Pensthorpe: Part Two

March 21, 2022 ~ beetleypete ~ 42 Comments

These are the rest of the photos I am posting from my visit to Pensthorpe last Friday.

(All photos can be enlarged by clicking on them, which will take you to a Flickr link.)

A pair of Swans with a huge area all to themselves.

A quiet spot to sit.

This sleeping duck was well-camouflaged.

Birds squabbling over the best dry spot in the lake.

A water feature and some nice daffodils.

Canada Geese running away from me, honking their displeasure.

Two other geese nearby, not at all concerned by my presence.

This idyllic spot didn’t have a single bird choosing to use it.

That’s all for this visit to Pensthorpe, but I am sure I will go back again one day.

Sunday Musings On A Birthday Week

March 20, 2022March 20, 2022 ~ beetleypete ~ 63 Comments

Anyone who has read my blog this week will already be aware that I was 70 years old on Wednesday. My week started on Monday, so this is the last day of celebrations. Given how much I have celebrated already, I think a quiet day will be the decent thing to do.

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It has been a great week indeed. Two meals out, a trip to a nature reserve, and lots of nice gifts and cards received. After Wednesday, the weather improved too, and it has been lovely and sunny since. Then last night, it was rounded off in style. Julie took me to a restaurant in North Tuddenham, having arranged for my four step-children and two of their partners to come too. So we had a table for eight, a very nice family celebration, and I had a ’70’ balloon! I received more gifts and cards on the night, along with the news that all of Julie’s children have given some money so that we can go out again soon, and enjoy another meal on them. There was also a box of twelve 70th-birthday themed cupcakes, home-made.
This has been my best birthday week ever!

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Of course, the world news is far from encouraging, and the situation in Ukraine continues to deteriorate. I confess that the last thing I expected to be happening in my 70th year was a new war in Europe. And just when I am at my lowest income since I left school, the price of everything has sky-rocketed. Oh well, no point complaining about that. The rich have always got richer, and the rest of us poorer. Just read any history book.

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Ollie’s moult has to be seen to be believed, with his fur all over the house necessitating daily vacuuming more seriously than usual. We are trying to get him booked in to the dog-groomer next week, as a good wash and brush up will take care of at least some of the shedding fur.

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Regular readers will also be aware that I still don’t have my renewed driving licence. (Sorry regulars, here I go again.) Next week marks the beginning of my first full week of not being able to drive legally until my licence is sorted out. I am trying not to be too annoyed about that, but it’s not easy.

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I hope you all have a lovely Sunday. And if you can, go for a drive somewhere nice. You will appreciate the freedom of being able to do that, believe me.

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Something Positive

March 18, 2022 ~ beetleypete ~ 52 Comments

After my ‘Mister Grumpy’ moan about my driving licence this morning, we finally got to go to Pensthorpe Bird Park this afternoon, in lovely weather. I had my shorts on, as it was 16C, and a beautiful afternoon.

Front Page

This predominantly waterfowl park is set in idyllic wetlands near the Norfolk town of Fakenham. It is a mecca for bird-watchers, who travel from all over England to see the ducks and geese.

Despite the fact that it was early in the season, and the Flamingo and Cranes enclosure was closed because of Avian Flu, we spent a leisurely couple of hours wandering around, followed by some delicious cakes and tea in the cafe, before the park closed at 4:30 pm. Ollie could not come with us, as dogs are not allowed, but he wasn’t left alone for long.

I took quite a lot of photos, and they will follow in some posts to come.

Suffice to say it calmed me down considerably.