Berlinfusion

Holiday Planning

Summer holidays start next week. On Friday afternoon to be precise; school finishes at midday. At least the holidays are only for seven weeks and not nine or ten as they were in Japan.

So we're heading off to the UK for the first time in two years. It's turning out to be harder to organise this trip than sorting out our move across continents.

Our lovely neighbours will look after Raymi-cat while we're away: we're currently looking after theirs. We're driving to the UK so Kita can come too. Apparently it's 'only' 1,000km...

Originally we'd planned to do the journey in one go, but have now decided to leave a day earlier and stop off half way. Tim used to live in Germany as a child so we're spending the night in a dog-friendly hotel near his old home. It will certainly make the 12 hour drive more survivable: for all of us.

Naturally, with the dog coming too there will be a very different dynamic to our usual UK-visit-activities. As yet, I have no idea how this will work out. I'm worried about her escaping from the various places we'll be staying.

In previous years there was a standard formula for our UK visits. We'd arrive in the UK in time for Mum's birthday and my oldest friend, Penny, would come from Wales to stay for a few days. We would have a big, family, birthday lunch for Mum followed by a fun walk on the Common.

Later, Penny and I would go out for an evening of girly catch-up at the fabulous Lainston House.  Then the rest of the time was spent helping Mum in the garden and doing a lot of shopping for things we couldn't get in Tokyo. Usually clothes for me and Rhiannon. And tea. Lots and lots of tea.

At some point we'd go to Devon for a week or so for a proper touristy-type holiday. Even though I grew up there, I take pleasure in being a grockle for a while. And I meet up with other friends from the Devon-Days. And eat a proper Devonshire Cream Tea.

This visit will be very different. Although the basics will remain as above, the nitty-gritty has changed. For a start, Tim will head straight off to work. That's right, he has to work for three out of the five weeks we're there.

There will not be a family birthday party for Mum, which makes her very sad. But I will do my best to make her special day memorable for her regardless.

Tim's parents have just moved back to the UK from the States, so we are also heading to Buckinghamshire to spend some time with them.

I want to see a very dear friend from Tokyo who now lives in the UK and Rhiannon wants to see someone special too. Luckily, both are based in roughly the same area as the in-laws, so I'm trying to organise dates and times to combine the visits.

We'll go to Devon as usual, but I will probably make two trips. Tim's working of course and I want to see other friends who already have dates fixed for their own holidays. Then I need to collect Tim after his work is finished. I'll be spending a lot of time on the A303...

And again, more worries about Kita - Britain doesn't seem to be as dog-friendly as Japan or Germany. In Japan we could take Kita into most attractions and here in Germany, dogs are even welcomed into some restaurants. From what I've heard, even some pubs in the UK refuse to have dogs in them now. Not to mention the many reports I've heard of vicious off-leash dogs...

Our shopping list is pretty long: school uniform, riding gear, various food-stuffs and bed linen... the Germans only have giant square pillows, not the rectangular ones, we don't have enough pillowcases! 

There are lots of other friends I'd love to catch up with too, but I really can't work out how to see everyone. It may be five weeks, but it all disappears up its own backside very quickly!

Add all this to everything I have to finish before next Friday afternoon and I feel very much like this...

 

 

 

 

The Expat Child

Over the years, I've heard various names for the expat child including global nomad, army brat (!) and third culture kid.

Are you an expat? Do you have children? How have they coped with the move?

Or were you brought up away from your home country? Were you (gasp) an army brat?

I'm doing some research for a book I'm writing about expat children and would appreciate your input, please.

I've created a couple of surveys with some questions and reactions I'd like to study. If you're interested in sharing your knowledge please email me at [email protected]

All responses will be strictly confidential and you don't even have to give your name.

Thank you! And please spread the word; I'd like to get as much feedback as possible. 

 

 

 

 

Calling all parents of ‘expat children’ or adults who lived overseas as a child.

I am researching for a book I’m writing about expat children and would appreciate your input.

