Deer, Oh Deer

On By TontowilliamsIn Dogs, Simple Things, Wildlife/Nature
Walking the Fort
Walking the Fort

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about not seeing deer on my way to work in the mornings. I’ve been on “leave” the last couple of weeks, my official last day in my current job is tomorrow, which has obviously given me more time to take longer morning walks with the dogs.

This morning we were on our way around the fort when I heard something crashing through the bottom of “the moat”. Being Summer the vegetation is now green and lush, and it is difficult to see any distance, but I did glimpse the bouncing white tails of two Roe Deer. I’ve seen deer here before, but not that often as there are just too many people about. We’d obviously spooked them, and they weren’t hanging around, but it’s good to know that I still might see deer in the mornings.

Book Review: Common Ground by Rob Cowen

On By TontowilliamsIn Book Review, Wildlife/Nature

Common GroundCommon Ground by Rob Cowen

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

It has taken me a while to read Rob Cowen’s Common Ground, because I’ve wanted to savour it. It reminds me of classic natural history books such as J A Baker’s “The Peregrine” and Richard Mabey’s “Nature Cure”, both of which I’ve reread this year, and so are fresh in my mind.

Common Ground takes the reader through a journey of the area of land on the edge of town. Rob Cowen takes the reader there through a series of chapters on different aspects and through different points of view. It is both incredibly well written, but also captivating in it’s description of the nature and of mankind and our attitude to an increasingly pressured natural system.

I’ve taken my time with the book, dipping in now and again to read a chapter or two. To savour it, as I didn’t want it to end, and I will miss it now that it’s over.

Recommended to anyone who enjoys natural history books.

View all my reviews

Teaching Ruby To Swim

On By TontowilliamsIn Dog, Dogs, pupdate

2012-08-20 17.38.57To Emsworth, to walk on the shore. Threw balls into the harbour as the tide was in and started to teach Ruby how to swim. She hasn’t quite gotten it yet but I think she will. There’s a lot of splashing and she hasn’t worked out how to use her tail as a rudder, but she will. Back to the car with two very wet, but very happy dogs.

Brought in all the towels from the car when we got home, and left the car windows open for a bit to air out the damp dog smell.

A fun afternoon.

(Regretting not getting any photos of Ruby actually swimming!)

Who’s Been Digging My Potatoes?

2012-06-09 15.46.08

I paid an early morning visit to the allotment today. It’s the first time that I’ve made it down there since last weekend, due to other things going on, but everything at first glance looked okay. Or at least so I thought, because then I noticed that there were a few potatoes sitting on the surface of the plot, when really they should be still buried under ground. It looks as though something, my guess would be a fox, has been digging them up.

I don’t really mind sharing some of my crops, however they haven’t been taken away, just left on the surface, so obviously they’re not tasty unless cooked!

I think tomorrow, I will dig up the remainder, which is a job I need to do anyway, as I don’t want to loose the crop, from an over curious visitor 🙂

On By TontowilliamsIn Fork To Fork, Garden / Allotment, Wildlife/Nature

Deer Watch

On By TontowilliamsIn redundancy, Simple Things, Wildlife/Nature

Every morning as my train to work cuts through the countryside I look out of the window for sightings of deer. There are particular spots where they gather along the way, so often I know where to look.

In less than two weeks my redundancy happens and I will no longer be getting the train to work. At least not as far as I know at the moment. So I won’t have my daily deer sightings. I will miss these simple things in my day, even if I won’t miss that particular job. I know I’ll get my wildlife fix in another way, but deer have always held a special place.

Allotment Catch Up Sunday

On By TontowilliamsIn Birds, Garden / Allotment, Uncategorized, Wildlife/Nature

 

Cabbage White Butterfly
 I spent this morning on the allotment as I hadn’t spent much time there yesterday with having to pick Ruby up from the vet. As she was clearly much better I took a couple of hours to do some weeding and watering, as well as harvesting a few things – broccoli, red gooseberries and loganberries in particular.

 

 It was an overcast morning, which thankfully kept the temperatures down, there were also a number of birds about, in particular blackbirds singing and my robin friend was back, keeping a check that I was doing the weeding right and uncovering insects for him to eat.

Checking on insect provision

Ruby Update

On By TontowilliamsIn Dog, Dogs, pupdate

image

Unfortunately I’ve had to take Ruby back to the vet this morning.

She’s had a barrage of tests during the day and is spending the night at the surgery, hopefully I’ll be collecting her in the morning. Diagnosis is still the same (haemorrhagic gastroenteritis) and hopefully she’ll respond better to this second round of treatment.

Will update when I know more.