My Robin is now famous!

Check her out here

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/snow-in-the-uk-your-pictures-and-snow-map-1858539.html?action=Popup&ino=20

I was so enamoured by the little one that I submitted her pic and now she's a star ;)

Visitors on a Snowy Day

My backyard is a lively little place. It’s a car park of my apartment building really, but that’s hardly romantic. And it’s not just the car park, beyond it, stretches a vast hill which extends till the eye can see and through which passes an ancient path (Icknield Way)that is dated before records began! I can see this path from my window and it’s quite regularly used.

Now back to my backyard, where besides of course, people driving in and out, and a Porsche which adorns it (the owner even wears Porsche driving gear!), this charming little place has a life of its own. There are trees that line the boundary of the hill, one at a small distance up the hill that looks like the beanstalk from Jack & the B. Also a red bush/tree that stands in the middle of some garden space that has been provided along with some other smaller shrubs that are bare in this season.

So now that the stage is set, let the story begin ;)

It had been a couple of weeks since we moved in and were still settling down when the first one made it’s appearance. It was bold & pompous and quite a show off really. I haven’t yet identified it’s species correctly but i think it’s a magpie. White and black with a dazzling black tail. It’s pretty and it knows it! It strutted itself about the fencing that defines the end of the compound and even posed for a few pics. And then, as if it declare it’s status, flew up to the highest branch of the tree and sat there! Later, I think it saw me admiring it’s beauty so it came up to the little garden below my window to give me a good look (pun intended). 

Well after that the pigeons made their presence felt and then the blackbird which is striking with it’s yellow beak and shiny black coat. I think the sharp contrast with the snow really helps. Same with the magpie who only looks more majestic. Then the ravens came & then the sparrows too. 

But the cutest one took time to reveal itself. I think she was observing me first, having the advantage of size, before she cared to introduce herself. It was on a snowy cold day when I was gazing out just after breakfast that I heard a sweet chirping. I looked about a bit but couldn’t make out where it came from. I got busy doing something and then when I was absent-mindedly gazing out I saw a shimmer of red! There, perched on a stripped shrub right in front of me was the most darling little robin! She was plump and small with a neat red breast and dirty brown coat, bobbing her head and chirping away. I was floored. She sat there hesitantly, keeping a keen eye on me and any movement from me made her fly off to the tree opposite. This continued for a while as I ran to get my camera and capture the little sweetheart. I even threw her some crumbs in the hope that she’d stay longer. But she kept flying off. Eventually I gave up and got down to my work when she came back. And I guess after eating some of the bread, sat a while longer giving me the chance to click her as a thank you ;)

I had found a new friend. I threw more crumbs and that brought not just her but others too. I noticed that my humble pigeons were a couple and were collared too! Not the shabby ones I’m used to seeing in India. And the magpie brought its friends too. 

So now my Robin comes by every morning to greet me…chirping happily and fast! Sometimes cribbing angrily about some other bird, you can tell by her birdie body lingo and sometimes chirping a happy tune!

I have decided to get a bird feeder for her soon. I also noticed another reallllllllllyyyyyyyyyy tiny bird this morning. But it was too small and quick for me to get a good look. Hope to catch an eyeful soon.

Sky gazing

Britain has been besieged by a blisteringly cold arctic wave all this week causing people to stay more indoors to keep warm. Today the sun came out to cheer us up and dispel some of the gloomy weather. The snow shimmered in the bright sunshine but it still remains cold. 

I prefer to stay home in such low temperatures and having just moved into a new apartment which is yet to be set up, I sometimes find myself lacking in ways to keep me amused. It is on days like these that I’m thankful for the view from my window. The hill and its activity, my backyard and its wildlife (more about all that in another post) and the sky!

I love to day dream though and never thought how useful this seemingly futile exercise could be. One of my favourite pastimes is to simply gaze at the sky. I’ve always believed it to be God’s canvas. I cannot explain the calm and serene feeling it brings upon me as my mind is silenced in awe of the beauty it beholds. Sometimes it also brings immense joy when I feel like jumping and skipping like a little school girl. :)

This morning the sun brought with it a patch of clear blue skies which is an instant mood lifter. These days the sky-scape is a rapidly changing one, thanks to the wind. As I look outside I see that the clouds have gathered in what was, but sometime ago, azure. They make a neat pattern, like fish scales. It seems as if there is a gigantic white fish with a blazing golden eye…..unusual and rare. Soon it will go grey as the sun bids adieu in the late afternoon to another cold winter’s day.

Comfort Food

I’m constantly in need of comfort food….i don’t need to be stressed out to feel the need to be pamper myself or rather spoil myself ;)….and it’s easier to do that around xmas when your fridge is stocked with all the goodies!

Yet to justify my cravings (i do feel guilty sometimes) i come up with excuses all the time. ;) Even with a 4 day weekend, Xmas can be a bit taxing….especially if your celebrating at home with all the trimmings. And then who can let Christmas go by without checking out all the sales and just generally being out to soak in the Christmas spirit.

So this morning, being the last day of the long weekend i decided to give myself a delicious start to the morning. It just helps me feel positive all day :).

Also i had 3 hungry gnomes to feed….who had come to visit me all the way from Germany! (I picked them up from the German market at Hyde Park yesterday…..truly a winter wonderland!must visit!!) And i wanted to treat them to a festive xmassy feast. So here is what we had…..see it for yourself

Well, in case you can’t view the pic for some reason, it’s pancake with brandy butter, dark chocolate sauce, topped with strawberries dusted with some caster sugar….ummmmm heavenly!

 

Food Glorious Food!

So here I am sitting by my window watching the world go by and sipping chilled cloudy lemonade. What a wonderful feeling this is! I love food; especially when it sounds like it’s right out of Enid Blyton’s book. (Not because I’m a wannabe but because I’ve grown up reading them and imagined myself in that world.) I’m one of those people who thinks about her next meal all the time. I believe that you must try the local cuisine of any place you visit/live in. You may end up with several disasters but you do discover some gems as well, like the local delis and bakeries.

I went for a walk earlier today and picked up a chicken and mushroom puff pie from a local bakery. Then I just sat by the sidewalk outside and enjoyed the steaming hot crispy puff. I think i did such a good job of it that several passers-by saw me and were enticed to go into the bakery for something. Well that may not be true but I like to think of it like that.

Then yesterday, I went to this local farmer’s market and bought some farm fresh strawberries, whose fragrance is filling my room with the most delicious scent. I love the sweet & sour taste of the berries but if some of them are too sharp, I just dip them in Nutella and eat them. God bless whoever thought of mixing hazelnut with chocolate!