All responses will be strictly confidential and you don’t have to give your name. If you have any questions or would like to share more information with me, please email me at [email protected]

The Garden Invaders

I had high hopes for my new large garden. When we first arrived my inner gardener awoke and immediately started planning. Put some colourful plants in and make a Japanese garden in the corner next to my desk to start.

However, these plans disappeared after I took a closer look at the soil and lawn.

The soil is so compacted I've bent the fork, even though it's mostly sand. It's very poor quality. How anything can grow here, I don't know. The only thing that's growing well is the enormous tree in the centre of the lawn.

And therein lies the problem. The beautiful beech tree is so huge, it's sucking all the life from most of the garden. Lining the borders are conifers of different types which destroy the rest of the ground. Nothing will grow near them, either. We have completely bare patches everywhere. And no, we can't remove the trees - it's against the rules...

As for the lawn, well, that's a misnomer for a start. When we arrived here in April it was green, but mostly moss. We've had very little rain until the past couple of weeks so even the moss has died. The lawn is brown. Part of it is a complete dust bath of ants nests. Just past this desert is an interesting green patch near the end of the garden which is lushly filled with 'meadow flowers' aka weeds. And dog diorr diaho shit (see previous post for details... she's better now, by the way).

I've put in three plants: an acer near my Japanese stonework and a couple of buddleia. Not very interesting or unusual, but I'm reluctant to pay out too much in case the bitter winters kill them off.

My little patch of Japan

However, the other members of my family have other ideas on how to fill up the garden and add colour to my vista... so far we have two vivid yellow plastic swings on the tree and a large green and blue trampoline that I've unsuccessfully tried to hide.

A quick glance out my window now as the twilight descends into night, I can see two pink and purple hula hoops, a turquoise and white baseball and a fluorescent orange and blue water bomb. Scattered elsewhere are brightly coloured tennis balls secreted away by the dog. Colourful, yes. But not quite what I was after. I spend a lot of time looking out of the window - especially when I have work to complete. I want it to be a happy, beautiful and inspiring scene...

Yesterday though, Tim and Rhiannon bought back the most hideous item of garden 'adornment' I've ever seen. An inflatable water-slide.

This monstrosity was bought back from an afternoon they spent with friends while I slaved away writing in an attempt to finish before the summer holidays.

Triumphantly it was dragged around to the patio where Tim attached the loud pump in order to inflate it. I was making dinner so didn't really register what was going on. Until I returned to the living room to find almost the entire width of the patio blocked by this multi-coloured eyesore.

Rhiannon was already in her swimming costume ready to try it out. She had time for two happy slides before dinner even though it's rather chilly here right now. I asked if it took long to inflate.

"No, not long, just a few minutes"

"Good, then deflate the thing and put it out of sight until the weather gets warmer, please."

They'd planned to leave it up in the garden... I think not.

After all, where would Kita catch her sunbeams then?

 

Poorly Puppy

OK, she's not really a puppy as she's almost two, but she's definitely poorly.

I've been trying to move Kita to a raw diet with a thought to maybe going to BARF or prey model in due course. Introducing the new diet slowly, I tried her with rabbit first. She adored it! Great start - this was a couple of weeks ago.

I'll fill in my other experiences with this new diet another day.

She had rabbit again on Sunday.

A couple of days later, she started suffering from diarrhoea. (That word is so hard to spell - I have to Google it each time to get the British English spelling.) 

Oh no! Had I caused it by feeding her raw food? I didn't think so, dogs have a different digestive system from us. But still...

She went very reluctantly on her walks and seemed to be constipated too; she was straining a lot. I kept a close eye on her but she was fine at home. Lively and eating as normal.

But then she kept Rhiannon up all night by whining to get out. I let her into the garden at midnight whereupon she did the unthinkable and pooed there. Why is it unthinkable? Well, Shibas tend to 'do their business' well away from their 'den' or home. We were told it's because they are a primitive species and they don't want to advertise their presence to potential enemies. Usually, we have to walk some considerable distance before she 'goes'. In Tokyo, she got it up to two miles!

