I'b baaack

I've had the devil of a job getting back into LJ after the trouble. I could get the home page, but I couldn't log in to my journal of my friends' list. Bummer. klwilliams suggested using a proxy server and (not even knowing what one of those was) I investigated, figured out how to use it and logged in via that. Now I seem to be able to log in on my own again. Phew!

I'b baaack

I've had the devil of a job getting back into LJ after the trouble. I could get the home page, but I couldn't log in to my journal of my friends' list. Bummer. klwilliams suggested using a proxy server and (not even knowing what one of those was) I investigated, figured out how to use it and logged in via that. Now I seem to be able to log in on my own again. Phew!

Small Feathered Friends

I was woken up the other morning by a strange unrhythmical tapping. When I went to the bedroom window I spotted a small, rotund bluetit outside on the stone sill, pecking away at (I presume) insects on the mastic round the edge of the UPVC - or maybe on the UPVC itself.

And last week a strange fluttering sound in the living room proved to be a young starling that had fallen down the chimney and was flapping round in the ashes under the grate, trapped by the ash pan. It kept pushing its beak through the crack. So I opened the French windows, closed the internal door and pulled out the ash pan. The bird fluttered on to the inside of the fireguard and then spotted the opening and flew away - apparently none the worse for its adventure.

The old sash windows (painted solid) hadn't been opened for years when we moved into thew house in 1980. Catching a starling that's trying to flap its way through a window pane is a neat trick. Luckily they get so focused on what's on the other side of the glass that they completely fail to see the hulking great human creeping up behind them. You can usually get your hands round the body - or if desperate, can lower a lighweight teatowel over it, walk it through the house and let it out of the back door.

Small Feathered Friends

I was woken up the other morning by a strange unrhythmical tapping. When I went to the bedroom window I spotted a small, rotund bluetit outside on the stone sill, pecking away at (I presume) insects on the mastic round the edge of the UPVC - or maybe on the UPVC itself.

And last week a strange fluttering sound in the living room proved to be a young starling that had fallen down the chimney and was flapping round in the ashes under the grate, trapped by the ash pan. It kept pushing its beak through the crack. So I opened the French windows, closed the internal door and pulled out the ash pan. The bird fluttered on to the inside of the fireguard and then spotted the opening and flew away - apparently none the worse for its adventure.

The old sash windows (painted solid) hadn't been opened for years when we moved into thew house in 1980. Catching a starling that's trying to flap its way through a window pane is a neat trick. Luckily they get so focused on what's on the other side of the glass that they completely fail to see the hulking great human creeping up behind them. You can usually get your hands round the body - or if desperate, can lower a lighweight teatowel over it, walk it through the house and let it out of the back door.