Home duties

I have been busy mopping birdie poo from our front entrance, it is an every day job. We have lots of birds they sit on the chimney and have a lovely time, some birds have a sweet lyrical sond but others squawk. The pigeon and the Robin are the only birds I am familiar with. There is a very messy brown bird that loves getting into the garden and making a big mess scratching about. The tiny finch like bird that has made its nest above our front door is very dainty and lost one of its little ones last week, the featherless baby must have fallen from its nest, it was dead by the time we found it.Last Tuesday after a shopping trip into Basingstoke, John picked me up on his way from work to take me home. We were at home by eight still very light, the car was unloaded and John waited for me to open the front door. My key just kept turning and not unlocking, John had a turn with his keys, the same thing happened to him. After scouting around the house, all lower storey windows were closed and locked, the only window that was open was upstairs the small bathroom window. Climbing up was the only option as the real estate was closed for the day, I went knocking on our neighbours doors to see if any one had a ladder, ours was locked in the garage and the keys inside the house, so it was of no help. Finally the third house had a ladder and Graeme the owner came to the rescue. Graeme is a large man so it was up to me to manoeuvre my way up an old shaky ladder and squeeze my way through the tiny bathroom window. I had John underneath, giving encouraging words all the way. Well needless to say I have survived and may take up house breaking.
One hour everyday I struggle with French and I wonder when I will grasp and retain all that I am learning, those people that retain information very easily I am very jealous of……John is one of them. John loves learning and reading and watching television shows that are usually documentaries. Where as I have the attention span of a newt. .The outside water feature that I uncovered and cleaned up, is on all day every day we love it. Sitting outside having our meals with a glass of wine listening to the trickling water is so relaxing. We have a bay tree, rosemary, thyme, mint, and beautiful lavender which is out in flower now, the garden is looking pretty good. It is only the naughty birds that make messes every where. A huge walnut tree next door overhangs the back fence. I am not sure if we will benefit from the tree or if we will be in Switzerland by the time the nuts have developed. Do squirrels eat walnuts?, maybe that is why we have so many in our back yard.