365/343: 28 January 2011: Home again

..and enjoying a quiet moment in the lounge in my favourite armchair and away from the steering wheel.

365/338: 23 January 2011: Happiness is…

…a warm rug in front of the fire. And it’s even better if it’s under the chair. I’m sure Marmalade knew I was taking this but frankly, he didn’t care.

 

365/314: 30 December 2010: Wine, wine wine

Cooked dinner again this evening. Marinated some tuna in a mix of oil cayenne and herbs and then grilled it so that the marinade formed a nice herby crust. Never sure whether red or white goes best with tuna so compromised and went for both.

365/311: 27 December 2010: Buffet

Spent most of the morning beavering away on food and house preparation as we had the neighbours around for drinks and nibbles. Here’s the spread. The chilli popcorn (behind the Pringles) was a little bit zappier than intended.

365/299: 15 December 2010: Bridie the bear

Bridie joined us on a holiday from Caledonian Bears a couple of years ago and liked it so much she decided to stay. Obviously we (that is – Marion) had to make a matching cushion with broderie anglais trim to ensure she feels comfortable atop my speakers. Greater love hath no man than that he share his speakers with a cute teddy.

PS: Actually it was me that wanted her to join us. Moment of madness, perhaps?

365/296: 12 December 2010: Mosher - again

Nice colourful shot this. Mosher is obviously a bit of a media tart – likes to sit and pose while the flash guns fire.

365/271: 17 November 2010: Moldovan Merlot

Can’t remember whether I ordered this or whether it was one of the extra ‘free’ bottles I get as a reward for membership, but I’m pretty sure it’s the first Moldovan wine I’ve ever drunk. And very pleasant it was/is too. Thought I should photograph it before my camera arm lost its steadiness.

365/245: 22 October 2010: Ginger Marmalade

The cat is called Marmalade – my daughter wont forgive me for the other reference.

365/237: 14 October 2010: Hobgoblin

Settled down for a quiet evening in watching 8 Mile in the company of a pint of Hobgoblin. Obviously I’m a marketing man’s dream be3cause I was tempted to try it by the rather odd picture and the slogan ‘Afraid you might taste something, lager boy'?’

If you like your beer bitter, and I’m generally drink Guinness so I do – then this should probably hit the spot.

Anyway – I thought , as befits a traditional evening in with a rap video – that I might do a little still life in front of the fire.

PS to Dan if you’re reading – now it really is beer o’clock

365/143: 12 July 2010: House Martin Feeding Young

We have three house martin nests outside our bedroom window. they make a bit of a mess on the yard down below, and they wake us early with their rather cute burbling noises, but who’d be without them. A cat inside and house martins outside are, to my mind, vital parts of turning a house into a home.
The nest is almost as interesting as the birds I think. To quote Gilbert White from his Natural History of Selborne it’s “..a sort of rustic work full of knobs and protuberances..”.  And as we an see in the picture , the young “..sit all day with their heads out at the orifice, where the dams, by clinging to the nest supply them with food from morning to night.” Pretty much like kids everywhere then.

In the next one you can actually see the adult putting food in the middle youngster’s mouth.