The Germans come to town....

This evening I went with the fam to Solihull (our local town centre) to walk around the German market that was visiting.

Although very small (we walked around it in about 5 minutes!), it was just such a great feeling to - walking around in the cold, dressed up warmly; christmas smells, sights and sounds!

It is just little under a month now until christmas, and I am really starting to feel in the mood!

It was great evening out with the fam, having fun together and then warming up with coffee and hot chocolate :-)

Little black cat

Just recently we've had a little black stray who has taken to sleeping in our conservatory at night. Our cats aren't bothered by it (frankly it's too cold for them right now and they're too big a wuss to go outside!), so we're quite happy to let it be.

Every night we've been putting out a little bit of food for it, and every night it turns up to sleep on a blanket in the conservatory.

I really don't know the cat, but am becoming quite fond of seeing it turn up every night.

I just hope the little thing makes it through the winter ok.

I don't have a picture of it yet,

but this is the closest I could find

Feeling christmasy?

Today mom and I went for a coffee at Starbucks and then went to John Lewis to look at winter coats.

Starbucks is looking christmasy with its red paper cups and christmas 'flavoured' drinks. All we need now is the christmas tunes, and it will be perfect to have a coffee after a night of christmas shopping.

John Lewis, like all big department stores, really pull out all the stops during the christmas season, with christmas decorations and smells, and all the winter clothing and colours that automatically make you think 'christmas'.

Am definitely starting to feel christmasy.

It is sad though that there are so many things nowadays that make you think of christmas, and very few of the things are anything to do with Jesus and the nativity story.

I don't believe that there is anything wrong with how christmas is celebrated, it's a party celebrating Jesus' birthday.

However, during this festive season, lets not forget to invite the birthday boy himself!

Grey skies + rain

Grey skies and rain. WhatI would call the perfect day for curling up with a good book or in front of a movie. Or, going for coffee with a friend in a cosy coffee shop.

Instead, I'm stuck doing essays and research.... :S

Harvest moon - colder days and shorter hours

This was the moon a couple of nights ago. The full moon, or the harvest moon.

With it came signs that winter was definitely on its way. Colder days with less hours in them.

As I dragged my brother outside in the dark and the cold to take pictures, I became very aware of this. The cold went straight through clothes and bit at my skin. It was oh so cold!

It is incredible to see the harvest moon, as it seems bigger and brighter, and 'warmer' than at any other time of the year.

It glows so brightly, and can always be spotted through trees and clouds (kinda makes me think of werewolves lol).

The rest of the pics are just a few pics I took around home. The lighting was cool - it was starting to get dark and it was that dusky look - and it was just one of those things where I wanted to take pictures.

Even if it meant braving the cold! haha.

I really love those winter days. The cold ones with blue skies, and when it gets dark and you draw the curtains, and turn on the lights, every looks cosy!

182. What a great day!!

Today's shooting saw a fine day with blue skies and sunshine. Due to this good weather everyone - beaters, guns and dogs - were in high spirits.

After having had a bit of a slow start to the season with the birds disappearing, or not flying very well (due to windy conditions, etc), or just not being around in the first place!, we certainly made up for it today as the birds seemed to come out in their hundreds and graced us with their presence.

At the end of the day the birds were taken back to the keeper's house where we all warmed our hands with cups of tea and counted 'what was in the bag'.

The total tally was brought to 182 birds!

A good day of shooting.

5 of the 182 birds.

Lessons from a Spaniel : : Walking Skye

I've decided that every now and again I am going to post stories called 'Lessons from a Spaniel'

So here's the first one.

Today when I walked Skye in the morning before uni, it was raining. Oh well. Got on the jacket and the hat and the wellies and set off for the fields.

And on the way to the fields, it starts raining harder! Murphy's law!!

And I am thinking 'well this isn't very funny right now!', and you know what? Skye is agreeing with me!!

We carry one and when we get to the fields, she stops and looks at me with the biggest hang dog look I have ever seen! (she has big brown eyes and long droopy ears, so really uses that to add to the effect), and she says to me 'You have got to be to joking mother! Walking in this?!'

So I walk ahead of her and am calling her and saying 'lets go for a walk', and trying to make it seem that walking in the rain is the best thing ever!

But she still refuses to budge, and she says 'Mother. I am NOT walking in this weather! You are crazy!'

Eventually I give up and head for home, and she is overjoyed!! Now she moves!!!

Lesson for the day?

If the dog doesn't want to walk in the rain, then why make her?! Take her advice and go home where it is dry and warm!