Welcome 2006

           

I Would like to wish all my J-land friends a Very Happy and Prosperous New Year.

                                            

Our Bird Watching Year.

 

As you all know the other love of my life is bird watching.  I have been bringing our years lists up to date this afternoon and printing it off as I do every year.  We have seen a total of 183 species not a bad year at all in fact one of your best that is if we are not out of the country.  So tomorrow we start all over again.  The real hot shot birders that fly up to the Shetlands and out to the Scilly islands at the drop of a hat can do a lot better than that but that is out of our league until we have a big win on the lottery.  I have posted a couple of pictures for you to see I must stress they are not of my taking but downloaded for a bird watching sight we use daily. The first bird is a Belted Kingfisher who dropped in on 1st April and nobody would believe the chap that saw him. He did stay in Yorkshire for a couple of days then disappeared then he reappeared just south of Aberdeen two days later that is when Stuart and I bombed up to see him he was a cracking bird. We got the most horrible weather to see him it was lashing rain and a cold wind but he was worth it I say he there is no difference between the sexes of this bird.  This was a "Life bird for us and the first time this bird has been seen in Great Britain.   The second picture is a Trumpeter Finch that we we were lucky enough to see when we were on holiday in Suffolk this summer it came to Felixstowe and we were only about 50 miles away so we could not resist this opportunity as this is a rare bird for this country and again it was a life bird for us. And with that I will wish Stuart and myself happy birding in 2006 and a bigger total. Hope you have found this of some interest as I know many of you feed and water the birds in your garden this is the other side when you get carried away. Love 

                  Joan.

Happy New Year.

                    

 

                                   

I have been promising you this week I would tell you about New Year up here in Scotland. When I was a wee girl New Year was much bigger occasion than Christmas, we had presents but there was not a Christmas Dinner probable because Christmas day was a working day, our holiday was two days at the New year.  I remember I used to lie in my bed and listen to all the people coming up the hill where I lived in Dundee , singing and wishing everybody they met A Happy New Year. When I was older Mum and Dad took me down the town to see the festivities for myself. There were many stall selling paper hats and the like but the thing that caught my eye was pairs of kippers all dressed up in paper dresses and hats I don't know where this custom came from, I wish I knew, it maybe had something to do with the fishing industry that was on the River Tay. My Gran'dad had his own fishing boat but that's another story. After we saw all the fancy stalls we would stand and wait for 12 o'clock in the city square where at midnight they would fire off a single rocket to let everyone know it was New year.  As I was still young that was it for me we walked home and so to bed.   When Stuart and I started courting I was allowed out late.  On Hogmanay we would either go to a party or go to a dance somewhere. Dances always finished early about 11.30 so you had time to get to where you wanted to be for Midnight.  Usually we went out in a small crowd about 6-8 people. After the rocket went off we would set off to go "First footing." Now this has many rituals to be a "First Foot" (first foot over the threshold) you have to be male dark haired and you cannot go into a house empty handed. You must take a small gift in with you. This could be Chocolates a packet of tea, salt, shortbread or the likes of  a piece of coal was said to be very lucky andit was put on the fire straight away.  After everybody wished everybody in the house  "Happy new Year" you would be given a drink and a piece of cake or shortbread.  We would stay for about half an hour then we would set off on foot for the next house on our list.  We tried to get to all the parents houses on Hogmanay depending where they stayed. We were lucky we all stayed in the west end of the city so we could get round quite a lot.  Everybody you met in the street would wish you a Happy new Year and everybody was in good spirits.  There were no cars on the road and no taxis, we all walked.  When we had all had enough of the festivities we would head back home.  Later that day after our New Years Day Meal we would meet up again and start over getting to all the places we had not been to the night before this could go on till the 3rd of January. When you have your own home it is a bit different the other traditions that are upheld are the cleaning of the house, changing of beds etc. then about 11 30pm you cut the cake, Black Bun Madeira lay out shortbread get out the Glasses and the bottle of Whisky ready for your first foot. One ritual was for the bins, a strange one this,all indoor bins had to be emptied before the stroke of midnight (out with the old year) you never empty your indoor bins on New Years Day and I still keep to that one to this day. New Years day saw the New Years Day meal which is to this day home made soup Steak Pie mashed potatoes etc. So really we have gained in holidays now, as we have all the Christmas Celebrations and then we have New Year as well. It is not nearly such a huge occasion as it was when we were younger but there is still a lot goes on.  There are big street parties in Edinburgh and Glasgow with big firework displays and music from live bands. I will now have to go and do a bit of housework but not the amount I used to do , so all of you We wish you a Very happy New Year.    Love. Stuart & 

Yuk

   In the globe is a Great Northern Diver.

