Good Morning Thursday

Good morning everyone. Here in Dordogne it is brightening up and about 14 deg. We are not forecast to have much sun today but yesterday it was very windy and the wasing dried in no time. The tree frogs started their croaking last night and were still going strong about 4am.

Raining and overcast here in Leicestershire but much milder. Sainsbury's this morning!

Unfortunately it is raining here. I am going with 8yr old GS and family to use the hawk handling voucher I gave him for birthday in January. Bird of Prey Centre is in my village, so it will be back to my place for lunch afterwards. GS is very fond of peregrine falcons, which he will have the opportunity to fly. I prefer the larger birds, especially the eagle owls.

Good Morning everyone I'm off to have eyebrows and eyelashes tinted this morning for the first time. Yesterday was rather hectic as I took 4 !/2 DGD on an Easter Egg hunt in a neighbouring village. The clues all 41 of them were (seemed like) miles apart. The eggs had letters on them which when unscrambled (excuse the pun) wished everyone a Happy Easter etc, etc. I have to say I was really impressed with DGDs grasp of letters and numbers. She had a major sulk though when we had to part with our form, which went into a lucky dip to be drawn next week, as she thought we would walk away with the hamper full of chocs.

On the way home we stopped at our local garden centre which has a visiting Carousel, we all had a ride, ir was great fun.

The sky here is grey and it's spitting with rain.

Enjoy your day.

Bit grey and damp down here, but we're heading north, to a conference in Harrogate, as soon as I get off here sort things out. Conference Friday - dinner with friends, business stuff on Saturday, then off to Chatham (Arethusa) for a final meeting with our Volunteer Training Team.

Monday, I think, will be spent recovering...but am looking forward immensely to the buzz.

Ariadne Fat chance of finding better weather up north I am afraid. Cold and grey!

Definitely grey and damp here. Off with my friend this afternoon to do our talk Upstairs, Downstairs Lucky Dip for a group of ladies in Outer London. Hope it cheers them up on this grey day, we are quite amusing!

Sook Is that Bridgemere with that horribly noisy carousel?

I have to check my bank balance before I go there! I can't resist interesting plants

Shysal I am really interested in the birds of prey centre. We live in Berkshire. If I send you a PM perhaps you would send me details. No hurry. I hope you have a good day today. It has stopped raining here now.

Its a watery sun here today, but rain forecast. Took the DGC on a bike ride in the woods yesterday or I should say I pulled and carried the little ones bike most of the way there and back, my back is breaking today, they both said it was the best day of the holidays and its didnt cost a penny!
I am just wondering what we can do today, the 7yr GS is constructing some huge lego building and the 5yr old GD is painting, but I know as soon as they are finished it will be what are we doing today.

We are in the same position glassortwo.I expect it will be cooking today before they go home at lunchtime. Yesterday we managed the park and the garden centre where they can feed the fish for £1.20.The day before we took them to the Natural History Museum. They loved it but I hated the crowds and the never-ending queues. There was a fatality on the line somewhere so we were somewhat delayed anyway and afterwards we could not even find a McDonalds so we had to break our journey home at Richmond. I don't remember being so exhausted when we took our own three 25 years ago !! Obviously it is partly age but somehow I seem to feel more responsible for grandchildren or have I just forgotten?

gorki its the 6 weeks that have me worn out, trying to find something to fill their time, especially if the weather is as bad as last summer when they cant even get out to play. I am lucky this summer as DD has their holidays booked for 18 days in August and I have elected not to go with them, so I will get a little break and the holidays wont be so bad to fill.

A soft, misty grey day in Kintyre. Although there remains a chill in the air, we've lost the dry bite of the northerly wind.

I've enjoyed reading about the many outings you've been taking with grandchildren. Well done. I confess to feeling a little envious. I know that my turn will come...though it seems like an age since I last hugged the wee man.

Keeps you young glassortwo! I think you are very wise not to go on holiday with them. It will give you chance to re-charge your batteries.

How old is your "wee man" soop ?

Gorki Wee man will be three on Saturday. He lives in London. We live on the remote west coast of Scotland. When he was a babe, we often travelled for 12 hours door-to-door to spend time with him. I'm waiting for surgery [to hopefully make me fitter] ...after which, we shall board the bus/train/taxi to visit him.

The eldest grandaughter is 24 and her brothers are 22 and 13. We also have grandaughters 23 and 20 with a brother of 14. All live/work/study far away from here. In the autum, we shall all meet up for the annual "clan gathering". I have learned to be very patient inbetween time.

Glass - we took DGS to the Hancock Museum on Tuesday - it was packed, of course, as it is the holidays, but everyone was enjoying it. I have just read that there is a new Dinosaur Exhibition starting at the Centre for Life in May - it's on for months. I know it is not free, but may be a special thing to take the children to in the summer holidays. We also want to try the Science Museum in Blandford Street. I know DGS is only two, but, as long as it is free, places like that are great as you can just go for half an hour or so.

I am really fed up with the weather - DH says it is six today, but it feels like minues six to me.

Off to the footie tonight - no doubt Newcastle won't go through to the next round of the Europa Cup, but there should be a great atmosphere.

Drat - minus, not minues!

still cold up north! so fed up of being cold

gillieB they were at the Science Museum last week they always love a trip there, well it looks like we are staying in as both DGS and DG are involved in a major game of football out front. Never mind they are happy.

matson where are you in the North, I have forgotten? Its very cold here but forcast warming up over the weekend.

Dull and grey here in Boston, but not too cold, 7 degrees. Waiting for the ice cream man to come.

Gorki this is the website. www.wheatleybirdsofprey.com/index.html
We had a great time, well over an hour for £15. GS handled a barn owl, a kestrel, a buzzard and two 2-week old barn owls. He then flew a peregrine falcon and a harris hawk. He was thrilled! You will see from the website that they also do half days and whole days as well as visiting groups, shows etc. The birds are on display all the time, the centre is found through the grounds of the Windmill Plant Centre, Ladder Hill, Wheatley. Anyone can stroll in at any time.

It has been gradually warming up here on the south coast after a bit of a drizzly start. Played short mat bowls indoors because the weather looked a bit uncertain. Saturday heralds the first of our bowls clubs' 'Drives' a club event just involving club members in friendly (?) competition. Getting us up and running ready for the season. Last year nearly all our drives were held in the rain, fools that we are. Son in law coming to visit tomorrow after taking grandson back to university, look forward to that.
Trying to finish a write up about Amberley Museum Print Shop for the local Gransnet at Worthing, trouble is, I don't know when to stop!

Nellie yes the carousel is at Bridgemere, it's great fun! I do find that their plants are expensive so we mainly go for a snoop and then see if we can pick up what we want on our travels.

I took GD to see The Croods in 3D yesterday, that was an experience. She is planning her next trip out at The Centre for Life, apparently she went with the school and really enjoyed it. Last week she did Hall Hill farm and fed the baby lambs and goats, very popular.