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Oh Janey..I remember when she came to you. Our Molly was the same age when she died of heart failure. They seem to use up their little tickers with all the chasing. JRTs leave us with so many joyful, funny memories. They are such unforgettable little characters. And I agree, it’s horrible at the end when all you do is worry and you know what’s coming. Molly was my nemesis as you know. She had the last laugh as she peed all over me when she passed away. I had to laugh at that, it was so much her way to get one over me right up to the end. I know she is with Grandpa now. He was very fond of her. Sending love x

Hi Shirley! Thank you for asking! I am definitely getting better but my head is still feeling like it’s full of cotton wool! I’ve just come in from the garden, but brrrr!

Yes! Very loud. They are great singers!

Oh Janey, this is very sad news for you. Take comfort in the fact you gave her a loving home for so many years.

Thanks Lindak, they are a source of amusement on the feeders at times!

Now that is exactly what happened here, in fact I thought it had rained overnight but it was simply the heavy mist. Much better today, cloudy but no wind blowing.

Janey, I have managed to do some gardening yesterday and this morning, chilly but no wind blowing. I am removing many Sedums, along with a huge Carex grass, and plan to plant pollinators in their place. My 'Wish-list' grows longer ... :o)

Thank you so much Hywel, yes they're very important and always there for us, no matter what. I couldn't have wished for a more loving companion especially when Ian passed away. Thank you again for your lovely message.

So sorry to hear about Lottie Janey, our pets are an important part of our lives and there's a big void after they leave us. It's good you have happy memories of your little friend.
Deepest sympathy to you x

Thank you Balc. That was an awful loss for you, in one year. No they're always remembered aren't they? We had five dogs in total, Lottie living the longest, and such a close companion..

Hi Janey, sorry to hear about the death of Lottie. I can sympathise with you because in one year we lost 4 of our 5 doggies. Like Lottie we had had them for about 14 years as well. They were all born in our flat in Spain & they came to England when they were 7 years old & died 7 years later.

The house became progressively quieter as they began to pass away. But another 15+ years have passed since their deaths but you never really forget them, do you?

One day all the parks will be on a reclaimed water system. It’s happening slowly.

Thank you so much Ff, you're right she had a long life, well lived. Yes, I've so many photos of her and she's asleep now. It'll take a while to adapt, but I'm not worrying about her now...

So sorry to hear of your loss Janey. I know how much you will miss her, they leave a big hole. However when they have lived to a good age like Lottie, that is a consolation, no- one can ask for more. Cherish your happy memories of her, and all your photos, I’m sure you’ve plenty of those.
Thinking of you.👍

Thank you both, yes she'll always be with me. It's strange, she always seemed to be a puppy dog, probably with being very small. I remember when she was 13 some children asking me why she had such short legs, was it because she had to grow yet? They couldn't believe she was quite a lot older than them..
I miss her very much. Thanks Julia and Sbg for your kind messages..

I clicked 'like' as I know what a lovely dog Lottie was. She was a very old lady at 14+.
I enjoyed reading about her antics over the years. You will miss her.

That it sad at anytime of the year Janey but especially at Xmas...Will take a long time to get over after 14 years .So sorryx

It's been the same here Shirley and Balc, then today the thickest frost again BUT we are in the third week of January...yay! The crocus are already poking through..😁

Sorry for the late replies.
Balc, they are so gentle aren't they and nicely marked with their black collars. Yes you know when they're around, coo cooking, lovely birds..☺️

That's exciting Karen, don't they have a really loud chatter! There's one that lives right down the garden here and I spring I can sometimes see it and definitely hear it!

I do not know how far south the fly for winter.
What is tho most common bird is San Diego, Delonix?

Thank you

I haven't been out on the balcony because we had a very damp day. Though the mist couldn’t be seen everything was wetter than if it had rained!

Looks like an interesting tree, Andy!

Even the California Redwoods??? They cut a road through one many, many years ago!

Lovely that you get the Goldfinches visiting Shirley.

Lindak, great photo.