Anyway, I slept on the sofa with her, sort of, as she needed to go out ever couple of hours. I have to admit it was really lovely having a real teddy-bear dog to cuddle, and she was very cuddly. But poor, poorly puppy <sad face>.

As I mentioned here, I wasn't too keen on the vet we'd found. So first thing yesterday morning I emailed the hostess from the 'do' the other night for advice. She was fabulous and telephoned me straight away as well as emailing the address and phone number over. She even offered to come over and drive us there. What a truly kind and lovely lady.

I couldn't get an appointment until 5pm and told Tim to get home early as there was no way I could deal with a sick dog and a potentially over-dramatic child.

Poor Kita went downhill quite quickly. She refused to drink anything and slept so deeply I felt the need to poke her regularly to wake her up. On the occasions she went outside I could see she was in pain too. I Googled and panicked myself by thinking she may have an obstruction.

I spent the day getting fluids into her, but it was not easy. She'd lick drops from my fingers but would have nothing from the bowl. I improvised a syringe with a straw and managed to keep her going to the extent she was much perkier by the time we had to go to the vets.

Oh they were wonderful! It was a proper surgery rather than a slightly grubby front room and all the staff made a huge fuss of Kita. And they spoke English. And the vet knew about the Shiba Inu species, which is very useful. 

The vet immediately attached her to a drip, took her temperature - which made her very cross -  well it would, wouldn't it? No raised temperature, thank goodness. He gave her painkillers and antibiotics and said she'd probably picked up a virus by inhalation, something similar to Rotavirus - they'd had a lot of cases recently.

I've got antibiotic tablets to give her and she's been better today. Still not particularly keen on drinking, so I've had to continue that palaver, but she kept following me out to the kitchen for food. So I mixed some up with a lot of water and she wolfed it down.

This evening, she wanted to go for a walk, so she's obviously on the mend. Thank goodness!

What a worry.

Success!

Good morning! Just a quick update on yesterday evening's night out.

In my opinion, it was a great success. This means I wasn't over or under-dressed and I did not drink too much and embarrass anyone. The people were interesting and (very) intelligent. And further entertainment was provided in the form of a small, well behaved dog.

I was very taken by the floral displays everywhere. They had a touch of ikebana about them and made me realise I miss my classes in Tokyo and probably need to find a florist's soon so I can practise more.

There were about a dozen guests and at 9pm we were served the most incredible supper. Silver service all the way with a dizzying array of glasses and cutlery. I remembered how to use them too!

A mouth watering selection of salmon started off the meal, followed by delicious, tender beef and gnocchi as a main course and for dessert, mixed berries with a parfait of some description. I couldn't translate the menu and I didn't feel I should ask what was in it.

I was placed next to our host and at one point was put on the spot to talk about the subject of an article I'm writing this week. All I've done so far is light research, so I surprised myself at being able to recall an 'interesting' fact about it. The whole table went quiet to listen, so perhaps it's more interesting than I thought! That's a very good way of clarifying thoughts on a tricky article though. Now I'd better write the damn thing before I forget - it's due at the end of the week...

After supper, we went to the drawing room for coffee and everyone headed outside. The garden was beautiful but I was cold so went back in with the charming hostess and chatted with her for the rest of the evening.

We left early to rescue our new babysitter. After all, it was a school night. She was extremely lovely and level headed and Rhiannon adored her. So did the dog, to the extent of jumping clear over the sofa several times and generally being a typical OTT Shiba Inu.

All in all, a fabulous night out and I feel so much brighter having had other adults to talk to for a while.

What to Wear?

Well here's something new. Tim and I are going out to a function tonight and... we finally have a babysitter!

It's taken a long time, a rather complicated set of phone calls, emails, and text messages, date misunderstandings, a bit organisation and a lot of help from someone I've not yet met, but it's all come together at the last moment.

