby can't wait!!!!

[appledore]

Helloooooo Will. Hope you and hubby are doing great. We're doing good. I've been trying to post some pics, but Photobucket's playing up. I'll keep trying, so keep looking. You're having lots of holidays. We're still decorating, it takes us longer these days, we're getting old, but there's no rush. We got some new curtains and ornaments for a change. We've got the garden more or less sorted. We've removed some shrubs, and replaced them with things we like. It's been interesting though wondering what we had and watching them spring into life. We've planted some Winter flowering pansies, I hope they bush up a bit. They don't look up to much at the moment. Our Magnolias and Christmas Roses flowered again in the summer. We've planted some ferns, they're only small but they'll grow. I love ferns. We might plant some more Daffodulls, your favourite flowers. I'm pleased to see the back of the Wisteria, horrible creepy stuff.
Our grandson says the garden is too small, and we should have got a medium sized one instead.

You're lucky with all the wildlife in your garden. We don't see many birds, but we've seen a grey squirrel and a huge dead toad. I'm pleased Rudey is doing well, give him a hug from me. We occasionally see a black and white cat wandering down the street, but we haven't seen a cat in the garden.

It won't be long before you can move to the country. We were very close to a farm where we were before, and it's nice to get away from noisy tractors and insecticide. We felt like we were eating it sometimes.

Your hubby sounds very useful. I wish you lived next door to us then he could give us advice on what to do when we get stuck. Hubby tries, but he's not very good with diy.

It sounds like you're enjoying your fishing, and it's nice that you're fishing together.

Have you got your Christmas tree and decs up yet? It's difficult to find a decent houseplant at this time of year. The garden centres are full of grotties and tat.

[appledore]

Here's some to be going on with

[WILL*REMAIN*STRONG]

Happy Christmas Apples! We are very happy to hear you and yours are doing well. Your garden looks absolutely lovely! I bet you are enjoying having a smaller garden to manage, big gardens are fabulous, but huge work.
I know you don't put your decs up early, but they must be up now?!?! Your first Christmas in your new home, I'm sure it will be great. Have you bought a small toy shops worth of toys for your grandchildren?
We don't go so wild buying presents these days, just a few. We buy everything we want and need all year, it gets harder every year to find things to give as surprises.
We have been to Center Parcs, it was fantastic! They have a new slide in the pool, that was fun. We had the Honeymoon lodge again, booked it already for next year, and once they release 2021 Christmas bookings, we'll try and grab it again. It does make the holiday extra special having a really good lodge on the lake. We were feeding everything, until they became right beggy little monsters. But it is so much fun, I miss it, miss all the wildfowl and cycling around looking at all the wonderful decs. It is extra special that holiday every year.
We have booked to go to Woburn Center Parcs this Spring, not been there before, we like to visit them all.
We have a woodpecker visiting at the moment that is so filthy, it looks brown. That is our fault feeding fat, it gets covered in fat, then picks up filth everywhere it goes. We still have loads of foxes, soon be mating season and hopefully more chubbins at Spring time. We even have a hedgehog still visiting our garden, I will try and weigh it tonight. We take many of them to a local rescue as they are often underweight. This looks ok, but if it is under weight, I'll bring it in. Apparently hedgehog numbers are doing better, as so many people are trying to help bring them in if they are born late in the season. We get a lot of hogs, so we are quite lucky.
We have hung on to a pair of Nuthatch for the first time ever, our favourite bird. We put up a nest box for them, just in case. I think we have 5 nest boxes now. I still haven't made a new bird table, the old one is falling apart now. So that will be a nice project for us. Hubby is teaching me to make all sorts now, I'm mediocre at best, but I do make things and don't do too badly. A bat box is another thing I want to make, but never seem to have the time.
I hope you get more and more birds and other wildlife in time. I think it can take quite a long time to get your garden discovered if there haven't been many big bird feeders in the area, but I'm sure it will come. Do you still have a camera up? I doubt we would know half of what comes to the garden if we didn't watch our camera footage.
We wish you the most wonderful Christmas and all the very best for 2020.
Rudey sends a big kiss and belly flop to you. xxx

[appledore]

Happy Christmas Will, and hubby too. I fell on some ice a few weeks ago and fractured my elbow, so everything is hard work at the moment. Anyway, I'll get over it, and I'll soon be busying about. I hope so anyway.

We like having a small garden. It's nice to be able to look out of the window and see all of it. It's a lot less work too.
We were here last Christmas, its hard to believe a year has gone over. We have our decs up, and all the presents wrapped.
Hubby has wrapped them this year, and he's done a good job. As you say, a whole toy shops worth for our grandchildren. We're looking forward to seeing them.

I'm pleased you enjoyed Center Parcs. It sounds like fun.

We've seen some Blue Tits, and they're eating the fat balls, and we have some blackbirds. We miss having a lot of birds, but there's more than when we first came. I saw a cat this morning out for walk.

We don't have a camera up here. but we might put one up if things liven up a bit. We live in hope.

