Landing Gear

While the men of the house went to some football match this afternoon I paid my Mum and Dad a visit and had a very nice catch-up (and tea and scones). There are certain birds my parents get in their garden that I never see in ours, including rooks like this chap. I rather like them.

Talking of birds, this morning I saw this bird here in our garden (two of them, in fact). It's a new one on me: can anyone identify it? Having looked in my bird book, I'm wondering if it's a Redpoll?

Anyway, I took the dogs with me to my parents' and they were very well behaved*. However, Basil let himself down when he got home by breaking into next door's garden for the third time this week. The last time it was my fault because I forgot to put his Freedom Fence collar on him but today he was wearing it but ignored the beeps while seeing a cat off our premises. He was at large for an hour, couldn't find his way back (and probably didn't want to) and I couldn't get to him because next door were out and their gate was locked. He has just been returned, no harm done, but I'm seriously considering installing a low fence across the garden three quarters of the way down to thwart his escapological tendencies in future.


* the dogs and my parents