Five on Friday - Gratitude 17 April

In these different (and difficult) times I realise how much I have to be grateful for.  How lucky I am in so many ways.  So I will try to select just 5 to mention rather than rambling on for ages!

1   Owning fields nearby

Years ago my husband said he was buying some fields near to where we live (about a mile away).  I did wonder why but we've spent many a happy hour(s) up there.  Recently we've been there almost every day as we can be well away from anyone and go for a walk around the long field, safe that all we'll see are curlews, buzzards, kestrels, seagulls, lapwings, pigeons, pheasants, geese and the odd rabbit.  Below is a heron I saw land in our neighbour's field.  Priceless.

2   Sunshine

We have been blessed with a lot of sunny days recently.  It has made life so much more bearable.  Following photos were taken at the fields.

Just look at that blue sky.

Yet more blue sky.

3   Grateful to still be 'agile'

  I can still climb ladders!  I might be slower but I can still get up there so

I can have fun painting our shed.

4   Sore fingers = job done

Why?  Because it signalled the end of the hawthorn hedge cutting marathon up at the fields.  Last year my husband was able to get his new toy (tractor mounted hedge trimmer) to work and he did the bulk of the hedge.  Roll on about 6 months and there are bits he could not trim.  So we set too and did it by hand.  I have patience and did all the fine snipping.  Hence my sore fingers.

Before.

After.

5   Courting robins

I am a member of All Things Birdwatching UK and a few days ago there was a post showing 2 robins courting.  I've never seen that and was thinking how lucky he saw it and shared a photo.  Imagine my delight when 24 hours later I saw the same event but in my garden!  No camera to hand as I was eating my tea.   But the following day.....

Look what I saw; all I could do was point and press the shutter; almost instantly they flew off.

I'm so lucky with the wildlife in my garden.

Well, that's all for this month's Gratitude.  Thanks Hawthorn for hosting this.