Anything for a free rack

On Sunday, the Vol-in-Law took our usual amble in the Deer Park. I find the fresh air and open spaces destressing, plus it’s beautiful in the Spring.

The young deer were feeling their oats, too and we watched from afar as two young bucks clashed violently.

The Vol-in-Law noticed that one of the deer seemed to be missing an antler. We assumed it had just come off. It had clearly come off fairly recently (see rather gruesome picture here). I said “Hey, we could collect that antler,” and the Vol-in-Law started up the hill to find the thing. I ambled along after him at my waddle-dy pregnant pace.

We did a “finger tip search” where we’d seen the deer fight. Nothing. Nada. Rien. I really don’t think it was there. But, of course, antlers are the same color as sticks. Probably for adaptive evolutionary reasons.

We finally gave up looking for it, and the Vol-in-Law said – “I only wanted it for you. For me the antler is just a piece of bloody anatomy, but for you it means something.”

((What?))

Springtime in London

Magnolia in Richmond Deer Park

Blue

I’ve never managed to get these to grow in my own garden.

Mandarin ducks

My dad is visiting. We took him to Richmond Deer Park. We stopped by our favorite cat food store in Wimbledon [borders] on the way. I used some of the cat food to feed the ducks in Isabella Plantation.

Our cat food is very expensive because we have to get hypo-allergenic food for Other Cat who has sensitivities to food coloring. (Basically she itches so bad she scratches bleeding holes in herself). The Vol-in-Law thought it was a terrible waste of money.

But luring the ducks within range of my camera was worth it…

…I think.

we’re lame

We’re a bit lame now. Never exactly the big social butterflies, we did at least hit the pub regularly. But now on Friday night we go to the gym together. On Saturday we go for a long walk in the park followed by grocery shopping and this usually tires me out which means I fall asleep on the sofa by 10 or 10:30. Sundays we do usually have dinner with friends who have more exciting engagements on the other nights of the weekends.

Last weekend was a big exception. We cleaned in advance of the Vol-in-Law’s parents visiting us midweek. When we tired of that, we went out and distributed leaflets for this Tuesday’s Conservative Party primary (more to follow on that later, I’m sure).

But we were back to the old routine this weekend. A lovely walk in Richmond Park. A little shopping in Wimbledon Village (not something I would advise the frugal shopper to partake in – as any village which has a Max Mara on the high street is probably not your average village) – and then dinner and zonking on the couch.

I didn’t even manage to get very many good pictures. But I did spy a not-so-shy robin – and managed to slip off my back pack, open back pack, slip out camera case, open camera case, turn on camera, focus and shoot:

before the inevitable happened:

I also got a lovely shot of a Mandarin duck. I always wonder if the poor things will be slaughtered in an anti-bird flu frenzy one day – and the discovery of bird flu at a turkey farm in England in the last week or so only makes the question more pressing in my mind.

Deer park

Yesterday we took a long walk in Richmond Deer Park. It was one of the first weekend days with a bit of blue sky that I can remember.

We went down to the lake and saw Sam the dozy looking English shephard mix nosing around the water, upsetting the swans. The swans were hissing and spitting. His owners were concerned – as well they might have been – a swan can break you arm with one beat of its mighty wing. They kept calling “Sam, Sam” – but in a nice sweet way. Sam ignored them and the swans.

These swans were mighty upset with Sam.

Then we walked past a big open field of dry bracken. I didn’t really notice anything special about it at first, but then the Vol-in-Law pointed out that the field was full of deer. They are about the same color as the bracken and only their antlers were poking over the top of the dead vegetation.

Feral

Feral parakeets live in South London. Refugees from the pet trade, there are colonies all up and down the Thames. There are quite a few in Richmond Deer Park. They squawk and squeak and unfortunately usually stay too high up in the trees to get good pictures of them.

Fogged over

The fog is bad. In my time in London, I can’t remember a fog like this. It’s blanketing almost the whole country, but particularly the South East. It’s a real pea-souper.

Heathrow has come to a standstill. (And for once it’s not over labour dispute/terror). All domestic flights have been cancelled. Many flights to Europe have been delayed or cancelled. Long haul flights to the US or Australia are supposed to be running, but folks trying to get home for the holidays are spending a lovely festive time at Heathrow airport. They’ve decked the halls with emergency blankets.

I’m so, so glad we’re not going anywhere this year.

We did go for a walk today, at the Vol-in-Law’s special birthday request. It was foggy over Richmond Deer Park, too.

It’s dark

I’ve been in the UK for 10 years, and I’m still not used to the short days around this time of year. It’s not light til nearly eight am and dark just before 4.