Rose, they're down here in my garden! We daily see Goldfinches, Tits of many varieties, Pigeons, Collared Doves and sometimes a Robin. I'm sure it's the Sunflower hearts that attracts them to the feeders. Luckily the Pigeons are too big and clumsy for the feeders ... :o)

Hi Kate, I've only just come across your blog this evening. Sorry to hear about your colleague's passing away & the others that are retiring. Hope you were able to find some time to enjoy a couple of days rest around Christmas. If yoga & zumba help you to relax then go for them. It's important, for you & your patients, that you look after yourself as well. What would they do if you fell ill because of stress?

A little gardening also helps to reduce stress so don't leave it, even if you can't do all that you would like to do.

Looking forward to your occasional visits. :)

David, I have spent a couple of hours gardening today in the balmy 8 degrees.

Karen, feeling any better today? I actually spent a couple of hours gardening as the temperature had risen to 8 degrees, no wind blowing either, bliss!

I think it's because there is so much new housing built, or being built, around us that the Foxes are losing their habitat ... :o(

Hi everyone, Don't forget the garden birdwatch at the end of this month.
Balcony, we have a small group of sparrows around here, and there are Hawthorn hedges about that they love to hide in.
It's a shame that the goldfinches don't visit you anymore Rose. Perhaps they will turn up again.
Nice to hear you have sparrows around Karen. Yes, they are very talkative little birds. A long long way back....as a child we lived in London and I used to feed them with a few crumbs left over. We had a coal-tit visit the other day. We have a Robin too. I keep putting fresh water and food out for them to keep them going over this cold weather.

Very pretty robin! I used to see many robins when I lived in the San Francisco Bay Area. Not many in San Diego.

That’s a very nice one. It has all the aerial roots that are very common.

It’s grown pretty widely in California, especially in Northern California. It has the thickest trunk known in the world.

Yes using grey water would be a great alternative.

Oh no! Well I'll be keeping everything crossed that you don't see the wildfires up close.

Snakes are around our place all the time, but we don't see them every day. I stomp around a lot when I'm outdoors as that warns the snake that there's someone around. You learn strategies like that so we can live in the same space.

Delonix. that was about 10 years ago and I do not have that account any more.
I just posted a picture showing the roots that intrigued me.

https://www.growsonyou.com/photo/slideshow/368939-pandanus-utilis-roots/member/klahanie_

Nice to read about your gardening "exploits" BB! Your conditions are so very different from those we have in the UK!

Though I lived & gardened in Spain for many years on balconies, & had to make allowances for the blazing hot summer in the summer we never had to face cyclones or hurricanes or monsoons like you do just the absence of humidity made gardening more difficult.

I discovered how the Spanish water their gardens, (mostly vegetable), by pulling back a circle of soil from around the base of their plants & pouring water in the depression & flooding them. In rows they pulled the soil back & did the same. As I gardened on a balcony I only had to water the pots - frequently!

First time I've ever heard of a 'Wine Palm'!

Well I hope you won't need to have it in plaster for very much longer.

As I've never broken any bones & therefore have never had plaster casts I find it difficult to imagine how people get on with them.

It's good to hear that not even a plaster cast can't stop you from doing some gardening still! :)

Will do Wylie! Thanks.

That is a shame, Shirley! We sometimes see dead rabbits or hedgehogs or even a pigeon but nothing bigger. But then we seldom travel much & the only dead animals we see are around town.

Yes, you are quite right, Rose!

:))

We also had 5C today! Only a little sun but lots of clouds. Tomorrow is forecast to be a better day in every way!

Thank you for asking how my wrist is progressing Balcony - it is still in plaster and painful but i have been down the greenhouse and that is a tonic - plants that are left out there seem to be holding their own - I have been covering them with fleece - onehanded and with the aid of a long cane and using limited heating with the greenhouse heater

take care - Jane

But they do have 3 of the doubles. Check again in late summer when they will have a lot more.

Sadly, we sometimes see dead Foxes on the nearby dual carriageway ... :o(

:o))