Problems with birds. Photography. Reddlemen. The Rwanda question. And testing for Covid!

At various times in the past we have have had the rather unsettling experience of birds falling down the chimney, probably nesting in the chimney pot, and landing in the living room fireplace. The last time this happened the poor thing got stuck behind the electric fire and we had to carry out complicated manoeuvres to move the fire, catch the bird in an old towel and release it to the great outdoors. A young rook, I think it was, but even a young one is quite impressive. 

Some time last year we finally managed to get the builder who lives next door to have one of his colleagues fit a sort of cage over the chimney pots so that birds cannot nest there. This was a great relief. I really don’t appreciate flying creatures in enclosed spaces. 

Then this afternoon I went into the garden to hang some washing out to dry and heard an ominous clunk from the shed. My first thought was “rat!” which would have upset me greatly, but then I saw something bang into the shed window. A bird! I’m not sure what kind it is, possibly another rook as it looks a bit large for a blackbird. There is a space at the bottom of the door where a plank has broken. I assume that is where our feathered friend got in. The door is unreliable and difficult so now I need Phil to organise himself to open it and let the poor creature find its way out.    

Yesterday a friend of mine put a picture of moorland near Sheffield, very dramatic with reddish growth in the foreground. In his retirement my friend has taken to cycling around, selecting a spot and then sorting put his camera lens and exposure and other complicated stuff to take dramatic pictures. He compliments me on my photos, all taken with my mobile phone! I tried to download his picture to post it on my blog but the system was not allowing it, for some reason. One of his friends commented on that particular picture: “Very nice - almost as if Diggory Venn the Reddleman had walked that way...”

Puzzled, I set about finding out who Diggory Venn might be. It turns put that a “reddleman” is someone who delivers the red dye farmers use to mark their sheep. That makes sense, even though the farmers around here also mark their sheep with green. Is there a special name for the chap who delivers that dye? And Diggory Venn is a fictional character who figures in Thomas Hardy 's novel The Return of the Native (1878). It’s a long time since I read Hardy. Undoubtedly I read The Return of the Native when I was on a major Hardy-reading session but I have no memory of Diggory Venn. Something else to re-read, I think!

Here are a few comments on the plan to send refugees to Rwanda. One social media commentator wrote: 

“One of my heroes #TonyBenn once said: “The way a government treats refugees is very instructive, because it shows you how they would treat the rest of us if they thought they could get away with it.” #RefugeesWelcome #refugees”

Another reminded us that:

“The Madagascar Plan was a 1940 proposal by the Nazi party to relocate the Jewish population of Europe to the African island of Madagascar.” 

Hitler found another solution.

Here are a couple of “Boris comments” from Michael Rosen:

“Dear Priti

Let not the words of the naysayers impede your mission. The sands of Rwanda will wash away the champagne corks of Partygate. Btw, when you've done a costing, can you bury it in an addendum just as Caesar buried Mark Antony?   

Transportio concentratio 

Boris”

“Dear Mogg,

The auguries for our Rwanda scheme are not good. Am told that it's illegal and would cost more than it would to house whoever comes here anyway. No matter. The sun's out and I can no more be removed from office, than Julius Caesar was.

Lumbago in ricotta  

Boris”

The Lords are doing their best to block the plan. We shall see! 

And here on our house, Phil has just tested positive for Covid, which might scupper any plans we have for the next few days! The Covid sufferer has the symptoms of a perfectly ordinary cold, always worse for a man, in my opinion anyway. I was about to test myself just in case but the instructions on the box clearly said not to eat or drink anything for 30 minutes before doing the test. As I had just had a cup of coffee, I am being a good girl and biding my time. Updates tomorrow. 

Life goes on. Stay safe and well, everyone!