The 'do' doesn't start until 8.30pm though, which, as our new babysitter is still at school, will mean we will somehow have to make an early getaway. Tim will collect her and take her home afterwards. 

As usual I have no idea what to wear. I never do. I really need a stylist and a bottomless wallet.

I bought a new dress by mail-order for my birthday / sayonara party that didn't happen due to the earthquake in Japan. However, I only tried it on an hour ago... and of course, it looks dreadful.

One day I will remember that I'm no longer 21 years old and a svelte size 10 with pert standalone boobs. One day...

Perhaps I should stick to my tried and tested all-black outfits, but even I'm bored with them now. Besides, I fancied a bit of colour to cheer me up a bit. So in desperation I've settled on a bright reddish-pink skirt and a black top. Which meant I had to take off my newly applied nail varnish as it doesn't match. Yes, it's been one of those days.

Inevitably, whatever I choose to wear will be wrong. Either everyone will be in evening dress and I'll be 'smart casual' or vice versa. Yes, it's happened before.

When Rhiannon gets back from school she will insist on 'helping' me with my make-up and accessories. Which reminds me, I still haven't unpacked my jewellery. Probably just as well the 'do' doesn't start until late. Oh, and another thing, I have no idea if it's a drinks and nibbles event or a full-blown sit-down dinner. I shall either starve or over-feed. (I'm going to eat a little something in a moment in case it's the former.)

So in a few hours time I shall be meeting a few new people, a couple of VIPs and even more importantly, my new and hopefully long-term babysitter.

I just hope it stops pouring with rain by the time we need to leave.

Wish me luck!

 

School Residential Trip

School started last Tuesday with Rhiannon heading off on a residential trip to the north of Germany somewhere near the Polish border.

For four days and three nights. Three whole nights!

She's been away before, but only ever for one night at a time. To be frank, she doesn't really do too well away from the comfort of her own home (and mum!). She gets over-excited then over-tired swiftly followed by over-emotional and over-wrought.

But she was incredibly excited about the trip, albeit tinged with a little nervousness and a lot of bravery considering all the changes she's been through recently. For example, I'm still having to reassure her that there will not be an earthquake here...

However, by Wednesday she realised that she'd be away for another couple of nights and I received an incoherent phone call from her. Sobbing her heart out, she told me she wanted to come home. I can't say it was unexpected, but it was upsetting for this mum nonetheless.

Her mobile phone reception wasn't good so we resorted to texting - me with reassurances and advice to speak to a teacher, Rhiannon with vague, almost monosyllabic comments. As far as I could gather it was purely homesickness and nothing more worrying. (This turned out to be correct, by the way).

Finally it all went quiet on the phone front. I pondered contacting the teachers, but decided they were aware of the problem and knew how to deal with it. 

Apron strings need to be loosened sometime and now was as good a time as any.

Thankfully I was right and when Rhiannon called later that evening she was much perkier and stated "Well, I must give it a go". Good girl!

On Friday she texted me to say she was on the bus heading back to school and was very tired. For her to admit she is tired means she's about to drop. The bus arrived at school an hour earlier than expected and the next message I received was "when are you coming to collect me?" 

What!? I'd not expected that. I thought she'd be coming back on the bus as usual - oops, assumptions again!

Time for mum to be brave now and drive the 12km to school - a particularly complicated journey involving massive roundabouts (my personal nemeses) and the potential to accidentally get onto an autobahn of massive size.

To my relief I made it without incident although I will admit to being very shaky at the end of it.

It was fabulous to see my girl again and instantly noticed in her a new maturity hidden under the dark circles of tiredness. All in all she'd had an absolutely brilliant time, although not all the promised activities happened for various reasons.

She arrived home to a fabulously enthusiastic welcome from Kita; Tim arrived home from work and we went out for a celebratory meal at the trattoria.

