30th December, 2012

Mr. Hillman's been busy with weddings so we haven't made it down here for a few days (no point in me taking photos as they are always SHOCKING!). Cold, damp and windy today, but very pleasant being blasted by fresh, country smelling air! There were lots of people down here too- families and dog walkers and visitors to Abbey Mill for their Sunday lunch!

We spotted some interesting bird life again today. We got much nearer to the kestrel, which seems to be nesting on one of the highest points of the actual abbey church ruin, and we also saw this grey and yellow bird feeding on insects in the grass of the abbey cloister. Is it a grey wagtail??

The little river that runs alongside the main Red River is completely still today- it's not flowing and looks quite unpleasant- it must be blocked somewhere along it's course, so I hope it doesn't flood again, or all the stuff in it will overspill onto the abbey cloister lawns.

We walked up into Abbots Wood today, and the wind was really howling through the trees. It reminded me of the bit in 'Wind in the Willows' where Mole goes off in search of Badger, followed by Ratty, and they get lost in the Wild Wood. It was like the Wild Wood in Abbots Wood today, with faces in the trees... all that was missing was a little snow!

The ground is still saturated, and the poor sheep are soaked and have very muddy hooves-this doesn't seem to stop them frantically grazing though!

Perhaps he's thinking...well, I'm wet anyway.....may as well go for a swim!

It was looking like twighlight, even though it was only 12.45pm-my mum insists that it is getting a bit lighter for longer every afternoon, since December 21st....... she will say this now until August!

'Soon be spring', said Frankie, leaving his coat behind in the car (but not for long!).

27th December, 2012...wild-bird-fest!

Finally got out of the house and to the Abbey to try out our new binoculars(a gift to ourselves!). It was quite busy down here, with lots of people dog-walking and having a snack at the Abbey Mill cafe, so Frankie couldn't resist his usual (bowl of chips) either!

The binoculars helped us to spot lots of different wild birds- a robin, a woodpecker, a blue-jay, four blue tits and a mad blackbird trying to get access to a new 'fatcake' that had been put on the cottage bird table- the blackbirds in our garden can't get these because they are too high, but this one had a wall to give it a leg up!

(Look closely to spot the blue tits!)

Oh... and a 'V' formation of geese flying to who knows where!

It is still very muddy down here, and we did spot the 'community payback' crew working on weeding and edging some of the pathways that had got very sloppy and overgrown. Good for them!

There are a lot of rhodedondrons growing along the paths up in the Abbots Wood area, and the lady from Abbey Mill was telling us that one of the conservation volunteer groups are coming up to have a clear out in the new year. Some of the bigger rhodedondron bushes are quite 'choked' with brambles and stuff.

There was a little bit of blue sky today, and it was worth a trip down here. Get off the bus at the hospital and a ten minute walk gets you to some lovely rural walks( and a cup of tea if you are lucky)!

24th December, 2012

Last minute 'bits' bought, sausage bun in Mike's 'Last Resort' eaten by Frankie, and we headed off to see what was going on at the Abbey. Christmas Eve is the anniversary of when we met, and it's 30 YEARS AGO this time!

Frankie thought this photo might herald the end of the world, even though it was taken at 12.45pm on a normal Monday afternoon. It did look creepy though!

We were thinking about crossing the railway lines today, when we heard the train, so we waited, and you can see it in the left- hand side of the first photo, then fully in the second photo. We waited a bit longer and this Blue Tit came back to feed on the bird table at the cottage.

You can see how much the water has receded from the down-pours of last week, and there are now lots of muddy areas left on the usually lovely lawns inside the Abbey.

The soggy weather is good for fungi and water droplet shots if nothing else!

In true Abbey tradition, we are having our Christmas lunch at......... Abbey House tomorrow, so a very merry Christmas to you all, and we hope you have a wonderful time!!

23rd December, 2012

Cold and windy today, but at least it's dry, with the odd moment of blue sky. I even managed to get my hands on the camera today! We went inside the Abbey today, to have a look at the state of the ground, and water levels. It is saturated! There seems to be more scaffolding up, and there is an area of subsidence under one of the paths that has been taped off. Tom was there again, mug in hand, and we had a good chat about what the weather was doing to the building.

TOM!

The Abbey Mill Cafe was busy today-they are doing a 'turkey lunch' which is very reasonable, and people are looking very festive too!

It looks like the railway guys have finally been down here to build up the banking that is slipping, they have banked up the red clay on one side, and made a stone and concrete supporting wall on the other.

We still managed to find some bits of 'nature' that haven't been waterlogged, to photograph!

You can use the lichen on trees as a compass apparently, though I can't remember which side it grows on... is it the north side of the tree??

Christmas Eve tomorrow....!