The Range and BSL

Writing this on Monday morning on the train for work, Just approaching Southampton as hit happens. Just about to see my mate Tim and my other mate Gottle’s train heading the other way. Don’t know when you are going to read it as I can’t log in to my web site at the moment. Common Niki, sort it out!

Busy weekend. Wanted to go to The Range shop in Southampton. Which is near to Shirley. So we did the charity shops there. Bought quite a bit of stuff there. Books, videos a Santa hat and some flashing balls head gear for when I’m at football over Christmas.

Bought a book on British sign Language, which I think it’s a very funny language. I’ve blogged about BSL words that have amused me in the past. Sue and I had a quick game of guess what the sign means.

Then on to The Range. Hoping to find Christmas pressies for people but didn’t. Then home for a relaxing afternoon.

Sunday, Sue’s parents visited. After lunch we all went out to Blashford Lakes to see what birds were around. I hunted high and low for the Great White Egret that’s been there for ages. Asked around and no one had seen it that day. I did add some to both my life list and my 2007 Hampshire list. Highlight though was being in the woodland hide and seeing so many birds. 15 species in all. All common birds (apart from a Dunnock – one more for my life list) but so nice to sit so close to so many birds. The ground was just covered with chaffinches. Blue and Great tits a plenty on the feeders, Until they were first scared off by a Great Spotted Woodpecker and then later on by a Pheasant, the latter obviously thinking he was a blue tit as well. Went off on my own to see if I could see the Great White Egret. Found some new paths, leading to hides and a screen that have just been opened up. Didn’t see the Egret but did see a Goosander (another to my life list). Then back home for a nice tea and watching TV. Nature programmes, Top Gear and the final part of Long Way Down. I work with two bikers who love the Long Way Down programme. I think they both want to do something like that themselves.

Oh well, my train is now at Christchurch. So nearly time for me to get off. Nearly all of the usual suspects are on the train. Though was reading my past blogs the other day and there was one about all the regulars on my train. I noticed that out of those that I mentioned, only one still catches that train. Wonder what happened to them all.