Rhiannon slept for 12 hours and is still tired this morning. She's gone riding now. What a busy week for her.

 

Animal Assassinations

Yesterday was quite traumatic.

After our return from sight-seeing in Berlin, we let the pets out into the garden.

Almost immediately, Raymi the cat reappeared with a mouse. The mouse was not dead and Raymi was doing that revolting cat thing of playing with the poor creature.

My inclination was to let the cat finish what he'd started, as I presumed the mouse would already be mortally wounded.

I told Tim what was going on out there in case the dog tried to muscle in. Since we arrived here Kita has realised she's a hunting dog and spends her morning walk wrenching my arm out of its socket in her unsuccessful but enthusiastic pursuit of various rodents.

I also told Rhiannon not to go out there. She's way too sensitive for that kind of scene. Besides, we'd already had a pretty stressful day.

Did she take any notice of me? Of course not.

Anyway, Tim rescued the mouse which, as it happened, was uninjured, just in deep shock, understandably.

The squeals from Rhiannon started, "Ohhh it's soooo CUTE! Please can we keep it as a pet? Please, please, pleeeaaase? I love it!". Repeated at top volume until your ears melt...

They released the little mouse outside our fence at the end of the garden. I didn't like to tell them that's where a neighbour's cat lurks...

Anyway, a few minutes later piercing screams of the utmost horror tore through the quiet air. I thought Tim, Kita or Raymi had been injured in some kind of accident, such was the intensity of Rhiannon's freak-out.

Nope. Yet another mouse had popped up through a drain on the other side of the house.

And Kita made her first kill.

I've wondered for some time what Kita would do if she did actually catch one. Would she lick it and try to make friends with it? Or did she have the killer instinct to dispatch it quickly and cleanly?

I suspected the former.

I was wrong. Apparently she was extremely efficient. And very proud of herself.

Shame she had to do it in front of Rhiannon.

I'm afraid my warped sense of humour kicked in and I suggested we send it to my friend to be stuffed... Rhiannon was most unimpressed and I think Tim was a bit horrified too.

Yes, I'm evil... sorry.

 

 

Holocaust Memorial

Today is yet another public holiday here. So we took the bus and a train into the Mitte - the centre of Berlin. This is near Tim's workplace so he knew the area a little.

In the muggy heat of a June day we went for lunch at a very mediocre café.

Across the road was a mass of rectangular blocks. Hundreds of them. It's the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe aka the Holocaust Memorial.

19,000 square metres of 2,711 concrete slabs. They look like slate - dark grey and very smooth to touch.

We weren't allowed into the information centre as it's not open to children under the age of 14. Understandable, but tricky to explain to Rhiannon why is was unsuitable for her. I feel everyone should know about the Holocaust and I've explained a little to her, but her young brain cannot conceive the unparalleled horror of it. Neither can mine, really.

You can wander around amongst the stelae, as the slabs are called. They are arranged in a grid pattern on sloping ground and are of varying heights. Undulating paths lead through the slabs. According to Wikipedia they "are designed to produce an uneasy, confusing atmosphere".

That description is not wrong.

Just after I took the photo above, I was overwhelmed by the largest dark cloud and burst into tears. I sobbed "I can't stay in here" and ran out to the edge.

I'm not claustrophobic. The thought that popped into my head was something along the lines of "these look like the huts in the concentration camps".

At least I could leave.

I can't explain my reaction. I'll try another day.

Once I'd composed myself and met up with Tim and a concerned and slightly confused Rhiannon we went to see the Brandenburg Gate.

This is where the Berlin Wall used to be. Only marked by the right-angle of bricks in the road.

And a slightly wonky photo of the Reichstag.

Then we went home.

I feel weird.

 

 

The Mysterious Stranger

Once upon a time, a family moved across the globe.

From East to West they travelled, with many memories, treasures, and rather a lot of trauma in their baggage. They weren't quite ready for the journey but higher forces decreed that it must be made. Their faithful animal companions travelled separately and after a few days, all living members of the family were happily reunited in their new-to-them abode.

