I hadn’t actually appreciated, when pulling metres of clinging tendrils out with the over grown ivy earlier in the year, that what I was pulling out was Virginia creeper – which would burst into a brief blaze of crimson glory come the dark days of October – as indeed it has. Fortunately, it is incredibly resilient so even if a little sparse this year as a result of my efforts, I am sure it will bounce back for next year.
A couple of days ago, before the rains set in, it was looking particularly fine backed by the fluttering gold discs of the silver birch.
On the house side, although much progress has been made, not a lot of it is visible to the naked eye and we are still swathed in scaffolding.
Very well established, however, is the bird food station in the apple tree. My original one bird feeder has grown to three and has been joined by a peanut feeder and a fat ball feeder (top RH corner). This has been extremely popular and they are already half way through the most enormous bag of fat balls that arrived only three months ago from the Really Wild Bird Food Company – who also supplied the super clever weighted feeders which snap the feeding holes shut when a large bird such as a pigeon or a paraqueet tries to get in on the act.
Showing no interest in the birds (who also show no interest in them) Boris and Arwen took up residence in the garden when I was away in Dorset last month.
Although I have left them on their own many times before, I think they found the combination of the noise from the builders and no me to reassure them somewhat stressful and it took me several weeks to tempt them back inside when I got back.
Now they have come back inside, however, they have obviously decided that they need to keep a close eye on me so spend a great deal of time on or around my desk. If not actually in front of the screens….
… then one behind each screen, just popping a head through every now and then to make sure I am still there.
Horsenden Hill and the Grand Union Canal
I am worried about your cats! You say you leave them alone and have done it before but who feeds them, gives them water and who would take care of them if they got hurt from all the construction? I’m an animal rescuer so of course these questions come to mind.
No, don’t worry – they are not actually alone – it is just that I am not here. On this occasion there were six builders in the house, the boss of whom was a cat lover with two cats of his own and he had undertaken to feed and water them. It was he who called me after a few days to say that he was worried about them as they seemed to be living in the garden.
In my previous house there was always someone else in the house when I went away so who would make sure they had food and water – and a comfortable place to sleep.