Maggie and I did the figure of eight route on our own this morning.
It was interesting to see the number of lawns that have had their first haircuts of the year, and I remembered us putting it off as long as possible in the cottage because it just seemed to encourage it to grow faster!
Of course it was such a shame that our mower packed up shortly before we moved out and we were unable to cut the grass for the new owners 😉
The crocuses on the green are now past their best, but the daffodils are still plentiful, and a lot of gardens have the dwarf variety in their flower borders. In one property, a solitary trumpeted bloom was standing to attention in its own dirt bunker, like some kind of Conquering Emperor looking down on its subjects in the weedery below.
Handfuls of sparrows occupied nearby rooftops, their joyous song spoilt by a gull trying to outvolume them as it squawked off-key, and a group of blackbirds were hopping under the trees around two wood pigeons foraging in the grass.
Vehicles parked in drives were silent as there was no need for the workday start. It was mild this morning, so no frost to be scraped off, no icy patches to be wary of, and only the occasional car could be heard as it passed us on the parallel road.
No school chatter either being Sunday, though two lads were kicking a football going up the road opposite.
The cut through here has a notice for No Ball Games, unlike when I was a kid and you could play ball anywhere that was flat as long as it wasn’t up against someone’s wall.
It’s a shame too that there are several dog owners who do not clear up after their pets, especially as the council provide free poo bags from the Town Hall, and there are dog bins in most roads. What is even more annoying is that used poo bags are dropped in the street, some in close proximity to a bin, and in some instances, a dog has fouled the grass or pavement adjacent to the bin itself.
Approaching the shops, a bearded collie barked at me from inside one house, and the jack russell next door joined in. I’ve met both of these dogs on previous walks, and they are quite sociable, so probably they were voicing their jealousy at Maggie for being outside when they were not.
Someone has had a new garden ornament for Christmas.
It sits clean and erect, pride of place in the centre of a sea of grey slate chippings surrounded by concrete dogs, cats, rabbits, squirrels, deer, badgers and other creatures from previous years. In contrast, a headless statue stands forlorn and alone in the garden next door. There are no clues as to its identity, it is just an anonymous shapeless lump of something once cared for.
I’m reminded of the half moles we purchased as joke gifts for my boss and father in law one year. They were all the rage, and from a distance it looked as if some animal was disappearing into the soil or emerging from it. My boss was given the backside, and ‘planted it’ by his front door. Apparently several visitors warned him that he may have a mole problem, so he kicked it playfully and they realised it wasn’t real.
Father in law had the head end and loved it, though mother in law wasn’t that impressed. He planted his by the fish pond, which sadly was one of the first things to go after he died.
The Avenue walk has a mixture of houses and bungalows, all with some frontage be it gardens with lawns and flower beds, or various designs in paved drives. The majority are kept tidy and clean, but as with most built up areas, one or two will let the side (or road) down, with unkempt hedges, overgrown gardens, rubbish, and neglected exterior maintenance.
Luckily here, they are few.
pensitivity101 