Goods and chattels followed later, whereupon the family tried very hard to make the house a home. Most of this work fell to the head of the family because the other two members were out at work and school. She was perfectly happy with this situation.

Around the time of this vitally important settling-in period the head of the family was invited to an ancient ritual called a "coffee morning". Unfortunately she was unable to attend due to the timing of the event and its location in between the lands of Ihaven'taclue and Notransportavailable.

Pressure in the form of phone calls was put upon the her, but she was under the more important pressures of work deadlines and just couldn't make it. It was accepted that she couldn't meet the tribe this time and would make it next time.

Or so she thought...

A couple of other invitations have been sent, but as there is nobody to care for the youngest member of the family, these too have had to be refused. Other requests include courses and classes that do not appeal due to time constraints and reallynotinteresteditis.

Very recently a phone call revealed certain interesting speculations circulating. Apparently the head of the family is considered to be mysterious, unusual, and possibly a 'wild card' in the potential circle. She thinks this translates as 'unsociable and downright weird'.

All descriptions suit her very well and she revels in them. Who wants to be considered 'normal'?

She was informed that she "couldn't hide forever" and "rumours are starting about you". Promises were made to "just drop in on her one day" and inferences that a party should be held at their home very soon.

It's unusual in the particular life the family leads for a woman to work from home. Many people do not understand this concept, even in this day and age.

Take a look at the current To-Do list she is currently working through...

• Plan, research and prepare my book.
• Create a questionnaire interview for my book.
• Send above interview out to as many people as possible.
• Write numerous articles before the summer holidays which start in 4 weeks.
• Care for child, dog and cat.
• Take child to the Pony Club.
• Find a 'baby'-sitter.
• Plan and organise play-dates and sleepovers.
• Plan summer holiday visits in the UK.
• Write extra articles that have been commissioned.
• Study and submit modules for my graphic design course.
• Wait in for various workmen to fix broken household items.
• Blog on Berlinfusion.
• Build a Wordpress website.
• Learn the following software properly;
  -Adobe Photoshop
  -Adobe Illustrator
  -Adobe Indesign
  -Wordpress
• Update Japanory blog.
• Do tax return.
• Sort out my office.
• Tackle the two Everest-like mountains of ironing.
• Housework (yes, it's at the bottom of the list for a reason)

It's no wonder she has no time for anything much else!

 

 

 

A Prize and A Pony

I've won a prize! A real one!!

This is a massive event for me because, although I have been lucky in life (for the most part), I never, ever win prizes for anything.

Only once did my raffle ticket come up - I was 14 years old and I won a bottle of sweet sherry. I think it was out of date. Dad was happy because it went into several trifles - his favourite dessert.

How did I win? I bought a book I'd been thinking of getting for a while - called Expat Women: Confessions. Then I discovered that if I bought it during May and sent the receipt to the group, I'd be entered into the draw. Every single prize was covetable. As it was a global draw, I didn't think I stood a chance, but if you don't try...

Anyway, on Twitter yesterday I saw they'd put up the list of winners, and lo and behold, my name - sort of - was at number 9. I spent the afternoon on tenterhooks wondering if there was more than one Carole Mobbs (without the Hallett) in the world who had entered this draw.

But this morning it was confirmed by email.

It was me! I've won a Kindle! I am so happy it's ridiculous.

I wonder if this has broken the never-win-anything spell? Now I would like to win an iPad please...

So with this happy news buzzing around in my head I took Rhiannon to her third riding lesson. This time I had to drive without Tim's calming presence beside me and put up with Rhiannon's non-stop yapping instead.

Halfway there, a massive thunderstorm hit and the heavens opened. I had no idea how to turn the windscreen wipers on! So I had to hold the wiper control stick whilst driving. A little nerve wracking, but I'm now comfortable driving on the wrong side of the road.

