Brave sign

No need for a comment other than -- 'I so..ooo agree!'

He's back safely

After being abducted by armed men outside his home in Kenya
 Archbishop Ignatious was released unharmed and thrown out of a car close to
where he was kidnapped.  He is greeted here by the Archbishop of Canterbury
.  Deo gratis

Goodbye!

 

Most of the birds have now left our shores to winter in Africa leaving us to face winter without them.
They will be back with us in April after their long flight to make another family.
How do they do this every year of their lives and come back to the exact spot where they bred last year?
It is a miracle nature keeps to herself and we can only wonder at.

Wonderful picture from the Space Station

How small and insignificant we are in the larger picture - we should remember that.

Eurobishop: Nigerian Archbishop with links to our Diocese has ...

Eurobishop: Nigerian Archbishop with links to our Diocese has ...: A Nigerian Anglican Archbishop, one of two who visited our diocese earlier this year, has been kidnapped by armed men on Friday 6 September along with his wife Beatrice, she was later rescued from an abandoned vehicle but now after two days there has been no trace of Archbishop Ignatious.  What has happened to Nigeria? daily we here such dreadful reports of atrocities against Christians....pray for the safety of the Archbishop and for his worrying family and flock.

my garden

 

For the whole of this beautiful long summer I have enjoyed week after week of dainty violas and their more showy cousins the pansies.  Now is the time when they have had enough and might be replaced with some Autumn flowers, annual dalhias or chrysanthemums perhaps so off I go to at least 4 loacal garden centres but what do I find - well all they have is violas and pansies and perhaps turnips so it looks like empty tubs and pots until the bulb planting season is upon us.

Time for the loo chicks

In our last house this nest was in our porch and the residents arrived every year to make repairs and enlargements before the eggs were laid; so we had a grandstand view of the rearing of the House Martins every year.   When the chicks were still living in the nest mum, dad or auntie would arrive and make all the chicks sit on the edge of the nest to make a mess on my floor
then some other member of the family would arrive to feed them.  It was always exciting to watch the older birds helping them to fly the nest on to a nearby tree and then chirp at them until they found the courage to fly for a few yards and back again.
Inevitably the sad day came when they were all lined up on the telephone wire outside the house ready to start their long journey to Africa and sound the beginning of our winter months - we longed for them to return and looked out every day in April for the first comers to arrive bringing  another new Spring for us and another family for them.
I wish they would build at this house and I would gladly clear up the floor beneath their next every day as I used to.   Apparently the swallows, swifts and Martins have already left our shores - much earlier than usual.
Country folk would tell you that when they arrive early (which they did) we are in for a good summer (which we have had) but if they leave early - then look out for a long cold winter.  They sensibly have gone off to search for some more sunshine.