Pert

We were making lunch when R spotted this little wren hopping around the patio furniture, hunting for insects and grubs. He stood guard while I rushed off to fetch the big gear, and to my surprise the wren was still there when I got back; my main challenge was photographing it through the murky glass of the back door. Of the twenty or so shots I took before it left, this and the one I've posted to Twitter are my favourites.

I love wrens because they're pert and feisty as well as tiny and cute, so as soon as I had these photos I knew what I would be posting this evening. Otherwise, my blip would have been the image I've relegated to the extras, of some heirloom china being put to very rare use. It belonged to R's father, a man who sadly died many years before I joined the family, but whose talents and charm are so legendary among the people who knew him that I'm very sorry never to have met him. The china itself is art deco Crown Staffordshire, in what must be a rare pattern I think, because I've tried to track down a cup, of which our six place set is missing one, and I've never found any pieces for sale anywhere. Looking at it closely today, it seems to be part transfer printed and part hand painted.

As for the cannoli - what can I say? I think some malicious person must have dropped a packet into my shopping basket when I was at the farm shop the other day. They were delicious....