Luckily, the torrential rain held off for Rhiannon's lesson which she insisted I watch. She's coming on tremendously well and, after just two lessons has mastered the rising trot. She showed me how to groom and tack up "her" pony. His name is Napumuk and he's a very well behaved 17 years old.

The teacher is fabulous and I'm considering taking lessons myself in the autumn. Although I can ride, ie I can stay on a horse while it's galloping and I can trot without shaking my body to pieces, I've never had a proper lesson. And I've only really ridden using a Western saddle.

Let's see how I feel in the Autumn. There's no point starting now as we're off to the UK for five weeks from July.

Anyway, today's main topic in my head has been "I've won a PRIZE!"

Alice in Tokyo

Today I want to send many thanks to ML Awanohara, Kate Allison and Anthony Windram of The Displaced Nation for inviting me to write a guest post about Japan.

It was such fun to write! Not only did it mean I could write about my favourite place - Tokyo, but also to include loads of references to Alice in Wonderland. A book I know well as apart from reading it to Rhiannon on several occasions, I also studied it along with its partner, Alice Through the Looking Glass, for my 'A' levels, many moons ago.

So here is a link to my published post - "For curious and unreal travel, Tokyo sure beats Wonderland".

Hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

My Cat is Mended!

Well, it's taken almost two months, but Raymi the cat is back to his normal self!

Yes, he's happy to go outside again. (You can read about his problems here)

After a few weeks he was OK going out at night, albeit very nervously. Even then he'd come back and miaow every ten minutes or so - just to check we're here, I guess. He began to stay out longer and longer before returning to check on us.

Then last weekend he came downstairs at 11am. And went outside!

Now he's back to his normal schedule of going out during the day and coming back in at night. More importantly he is less demanding when he is inside now.

He's found himself a 'spot' and casts his baleful eyes around at Kita playing the fool with her special ball.

The mouse population is diminishing though. One per night so far.

We are going to have to put a cat-flap in before we go away in the summer. I cannot imagine the carnage we may come back to.

Luckily, he doesn't feel the need to bring me presents, alive or dead, he just leaves them on the patio.

Let's hope this practice continues while we're away.

 

I Drove, She Rode!

It's been a busy few days. But when written down it doesn't appear so.

Thursday was (yet another) public holiday and the start of half term.

Rhiannon had her first riding lesson and Tim had the day off.

I had to drive here for the first time as I need to take Rhiannon riding next week by myself. And I really have to get self-reliant as soon as possible to prevent falling into the trailing spouse culture shock depression. It makes sense to make my first attempt while Tim is next to me.

Driving wasn't too bad. Perhaps it was easier because we have a right hand drive car so the layout is familiar to me. Anyway, I did it!

We dropped Rhiannon off for her lesson and drove back to a garden centre nearby, which was actually open on a public holiday. And it was very well stocked too. However, it was only plants that were available for buying, everything else was cordoned off - so you can buy plants, but not tools, earth but not cat litter.

I treated myself to a couple of beautiful Acers to help create a little Japanese garden and two Buddleias for a little easy-growing colour. Digging the holes for them was nigh on impossible though. The ground is incredibly hard having never been looked after. The soil is very sandy and will need a lot of help.

After a delicious and much needed cup of coffee, we went back to collect Rhiannon who was grooming "her" pony and putting away the tack. She declared her first lesson "the best thing she has ever done".

Good, so that's a success. I shall wave goodbye to my Saturdays for the next few years then.

On Friday, Tim took a day's holiday and Rhiannon had another riding lesson. So the same procedure was performed. At the garden centre this time I just bought pet stuff. Although I am pondering getting some rose bushes. I am a bit of a rose addict, so am currently unwilling to embark on this hobby as it will get expensive. Also, the ground needs sorting out first.

I also adore bonsai, but have a poor record at keeping them alive. So I just gazed and wished. I may cave another day as they had a fabulous little Ginko tree.

