Birding In the Garden!

In my parent's garden to be precise, whilst 'Father Sitting' all afternoon. A beautiful sunny but cold day, but sadly was not able to go birding.

I have been sleeping on a camp bed since my house was smoke damaged and I have not been sleeping brilliantly at all. At last my new bed arrived this morning, can't wait to get in it! Lots of family stress at the moment – that's a massive understatement. I spent the afternoon and early evening looking after Father, whilst Vivien took Mother to an optician's in King's Lynn. I might aswell not have been there though, as Father was in the worst mood I have ever seen him – he wouldn't let me help him with anything at all and told me to get out of the room and stay out. I sat in the kitchen with my laptop and spent ages selecting and sorting photos for the blog. It was freezing in their house, as Mother let the parkray fire out last week. I looked after the stray cat more than Father. He refused his tea and coffee. He also refused the offer of a new hotwater bottle (always has one on his lap), help with toileting etc. Anything I offered made him angry. I had a kleenex box and a toilet roll thrown at me. Very sadly, he is starting to lose his mind, bit by bit, day by day.

I watched a beautiful Chiffchaff flitting about amongst the leafy tree just outside the kitchen window. 6 Stock Doves were feeding outside the dining room window along with 2 Blackbirds, 3 Jackdaws, a Moorhen, 3 Hedge Sparrows, 2 Chaffinches, a Robin, 5 Goldfinches, a Great Tit, a pair of Pheasants and a large rat. The Honey Bee nest in the kitchen roof is very active and because of this, you can't sit with the kitchen door open!

Mother and Vivien returned with more food shopping and with news of Mother being prescribed with reading and distance glasses, which I am collecting for her next week, nothing else sinister was found thank goodness. Father continued to be bad-tempered and his last words were to me 'I don't want to see you for at least a month'. I drove home in an emotional state.

So looking forward to going to sleep in a proper bed – hope to get out birding tomorrow – good night.

 NORFOLK BIRD & WILDLIFE FAIR – 16th & 17th May