Things that have made you happy today' 2024

The neighbours on both sides of my house decided to move in 2021, after 20 yrs here. I was very unsettled ... but, I am happy to report it's turned out great! I appreciate my good luck.

 

OH came back from Cricklade, said, I’ve got something for you, takes out the phone and plays a recording :
Hello Simone, I’m just doing a few valuations here and I know you are a big fan, and I wanted to say hello.



Made my day, no, my year

 

Well done @simone_in_wiltshire OH!

 

Indeed @Bluejayway, Paul Martin is one of a few who makes people smiling. And so knowledgeable.

 

Blue tits investigating the nest box made me happy, and I even got a video. Not sure if I can get it on here, so will have a look.
Watching all the jackdaws picking up lots of bits of twigs and stalks when I'm out for a walk, ready for their nests. They're very industrious.

 

I know what you mean fairygirl, I love watching the birds gather up their nest material. They love the moss I line my hanging baskets with!

 

So ... I was walking along and the pavement goes over a little river in a culvert, just alongside a busy main road. Suddenly, a duck appears out of some shrubbery about a metre from me. I froze, so as not to spook her in case she dashed into the road. Then, 7 of the cutest little fluffball ducklings appeared behind her. She crossed the path in front of me, squeezed under the bridge railings and dropped 2 metres into the water below. I wondered if the ducklings would object to that distance of drop, but no. One by one, in they jumped ... and she shepherded them straight under some greenery. Then I noticed a drake waiting for his family a little further along, swimming up and down on patrol.

And all this inches away from busy traffic, hemmed in by 3 huge superstores, and with the intrusive beep beeping of reversing machinery from the building site a short distance away.

Amazing!

 

Someone noticed that i cleaned up the road outside our house only because further up the road it's a right mess because farmer hasn't or can't be bothered to clean up his mess

 

I set up the wildlife camera yesterday, to see who'd been leaving black droppings near the birds' water dish. "Our" hedgehog is back!

 

Great! Can we see the droppings please? Think our little (big) fellow might be back as well...

 

I found the first hedgehog dropping I've seen in this garden! I hope he/she wasn't just passing through.

 

A lovely walk along the path between Llandudno West Shore and Deganwy - North Wales.
The hill on the left is the Great Orme, houses on the left are on what is known as Millionaires Row. One was once owned by Cliff Richards. Another resident was Judith Chalmers.
We have just returned, we were staying in a bungalow in Llandudno.

 

You’ll have to move to the Conwy area permanently @Cordy , enjoy the views every day!

 

@Bluejayway, yes we love North Wales.

We were planning to buy an apartment for holidays, probably in Llandudno - but have you seen how much the Council tax is being increased for second home owners?

Increase by 100% this year, then a further 100% next year.
Paying 300% council tax each year is a killer for us, also the stamp duty is more if the property is a second home

 

To me that just suggests they dont want you.