Rhiannon had a sleepover at a new friend's home right in the city centre, so we dropped her off there then headed into a supermarket to get some goodies for dinner. And visited a DIY store to get more storage for the bathroom.

Then we had a nice, quiet evening.

 

Today we had been instructed to collect Rhiannon at 10am but were then persuaded by two enthusiastic 9 year olds to bring her new friend back with us. So today has been fairly restful too.

This will all change after this friend has been collected in a couple of hours though.

I suppose I should tidy the house up a bit!

Birds I've Seen in My Garden Today

Warning! Twitcher Geek post ahead!!

 

I've been hard at work writing an article about Japan today. I'll let you know if / when / where it's published in due course.

So I've had my head down most of the time, but when I look up for inspiration (ie... gazing into the distance, thinking) I notice my garden is full of birds.

Now I grew up in a bird-watching family so know most of the birds I'm looking at, but it's still a lovely sight to see them in my garden. There are also some of the more 'unusual' garden birds. There are a couple I'm unsure about as when I looked them up to find their Latin names, I discovered some alternate options, noted below.

Perhaps I should feed them, but Raymi-cat has become a little braver and ventures out in the late afternoon / early evening now, so it seems cruel to encourage the birds to what could be a premature and unpleasant death.

Anyway, here's my list of "Birds I've Seen in My Garden Today":

• Black Redstart - Phoenicurus ochruros
• Blackbird - Turdus merula
• Blackcap - Sylvia atricapilla
• Bluetit - Cyanistes caeruleus
• Chaffinch - Fringilla coelebs
• Chiffchaff - Phylloscopus collybita
• Coal tit - Periparus ater
• Common Redstart - Phoenicurus phoenicurus
• Great tit - Parus major
• Greater Spotted Woodpecker or Medium Spotted?  - Dendrocopos major / Dendrocopos medius (I didn't realise the Medium Spotted existed until I looked the Latin name up just now, so I'm not sure which I had in my garden)
  
• Lesser Spotted Woodpecker - Dendrocopos minor
• Hooded crow - Corvus cornix

• House Sparrow - Passer domesticus
• Eurasian Tree Sparrow - Passer montanus (Again, not sure about this - to me, it looks similar to the House Sparrow)
  
• European Starling - Sturnus vulgaris
• Jay - Garrulus glandarius

• Magpie - Pica pica
• Nuthatch - Sitta europaea
• Robin - Erithacus rubecula
• White Wagtail - Motacilla alba
• Wood pigeon - Columba palumbus
• Wren - Troglodytes troglodytes

There are Nightingales around too, heard but not seen. And probably Warblers, but I can't tell one Warbler from another so tend to ignore them.

Perhaps I'll finally learn their differences while I'm here.

Blackbird                                                                                                     Turdus merula

Bluetit                                                                                                          Cyanistes caeruleus

Chaffinch                                                                                                    Fringilla coelebs

Chiffchaff                                                                                                    Phylloscopus collybita

Hooded crow                                                                                            Corvus cornix

Jay                                                                                                                 Garrulus glandarius

Greater Spotted Woodpecker or Medium Spotted?                Dendrocopos major / Dendrocopos medius

Lesser Spotted Woodpecker                                                              Dendrocopos minor

Magpie                                                                                                        Pica pica

Great tit                                                                                                       Parus major

Coal tit                                                                                                          Periparus ater

Wood pigeon                                                                                            Columba palumbus

Common Redstart                                                                                   Phoenicurus phoenicurus

Black Redstart                                                                                           Phoenicurus ochruros

Robin                                                                                                            Erithacus rubecula

Nuthatch                                                                                                     Sitta europaea

House Sparrow                                                                                         Passer domesticus

Eurasian Tree Sparrow                                                                          Passer montanus

White Wagtail                                                                                           Motacilla alba

Wren                                                                                                            Troglodytes troglodytes

Blackcap                                                                                                      Sylvia atricapilla

European Starling                                                                                    Sturnus vulgaris