Monday, April 14, 2008
14th April Fresh air and exercise
Fresh air and exercise - not good for you!
This morning the weather was fine and we decided to walk to the post office and then take a longer, meandering detour home.
We called in at Cheals Garden centre - well, it was called that when it still belonged to the notable Crawley Quaker family, the Cheals. I remember them at the meetings at The Friends Meeting House, when I was a child.
It is now a Squires garden centre and has been upgraded since those early days. Upgrading means having a shop with attractive artefacts, a cafe, units selling a number of other things - we have garden aquatics, pets, carpets etc.
We wanted to buy some more fat blocks for the birds - in particular we are so pleased to attract the woodpecker with special treats. Bill also wanted a new seed container for the bird table.
We love watching the antics of the birds. We are lucky to live right on the edge of the town and to have lots of trees and hedges close by with a wide range of birds to come and feed in our garden.
This morning a starling had the quandary of what to do with the nesting material in is mouth whilst being lured by the fat block. Problem solved - he tucked the dried grasses in a notch on the bird table post and enjoyed a snack and then went back for his building material.
The woodpecker is like the king of the garden - and he knows it.
Anyway we ended up buying more than we intended for our feathered friends. We had a good chat with a lady on the same sort of mission as us. She was wanting food for a thrush who she is enjoying having in her garden. It was just as well we were on foot or I might have looked at plants!
We continued on and walked back through the Broadfield woods, by the pond and wetlands. I am not sure if the wetlands are intended - more likely just poor drainage.
A stream flows by the path and into the pond and it could all look really good, but nobody takes any responsibility for it and you need to shut your eyes to litter by the path.
Litter upsets me - just a small thing but is a symptom of what is wrong with our country.
There were anemones and celandines in abundance by the stream.
People who know Crawley will be surprised perhaps that Broadfield could have so much to offer. It has a poor reputation and more than its fair share of problem families; but some parts are very pleasant with hard working families striving to do well in life.
This afternoon the weather turned nasty again with thunder, heavy rain and hail showers.
I sorted a few more bits of stock ready for a boot sale and also got ready a box for the shop, though goodness knows where I shall put it.
We had a tasty meal of minced beef and lots of vegetables and a yellow curry - mild and flavoursome. There is enough to have it again on Wednesday.
The fresh air and exercise obviously has affected me - I found it impossible to stay awake for the Delia Smith cooking programme.
So - off to bed very soon.
Goodnight.
