There were three or four rats in the garden this afternoon. I think it is the ones from before, but a little more grown up. They are reasonably large with gorgeous glossy brown coats. They look incredibly cute and the picture of health. I still don't want them in my garden. I put some more peppermint oil down which seemed to deter them, but I think that I need to get the spray that broke during the Amazon delivery. The rats seemed to utterly recoil from that.
I don't really want to stop feeding the birds. The sparrows are great entertainment, and I saw a blackbird, a blue tit and a robin this afternoon. The bushes across the road are growing back slightly thicker, so that should be a great place for birds by the end of next year. My garden is turning out accidentally to be good for wildlife. There is a huge patch of alyssum (that badly needs weeding), the flowers on the beans and the fuschia which all attract insects, as well as the few remaining flowers on the honeysuckle. The berries on the honeysuckle and fuschia are good for the birds as well as any insects they scrounge. And if a toad every comes back, they are very welcome to the slugs.
The man from the bathroom place came around today. It's looking like it will cost over £6k, but that's what I expected really. I think we need to sort out the re-wiring first. As the house is FULL that may take some getting ready. Mind you, I've been meaning to get it done since bear was in primary school and he's been in high school three full years so I need to shake myself.
I'm feeling a little run down. I have a cold sore and I feel very achy. I also haven't gone out for a walk. I find it incredibly hard to get out of the house still unless I'm using the car. I may try and push myself after the boiler service tomorrow.
On the bright side, I have a much cleaner bathroom and I've got some writing done, so today is not entirely a fail.
Hugs and good health to all.
I know many people recoil from rats as somehow unclean, but I actually rather like them and, having lived in the countryside and a big city, got pretty used to seeing them. That oft-repeated saw about never being more than a couple of feet from a rat in London etc. They are quite beautiful close up but I can appreciate you don't want them dancing a fandango outside your back door. Many people do have to give up feeding the birds to persuade them to keep their distance it seems but perhaps peppermint oil will do the trick. It sounds as though the rest of your garden is doing its bit for nature even if you can't have birds visiting for food.
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear about your cold sore. My husband gets them when he's run down too, and I know they're perfectly miserable to put up with. I guess it's now or never for sorting out the house. I find filling a skip very cathartic, although I do have a couple of instances several months later where I'm combing the house for something only to realise after an hour that I threw it away ages ago. But they are very very minor compared to the progress of clearing away the clutter, and 99.9% of things I never even remember I had.
Does it really matter if you drive somewhere to take a walk? If that's what's needed to go somewhere you're familiar with and enjoy walking, then why not? The walking's the important part, not where you do it. And you will feel better both physically and mentally for doing it I bet!