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Trip of a Lifetime - Part 2

Machu PicchuWe arrived in Lima early and a car met us and took us to the Hotel Antigua in Miraflores. The hotel was in the style of a colonial villa with the rooms arranged around enclosed courtyards. Not flashy but very nice and it was quiet. Miraflores looks very modern and there is a considerable amount of landscaping going on the seafront. The bits that were finished were excellent.

Trip of a Lifetime - Part 1

Beatrix

Last May we went to the Galapagos Island, Ecuador and Peru.  The trip was organised for us by Trailfinders using packages from GAP Adventures the service from both companies was excellent and I thoroughly recommend them. As to the holiday, well it was absolutely stunning and if you have to sell your Granny to go then do it you won't be disappointed.

Firstly the Galapagos. We spent 10 days on the Queen Beatrix. She was a catamaran that took 16 guests all in twin en-suite cabins that were very comfortable. The advice from Trailfinders was to go on a boat of around this size and I am sure they were right. The days on the boat were very full, getting up at about 6.30 each day. We went snorkelling one or twice and also had one or two shore excursions each day. Our guide Walter was from the National Park Authority and was absolutely excellent he gave a briefing and short talk each evening on what we were going to see or had seen.

Royal Baby Final

Well this is the last report I will be able to do before they fledge. We still have 3 birds although one is very much weaker than the other two. I am fairly confident they will all be off into the wide world before the end of the week. I know that only one in ten baby tits survive until the next year, but I did not realize that the mortality rate in the nestbox could be so high. Hopefully I can do it again next year but with colour and sound.

 

 

Royal Baby Update 2

It been a pretty disastrous few days for the babies. You will see at the start of the clip recorded on the 13th there are only 4 left alive and later on filmed on the 14th there are only 3. The little one having died overnight which was not surprising as the large ones seemed to be having a go at it.

There are also the bodies of 2 others in the nest.  Hopefully the remaining three will be stong enough to survive.

 

What a Winter What a Spring

As I sit writing this in glorious sunshine it is difficult to remember just how cold it was in November and December. Our house is all back to normal and the garden is looking just great. Just as a reminder below is a picture of our road taken on the 18th December 2010. Thank goodness my supply of logs was delivered just before the snow started.

Hele Lane December 2010

Up and Down Again

Up and Down Again

Looking good now but this is what it looked like in January

 

The house is now back to normal the builders completing their work on the 5th September. So here are a few before and after pictures. First the bathroom and below the kitchen.

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