The Trouser Saga & Titchwell RSPB!

Wasn't worth posting yesterday really..... finished work at 2pm and went into town to buy three pairs of trousers and a dressing gown for my father, who is stubbornly sitting around in shorts at aged 88 and in a house which is always cold. What do you do with someone who sits in shorts with a blanket wrapped round his legs and refuses to wear trousers!!!! I am exasperated to say the least. Arrived at Holme with the trousers to be greeted with lots of hostility and temper from father. He can't wear his old trousers – they don't fit anymore, so he needed some new ones anyway... or did he? He said he will not be wearing them and if they are left within his reach, they will be cut up! Count to 10..... very, very slowly. What do I do? Nothing I suppose, I give up. I work with older people, I go to people's homes, care homes and have seen it all, but I have NEVER seen anyone sitting in bloody shorts in December wrapped in a blanket!!! I was told to 'go away' and 'not to come back until next year' – which I then pointed out to father, was only a few day's away (he had forgotten this)! Poor mother gets shouted at for opening the back door when she goes out to get coal in, feed the birds, deal with the stray cat and empty the ash pan etc, because he is cold, but STILL won't wear the trousers. Ok, that's enough about trousers!

Today did not go to plan at all. My mind is in turmoil over a big decision. I was kept awake again by next-door's dog until 3am and someone texting me. Annoyingly I had to go into town to take yesterday's dressing gown back and pay some cash into the hole in the wall – the town was packed with bargain hunters and it took me half an hour to find a free parking space. What was left of the day, I spent at Titchwell RSPB.

On route I stopped at Choseley, where I watched 3 Blackbirds, 4 Mistle Thrushes and a Fieldfare feeding in a field just south of the barns (by the sharp corner). Also a huge flock of Linnets in the hedgerow.

At Titchwell RSPB, as I was walking towards the visitor centre, I thought I saw Eddie M...... but this person was wearing wellies, so it couldn't be Eddie? Or was it?... he never wears wellingtons (except for E.H.). I then heard a familiar voice ordering Carrot Cake at the food hatch – it was Eddie! I was in a bad, grumpy, volatile mood and it would have been better if I didn't bump into anyone I knew today! So apologies to Eddie and to my sister Vivien XX.

It was icy cold today and I quickly swapped my gloves for mittens which were considerably warmer. Huge numbers of dog walkers – much more than normally here. I walked around the Fen Trail, but didn't see much at all. I walked the whole length of the main path enjoying views of the usual waders and wildfowl here including: several Avocets, Teal, Wigeon, Redshanks, Black-tailed Godwits, Shelducks, Shoveler, Little Egrets, Gulls, 6+ Little Grebes, Male and a Ring-tail Hen Harrier, Barn Owl, Kestrel, 2 Marsh Harriers, Pink-footed Geese and a few Robins around. Eddie had seen a Merlin before I bumped into him.

On route home, I flushed a Barn Owl sitting in the middle of the road, via Ringstead. Back at home I collapsed on the sofa and fell asleep. Back to work tomorrow.