Since Retiring

Since retiring from full time employment some 9 months ago I have found that the greatest change in my life is being able to spend my time as I want to. A lot of things have suddenly started to make sense to me and I have grown to appreciate a great many things that before went unnoticed. Much of this is not really that exciting, but the little things, like what a great joy it has become to watch the birds in the garden and realise just how much creatures of habit they are. A pattern emerges of their life through the seasons which I never had the time before to observe. Bits of what went on got noticed, but never the whole scene, and it is truly fascinating.

The garden itself has suddenly become more interesting as being here more often means that I see things that before were quite unknown to me. Having taken up my camera again more seriously has helped in this regard as it forces you to be more observant. I just wish that my mastery of photography was really up to the task. I was able to pop out this morning when I noticed one of our irises by the pond had suddenly opened out. Last year it was very reluctant to flower so hopefully it is going to be better this time round.



Iris

For some reason I had it in my head that the wood pigeon was also called the collared dove. I now find that this is not so; it is in fact also known as the ring dove. I tell you this just in case you might be labouring from the same misinformation, and to set the record straight here is one of our visitors, just to prove that I have not been wasting my retirement.


Wood pigeon alias Ring dove 

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I also find that I now have more time for reading and so acquire lots of useless information. Did you know for instance, that botulism got its name from botulus, the Latin for sausage after 6 people in Germany died in 1793 after sharing one. I always suspected there was something a bit dodgy about sausages.