Remember, Remember the Fifth of November - No Chance of Forgetting!

I awoke, after a pretty rough night to the most beautiful morning.  The sun was streaking through the blinds and I couldn't wait to pull them up.

The orchids are looking good on the window sill.

The garden was bathed in sunlight.

Leaves need racking up.

Job done, they have now been picked up and put in the compost bin.

The spa pool has been 'wintered' and the pump disconnected.

Red berries.  

I have decided to also take part in the 'Every Day in November' Art Challenge.  Some of the prompts I am substituting as they are duplicates of last month.

#1  Sparrow (original prompt was pumpkin)  I think I will work on this some more.

#2 Spider's web.

#3 Umbrella

#4 Gloves - my husband's garden gloves.

#5 Cottage (original prompt was scarecrow)  I decided to just do a 'flat' almost cartoon type image for the cottage.

Having chosen the wallpaper, we decided to go and get it today.  Three stores later, and a phone call to another we left very disappointed and empty handed.  They didn't have enough rolls, despite two stores have 12 and 10 rolls shown as in stock.  Seems it can't be ordered either.  So back to the drawing board - we have exactly one week to decide and get the rolls!

No chance of forgetting the 5th November - the last few nights it has sounded much like the bombing may have sounded during the war!  Why is it that fire works just seem to get louder and louder bangs?  I feel so sorry for all the poor animals and elderly people especially.  I wish they would only sell fireworks organisations that put on properly organised displays that are on just the one night.  At least that way the animals don't have to have night after night of this!

An overview of the last month!

Well the month seems to have flown by, and Christmas is almost upon us.

So what has been happening.  

Some sad news....

Mason otherwise known as Max died late November, leaving Oscar and Rocky on their own.

On 9th December after chatting to a friend during the day at how well Oscar was doing I was shocked to find he had died sometime during that day after I had seen him alive and well.  

This meant poor Rocky was now on his own....I don't like them being left on their own and when a friend she said she had a baby boar from a recent litter available and would I like him as a cage mate for Rocky I said yes!

Little Sylvester arrived today.  They are still getting acquainted from opposite sides of the hutch!  Hopefully before long they will be the best of friends.

We had the 'Mysterious Case of the Fish out of Water...

I discovered one of our fish beside the pond....no marks on him so no idea how he ended up there!  Did he jump and fall out by mistake?  They are not so active at this time of year, so not sure.  Cat's can't get to the pond as it is raised, the only other explanation would be a heron or something...but would they then have left the fish?  

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Some more miniature painting has been done.

Dusk

Old Boat

Heron in Flight

Sunset on the Sea

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I haven't been taking a lot of photos lately, not sure why...partly because I haven't been doing the walks that I did last year....for much of the past few months it just seems to have been too wet.

I did capture this robin in the garden the other week though.

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I haven't felt much like preparing for Christmas this year and it has taken some getting into the mode of it.  We have decided no presents this year....everyone has too much and don't really need anything, so we thought we would make it more about family instead.   We will be having my Mother in Law and her Partner come round for the main Christmas Dinner and then my Aunt and Uncle will also join us later in the afternoon for a light tea.  We will get some games down and play some games and hopefully enjoy each other's company!

My older son is away this year - he is working at sea and will be spending Christmas on board his ship.

I have done a little Christmas decorating....lights and the small tree are up.

The nativity scene was made and painted by our eldest son when he was five years old and is rather special!  The stable we got last year.   My wood carving that I bought on the Reservation in Arizona this year carved by a Navajo, takes pride of place.

A collection of snowmen with the Polar Bear.

The yearly visit of the Rotary Christmas Sleigh went by.

We visited some of the Christmas displays at the local garden centres, but I forgot my camera most times!

My husband and I celebrated our wedding anniversary,...or rather I spent the day singing in the Church Choir in the morning, during the afternoon for a rehearsal and at the Concert on Sunday night!

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I've enjoyed singing in both the Community Choir and in a Church Choir and we have had a busy couple of weeks with concerts.

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