Anyone Else Up Yet ......... Vol. 2

Aren't flowers just fab? And lovely to see 'dumb' animals knowing exactly how to cope in their own little environment.

Butternut, I love this time of year when the barn owls are so active just as you wake up. Ours have a less attractive habit of slalom on the roof, which can be a bit alarming, though.
Slightly misty start here, but the sun is coming through now and the night was much cooler, thank goodness.

Bonjour Mamie - I never knew owls could slalom! Our owls have atrocious toiletry habits. We used to park the car in the barn, and as the owls perch on the roof beams - which was perfect for their splat, splosh and splot - we no longer do that! They do leave some beautiful feathers lying around on the grass though.

When we bought the house they were living in the roofspace and had a large brood. Every night was disturbed by flapping, screeching, thumping, hissing and coughing and the smell was awful. Fortunately they moved out after that and we closed all the gaps into the roof. I wouldn't mind but we are surrounded by empty barns. "Look you are a barn owl - use the barn" we said, but I think they thought our house belonged to them (and maybe it does, really). Maybe they thought it was "chouette" to live in the house!

Love the image of an owl slaloming down a roof.

I suffer from seagulls who crash land on my flat roofed dormer then stomp around wearing hobnailed boots from dawn onwards!

Jess lovely word picture, I could see myself there! Were you anywhere near where Tunnicliffe painted? Bad sense of 'hiraeth' now!
jeni stayed in a mobile home (too posh to be a caravan ) belonging to my sister, seagulls landed noisily on the roof and proceeded with noisy stomping... know what you mean!

jeni my kitchen has a flat roof and something stamps about on there and it isn't the window cleaner!

The only thing that stamps about in my house is the phenomena known as teenager,this species when in search of food will leave its lair,with hair like a swampthing,growling and muttering,and snuffling its way down to the kitchen,and unerringly alight upon the cupboards,which will then be thoroughly searched for food scraps and treats,after rampaging there if nothing is found to devour a grunt is emitted along the lines of Nofood...and the fridge is then treated to the same if a tasty morsel is found it is added to a pile to be stored and eaten in the nest in the lair,at last when a pleasing amount of fodder has been accumulated,swampthing will then retreat back to the lair to blast its senses with TV,IPod,and mobile phone,and munch its way through its capture.....has anyone else one of these...

also have an updated species,phenomena known as returning son,more vocal and sociable,but still heavy footed,and likes to hunt for food

I don't know Tunnicliffe???
Burry inlet/Loughour estuary, near Cheriton, was where I was.

Have uploaded a charming photo of Wee Man on beach in Cornwall.

Lovely soop...There's no arguing with that!

Thanks Ella We'll be spending time with him next month. Rutland is the meeting place for our annual family gathering.

Oh, lucky you soop to have an annual family gathering!

Yes, Butter it is the main event of the year for me. We get to meet our adult grandchildren and their partners. Middle son does the honours. We always have a special weekend. Sadly, this year, one lovely daughter-in-law won't be joining us. We shall see her separately. We'll always remain close.

Nellie - I have known several of that species - they usually get better when they get to be about 18!

My daughter is having a fish and chip supper in Yorkshire with her niece and her family and tomorrow they are spending a final day in Kent with her son and new DIL. She was able to give me some encouraging news about my other daughter's family, re exam results, job interviews, etc. but I won't start celebrating until I have more news. It feels odd to know they are still in Europe but I don't feel too separated from them when they are back in NZ, thanks to the wonder of the phone and internet.

jess I was thinking of Malltraeth Marsh and nearby Newborough in Anglesey, very similar featues, including the ravens!

nellie- female of the species, now aged 20, used to growl its way through the morning and begin to resemble a human being towards midday. Now becoming humanoid earlier in the day, especially if someone mentions shopping. Younger sibling comatose until bacon butty offered through the bars of the cage.

annobel ...30 year male species case study...
By this age having grown through the growling grunting stage can walk upright unaided and the knuckles no longer reach the floor,occasionally the resemblance is Neanderthal still but as not as much in evidence,having experienced many mating rituals and settled down with a permanent mate,they don't necessarily stay together and the male then flees homeward to mother who cares for returned adult male until another nest is affordable and the mating ritual can begin again.. Food in parents cupboard is of a type never found in mates cupboard and will be enjoyed freely until male returns to hunt for himself.by this stage the species is fully coherent and very sociable and loving towards the mother and grateful for her support,there is hope for the younger teenager of the species who will try and and start a fight with the older over possession of food territory,remote,and sofa at this point mother of species resorts to liquid anaesthesia .....

nellie great anthropological study!

Brilliant!

Hey! that's what I was going to say, soop! I'll say it anyway: Brilliant, nellie

Fantastic nellie... were yours like mine 'when in drink'?
Lots of bumps and shushing into the wee small hours then silence.
Sunday morning the lounge sofas and floor littered with large slugs, the lads had come prepared and had brought their sleeping bags!
My lad must have had squatters rights as he would be sleeping like a babe on the largest sofa.
The smell was as if they had brought home the contents of a brewery which I suppose they had.
That was then and this is now, and yes, strangely, I DO miss them.