Our Tame Ducks Return....And So Does The Bullfinch

Only a week or two ago Sam was asking whether the nearly tame pair of mallards who used to visit us were still around, or if they'd gone away. It was a tricky question, as Sam is quite sensitive to keeping things stable and secure, especially where any kind of emotional bond has developed....and we really used to love the way the ducks (the man's called Crispy and his missus is Pancake) came waddling up to the windows of the flat hustling for food.


Yesterday they came back, hoorah! Sam wasn't here so I snapped them on the mobile phone's camera and sent the pic to his mum's phone....apparently he was very excited! Today after school I spotted them outside again, so Sam was able to re-acquaint himself personally with his inappropriately named chums. They're a nice old couple and amble to within a metre or so for their bread. Occasionally Sam's been able to feed them straight from his hand. Welcome back, duck dudes!

Equally amazing was another return visitor, spotted this very morn. I keep a record of the first visit, and also the most recent visit, of all the varieties of birds we see here. This morning I had a fancy to see which one we hadn't seen for the longest time - it was the bullfinch, last spotted in May 2008. Unsettlingly, an hour later I glanced up from my Weetabix and there was was a huge, bright red blob of colour sitting outside - a bullfinch! Not just the male, he had his moll with him too. I took the picture below, which is a bit rubbish as the camera was zoomed to the max. Welcome back bullfinch dudes!

So it's a lovely time for reunions at the moment. Sam and I celebrated by wolfing down the new, favourite meal, the home made meatballs and spaghetti.

Airing The Tent

We did an important job today, one that will hopefully become a lovely annual milestone of the year's progress. We aired the tent.



We only put it up loosely, no need to batten down the hatches for just a few hours. Plus, the delightful weather posed no threat to our portable home.

Sam tried his sleeping bag too, and virtually melted within a minute. Note his cavernous bedroom in the tent....while I tried out my tiny prison cell as well!

So, job well done. We loved all our expeditions last year (even the night spent awake, expecting the tent to lift off every minute, as we camped through the tail-end of Hurricane Bill hitting the UK - it was fun the morning after!), I hope this year is as much fun!

Oxburgh Hall - Knight School

Oxburgh Hall is one of our favourite places, and we always have a lot of fun when we go there. On Saturday they held a "Knights, Damsels & Dragons" day. First job was to follow the Armour Trail, noting down the names of each piece of a suit of armour.

Sam got himself fitted in armour to undergo training at Knight School.

The sword was very heavy and Sam didn't manage to hold it straight ahead for very long.

Before killing your enemy it was considered good manners to salute him....

....then you slice his bonce off.

Sam passed the school test with flying colours and was knighted as Sir Sam of Oxford....or was he beheaded?

And so to the archery practice. Sam proved to be quite handy with the bow....

....and hit the target four out of five times, as you can see. Nice shootin' Tex.

Oxburgh Hall is a beautiful little place, and I love being there. The weather is usually beautiful there as well.

Before we made our way home there was enough time for a lesson in how sundials work....

....enough time to give Dad a grass hat....

....and enough time for some impressive rolling down hills. Great day!