All the best for 2020. A big kiss and cuddle for Rudey. xxx

[WILL*REMAIN*STRONG]

Hi apples, hope you and yours are well. Has your elbow healed? That is a nuisance isn't it.
Did you have a lovely Christmas? I miss it and can't wait for the next one.
We are doing really well, got more holidays booked and are itching to make the garden nice for Spring.
How is your house and garden going now? Spring is very much on the way, we are seeing a lot more green from behind the garden, The Snowberries and Hawthorn are always the fist to spring back to life. I feel excited this time of year. Some blossom is out, oh it is lovely.
We have two hedgehogs visiting already, two foxes have given birth now, we hope for cubs in May. We have Nuthatches in the garden every day now, we are so chuffed and hope they stay and nest behind.
What do you make of this Coronavirus? Are you self isolating, stockpiling food or just carrying on as normal? We are not really changing much, I think you just have to apply common sense and see what happens. I guess this is what happens when people eat snakes, bats and other strange foods of choice. I think China will be the death of us if they keep eating every living creature. Maybe they should stick to cannibalism! Hahaaaa reduce the population a bit. I think I will stick to tried and tested foods, but I am not becoming a vegan, that is a step too far for me. I find vegans to be the most boring, self righteous sods I ever come across. I do think they want a medal for eating carpet sprinkled with nuts. But how cruel are they to nuts!
I hope we are able to go on our next hol, but who knows now?
Do you think the World is getting crazier by the day? I find I have almost nothing in common with younger people, in fact not much in common with most people. We are craving the countryside where we can self isolate from 99% of the population, for as long as possible!
Have you any grand plans for your home and garden this year? We still need to build a deck, we might start doing something this year, even if it is to run a cable through the lawn and get ready for the electrics etc.
I do hope for some nice weather soon, do you? It has been a funny winter so far, not very cold, just storm after storm. Terribly sad for those flooding, I don't think enough could ever be done to prevent flooding. We were looking at a nice house in Scotland near a river, but even though there is no history of flooding in this particular part, I now feel I wouldn't risk it. I'll drive to a spot where I can fish I think. Which reminds me, I must go fishing soon, it has been weeks! So busy at the moment, even when I get spare time the weather is so bad it puts me off. The one weather I loathe for fishing is high winds.
Oh well, hope everything is ok with you. Stay virus free, no elbowing people out the way for your toilet rolls!

[appledore]

Hi Will. How are you and hubby in these crazy times? We find it hard to believe that it's real. Who would have believed that we'd be fighting over toilet rolls? We'll have used all ours about this time next year. The worst part for us, like most people, has not being able to see our family. We phone and text and skype, but it's not the same as being able to see them and give them a hug.

Have you been busy gardening? We're enjoying having a small garden and being able to keep on top of it. Our Magnolias have been beautiful, but it's been windy and a lot of the blossom blew off. We're going to look for some more shrubs and some bedding plants, now that the garden centres have opened again. We'll wait a bit and let them get rid of the half dead stuff first.
Have you started to build your deck yet? We don't have any grand plans for the garden.

You'll be disappointed about your holidays, but it would be awful to go away and not be able to get back home or be stuck in quarantine.

You said you'd seen a nice house in Scotland, but were put off by the river. I couldn't live near a river. I have a thing about water. I wouldn't dare go to bed if it was raining heavy. I'd have the life boat on standby. Talking about water how's the fishing?

My elbow has healed thanks. It's still sore, but I can do what I want so that's the main thing. It was lovely to get the plaster off.

Stay virus free.

[WILL*REMAIN*STRONG]

Hi apples, good to hear you are well and your elbow has healed, if still a little sore.
Lockdown over, time to sunbathe in mass, rave, protest and loot! 2nd wave coming soon! Oh what a strange year 2020 has been so far, awful for many. But we can always rely on the sheer selfish few to ruin things for the many. No change there whatsoever.
Hubby is still working from home, it has been lovely. We often work side by side in the office and get loads of snuggles in.
No fishing during lockdown, but have been since. Ahhhh bliss! We haven't started on the deck yet, goodness knows when we will?
I bet you were enjoying your garden a lot like us during lockdown! The weather was lovely. It's been raining lately, but we needed it, poor gardens were very dry. Today is nice, I've been cleaning bird feeders and baths. We have fewer young birds around this year so far. We were looking forward to seeing young Nuthatch, but only the adults so far. I was watching for them fledging behind, but missed them. I got some videos of the young poking their heads out of the hole.
We saw one cub, just once. Not a very young cub, so they must have denned down quite a long way away. We hope to see them when they are fully grown, but it is a shame we didn't get the cute young cubs like we have done before.
Have you seen any hedgehogs in your garden? We had four at once in the garden one night. It has been year of the hedgehog here, although we always see a few. We had a young one visit and it was being chased by a honky male, poor thing! We thought about relocating one hedgehog who is quite the nuisance, but we don't think it's fair. Unless we find a really good place to relocate him.
We will be visiting family for the first time soon, might even be able to go on holiday soon. Things are very slowly getting back to normal, well, not normal, but open. It is weird queuing to shop for food two metres apart, but it has to be done I suppose. I would not shop for much else yet. I choose to shop online for most things we need.
You must have missed your family during lockdown, have you created your support bubble? I laugh at all the terms the government use, like bubble and alert! Stay alert, that went well!
Not many people have many plans for the year, as it is difficult to plan. But we have had days out, we'll do a last minute holiday once we can. Center Parcs is still booked for Christmas, but I predict a second wave in autumn. Hope I'm wrong! I'm just not holding my breath that anything will return to normal any time soon. We are more and more looking forward to country living!
I hope you and your family stay well.