Arcticterntalk.org

The whole week. Where has it gone?

Seems to have just dissapeared this week. Drove to Newcastle last sunday night, not what I want to do every sunday night, a mere 350 miles. Monday turned out well as my meeting finished early and I made a quick dash up to Seahouses to get a boat over to the Farne Islands. I had this vision that on a weekday in june the place would be deserted. Wrong. Thousands of people there. There seemed also to be an age limit. No one under 70 was alllowed. Anyway lots and lots of Puffins, being chased by Kittiwakes as they headed back down into their burrows with sand eels. Lots of good photographs. The arctic terns though were being specially evil. I have never seen them so angry and peckety. Heads were being attacked all the time. A fair few seals too, most;y grey atlantic seals. I stayed in a small hotel in Beadnell which overlooked the dea. After an early dinner I had a walk through some fields, where the cows and bull took a too healthy interest in my presence, down to the harbour.
Thursday night Elena and her school choir were singing on the stage in Kingston at the Rose theatre. They all sang a special musical composed for the festival called the Soulbird, named after a book. It was lovely. The musicians all gave their time for free and one of them in turns out is the musical director of Billy Elliot in the West end.
Weather here has continued to be rubbish with rain most or even all days. We got 2 lots of olympic tickets for hockey and equestrian. So not brilliant but not awful either.
Animals are all fine, although we had a comedy moment yesterday. A wicked nasty hateful cat called Monty ( an eveil looking tabby garfield type) has always chased our little black cat shadow ( shadow is the runt if you dont know this already). Today Monty chased Shadow to the edge of the house, then turned around and Shadow chased her to the top and then Monty chased her back to the house. Like a tom and Jerry cartoon!! mind you we came down this morning to find the cat flap torn off the patio window and wrecked, so maybe Monty got revenge in the night………
Brentford have now signed two new players. A German defender and a guy from Man city.
Hedgepig has a new wheel. He continues to be a reversing sort of hedgehog but all the children that come to the house love him.
Elena had made a new friend in her class, a girl called Caitlin, who is one of seven children……….can you imagine………………seven……
Not got plans really for my birthday next weekend but Charles is coming over on the sunday. We might go cricket.
so nothing as exciting as Mexico……..but no hurricanes nor crocs either.