Good Afternoon, I have just been looking out of the window and what a mess we have. We had about an inch of snow during the night and early morning but now the rain has come on and we have just got one big mess. I hate slush it is absolutely horrible. I all looked so pretty this morning when we came down.  On our bird table there were three blackbirds huddled  up together trying to keep dry and warm. We have never seen that before it must have been a very cold night. I would like to take this opportunity to send a get well message to Jeannette who is feeling very poorly today and is having bother getting the help she requires. Prayers and good wishes Jeannette if you read this.  Don't think we will be going out today as it is looking pretty miserable out there. I hate when we are stuck in the house for a whole day but fortunately it is not often we have to do this. Had a short visit this morning from Richard and Ellen which was a nice surprise Lisa was having her hair done as they are all going away for the New Year Celebrations to a nice hotel hope they have a good time as they both work so hard .Richard will be very happy as he will get to give his highland rig an airing at the Hogmanay Do. Well that about it for just now but you never know what might crop up later that I can share with you. Love and  Hugs

 

Waiting for the Snow

  

Good Evening, its been a very cold day here with freezing fog something we do not get much of thank goodness.  It has left the trees looking absolutely spectacular. I have taken some pictures of  what has happened as the frost has frozen on top of the small amount of snow we had yesterday.  The forecast for us for tomorrow is pretty bad with heavy snow coming in from the west overnight so the snow spade will be busy tomorrow morning.  While I was taking the pictures this morning children we sledging just along from me and I very nearly asked if I could have a go, but I thought Stu would do the toot if I did that he is more conservative than I am.  I'll have to go and see if Ellen will give me a go on her sledge. Richard took her out yesterday morning and was telling us that the snowman was build before 9-30am I wonder who was up first Ellen or Dad.  We went out and did the New Year shop today with the weather supposed to be so bad tomorrow so it can snow if it likes now and we can enjoy it.  I hade many years when Stuart worked in Edinburgh worrying about bad weather its nice to be more relaxed about it now.  I remember one winter's day Stu had to get away from work because of snow his journey usually took 40 minutes on a good day but that particular day it 7 hours a complete nightmare. He was one of the last cars to get of the motorway before it closed for two days it is the worst snow I have seen in the 15 years we have lived out here.  Hope you are keeping warm and staying safe will let you know if we get a lot of snow tomorrow. Love.

                          

The weather outside is snowing.

Good Evening ,Have been out to a buffet lunch today at my daughter in laws parents home.  We had some snow overnight and we wondered about going this morning as the road outside our house was still covered in snow as the gritter does not know we live here.  The home we were visiting is in the country so we were a bit worried about the country lane up to their house but it was OK better than ours.  I have taken the above pictures today to let you see the garden as it was looking an absolute picture.  The pictures of Ellen were taken on Christmas Day.  We had a lovely lunch and I have been drinking Champagne so my head is a bit squiffy but I am fine don't know how this will come out though but I am doing my best.  Not very good when I have had wine as I don't drink usually.  I was planning to write to you if you would like about the way New Year was up here in Scotland when we were young but alas is no more let me know and I will do it on Hogmanay. Will go now and have some more coffee Love and take care on the roads if you are going out and about.

                                                                                                          

     

The Second day of Christmas

    

                

Good Afternoon, What a morning we had here Stuart and I we planning to go up to Perth to have a wander round the Sales. Just before we left I remembered it was bin day so I went out the back to get the bin. So far so good as I came down the side of the house I thought the pavement looked a bit shiny what I thought had been rain was actually black ice all the road and the pavement were just one big sheet of ice. As I proceeded towards the pavement off our drive I started to slide me and the wheelie bin.  I had on a pain of leather soled shoes which were flat thank goodness so I could not get a grip at all.  A neighbour across the road had to slid across to help me On how I wished I had my skates on then I would have been in my element. I thought Stuart would call off the trip but he thought it would be OK once we got on the motorway which is only about a quarter of a mile away.  Sure enough once we got out of the cul-de-sac we live in all was well.  The pavements up in Perth were not great but got better as the morning progressed.  The shops were busy at M&S were doing a roaring trade The queues in there were horrendous I put back what I wanted as it would have taken all morning to get to the top of the queue.   Did get a nice pair of leather shoes in a nice shoe shop reduced from £55 to £10 in a lovely Taupe colour so I think I got a good bargain there. Well I think that's about all for now as I will have to go and do some reading to get my answers off for the Journal Tournament that we are doing just now. They are due in tomorrow and I still have some answers to find. Loads of love,