Icy rain.....a north wind.....and low temperatures .......I am not fond of this particular cocktail.
A cape daisy sings out......her colours taking me back to warmer days.
A Calendula crosses its petals...........hoping for a little warmth.......those days are fading fast.
My much loved garden, all that's new in it.....
and all that is old in it, is barely marking time. I am preparing to steer it forward into another year.......
I see changes in Nella........she is in hunting mode....
Her eyes are sharp and her tail erect. She is restless and unsettled......
I thought so. Ratty you are a fool to enter this garden.......your days are numbered my friend....perhaps it is time to make a swift exit........the grass is not greener on this side of the fence.
Happy safari Sunday....have a good week........
19 comments:
You captured the intense look on Nella's face so well. What a good doggie that does her job of keeping the rats out of the garden. We are having much the same weather here. It is cold and damp today. I can't believe you still have flowers. WOW. That poor little calendula looks cold though.
I am not fond of rats at all, but this photo is amazing, Cheryl. Nella reminds me of Sophie so much with her nose to the ground; I have a feeling if Mr. Rat didn't make a swift exit, Nella would have made sure he didn't return to your garden!
I can't believe you still have flowers blooming! Everything here froze long ago. We don't even have snow to make things look pretty, just the same cold, wet rain and bitter wind that you are having.
Almost forgot...you replied to a comment I made on your last post about making your posts more of a journal, especially of wildlife sightings. I, for one, would love to hear about this, Cheryl, even if you don't have photos. I still remember the photo you had of a hedgehog quite awhile ago. We don't have any here, and I thought he was so cute. Do they still visit you?
Stay warm!
Hi Lisa.....Nella is a ratter. Patterdale Terriers are trained just for that. To be honest that is why I needed her....rats are a common feature in the countryside....and they do a lot of damage to a garden. My garden would not be as useful to bees butterflies and birds etc without my dog.
Yes I still have flowers despite a very sharp frost a few nights ago. It has surprised me to Lisa.
Hi Rose......rats are not liked by most people. I do feel a little sorry for them but realise they have to go. Nella, as I have said so many times, is not cruel. She does not play with her prey.....she is swift.
I cannot believe I have flowers in bloom either Rose. It all feels a little odd, I must confess. I have felt very cold today. I am sitting in front of a log fire as I type. It is cosy and warm. Nella is warming herself to.....
I need to change my blog slightly as I am becoming bored of the repetition. I shall think about starting a daily journal in the New Year. I may also include daily events, I am not sure....something to think about.....tku for feedback.
Hedgehogs visit here frequently (their droppings tell me so). Many have not started their winter hibernation as the weather has not been cold enough for them. They are nocturnal so sightings are rare. Sadly I see many on the roads......if a car approaches they role into a ball and of course, get run over. Their numbers are going down each year. I have two little houses for them in the copse. If I find any looking ill, I keep them in the unit and feed them during the winter if they need it.
Have a good week Rose.....
Hi Cheryl,
I hope you get some good weather soon, there's nothing worse than dull, rain and cold all the time!
I noticed earlier we still have sweet peas! Cannot believe it, I wonder if I'll manage a bunch on christmas day? ;)
Don't worry Spring will be here soon, and then the fun can begin once more. The Teasels and Ox-Eye Daisies I sowed months ago still haven't come up, all I can assume is I have duff packets, I've never once got anything come up from them and I've tried three or four times. Very annoyed now.
Poor little Rattie, although I think Nella dealing with them is a far better option than poison, and is afterall what her breed is here for!
Hi Liz... you are right.....so many dull days are not nice. I am fed up with having the lights on indoors during the day. Sometimes the outside lights come on at 2.00pm....ridiculous.
I had trouble getting teasels to take. I have in fact read they can be a problem. Once you have one plant you will have them for the rest of your life. Getting them started is the problem. Would you like me to pop a teasel in with your ferns when I post them in the Spring??
Nella is a Patterdale Terrier....she was bred for this job and she does it well.....I still do not like it though. But saying that, you cannot allow rats or rabbits to get out of control. I would not have a garden left for all the creatures that are in decline.
Oh, my Cheryl, your wintry day sounds like ours! Cold, wet winds and rodents popping up to see what mischief they can create. I need Nella to visit and get the chipmunks to behave. Keep warm and cozy, gail
Dear Cheryl,
Oh my what a fun safari....
I could feel the cold wet wind!
Nella is so cute too doing her job...I just think she is the best of friends. Your photograph of the little rat is remarkable, it is absolutly wonderful.
Your flowers are lovely. It must be wonderful to still have blooms.
Thank you for a fun safari.
Sherry
Beautiful photo`s Cheryl..TFS
Hope you and yours are well.....
and all ready for Christmas TFS:)
Have a great week:)x
Cheryl, your flowers are enough to brighten our cold damp days. Lovely to see something still blooming. Nella looks so determined to find something and keep it out of her territory. What a great photo of her. The rat photo is amazing! I don't like them-who does-but you captured it beautifully. I am sure Nella will keep him from doing any damage to your gardens.
Hope your weather moderates some and you can get back to your garden. If not, planning for next year is the next best thing. Hope you have a great week. :)
even your very wet safari are amazing...i don't care much for that combination of weather, either. we have had similar days here. cold, rainy, muddy, yucky.
i do so love seeing the bright flowers at this time of year...we are all dreary here.
that little ratty's days are numbered.
hope things change a bit for you weather wise.
happy december.
Hi Cheryl,
I'm rather surprised your Cape Daisies are still with you to be honest... Mind you I had one which survived winter, but sadly didn't survive a second so I don't bother with them now.
It hasn't been too bad here for the past week or so, yes it's rained but always managed some sun at some point during the day...
And here I was thinking that wild poppies are difficult to get going... Ha ha, at least I always got one plant, but with these seeds I am at a loss what to try next. The sweet peas I sowed at the same time came up within days, and this was back in October!
Exactly, we may not like the idea of our pets killing other animals, but the realities are far worse. Nella was bred for catching rats, so it comes as second nature to her. So as cute as a rabbit may be, their numbers do need to be maintained - look at the problems in Australia!
I have little problem with it as long as the animals are culled humanely, and poison most definitley isn't.
Doesn't Nella look different from her picture lying peacefully looking out of the window.
Nella in stealth-mode! I hope ratty heeded your advice to leave!
Beautiful pictures as ever.
Dan
I've wondered about trying to grow teasel too. Whenever I see it in the wild, there are always very large patches. It could be very unpleasant if it became aggressive and spread.
My kitty keeps the mice and rats to a minimum. If not for him, the farm would be overrun.
Marnie
That looks like a mousey to me, but I trust you can ID rodents! I do hate cold rain, it feels colder than snow, for sure. I happen to like mousies, and hate it when I find one my cats tortured.
Hi Marnie.....teasels can be aggressive but I find they are easy to pull out. I love the pale lilac blooms and of course they are loved by bees butterflies and moths. Then the finches come and feed on the seeds during autumn. Personally, I could not be without them.
Hi Monica....I love mice to. Believe me when I tell you that it was a rat. 100% guaranteed......
Enjoyed your photos and stories, as always. Stay warm and dry. Art
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