I Saw A Mouse!

Where? Yes, I did. But not on the stair as the little song goes, no in the garden. 

He or she was taking full advantage of our bird feeder set in a secluded spot with nice ground cover in the form of bark mulch. 

This feeder was providing  a steady stream of food via the birds who messy eaters as they are dropped so much on the ground. 

He or she was a very cute looking mouse and was joined by another one as they got used to us. 

However, while I am OK with them in the garden I do not want mice in the house so we moved the feeders much further down the garden and are more careful about spilled birdseed grain now. 

Our neighbours are avid bird feeders as well so we warned them to just be careful with feeders very close to the house. 

The mouse is -we think- a wood mouse and they rarely like to come into homes but it is certainly not unheard of so it's just being careful. They are usually nocturnal mainly so it was surprising to see them out in the daytime. He must have been very hungry.

They are very common in gardens and most gardens have far more mice than we realise. Of course, where you see one mouse there are usually soon many more! 

Wood mice usually have about two or four litters per year and can have their offspring from March to Autumn. In winter they go into a semi-hibernation or torpor state to save energy. They have many predators from cats to owls and foxes

Its natural habitat is hedgerows and woodland but gardens provide for all its needs. They can climb up to bird feeders but will happily take seed spilled. They can and do hoard food they find. 

Do watch this short video it is very funny. I learned this song as a young child.  It's a song about a mouse living in a windmill! You may even be singing along with the chorus before long  :) 


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Perfect Waterlilies

I wanted to shares some real beauty with you today. 

Not in my own garden today but visiting another, which I find important to do for inspiration and just the joy of appreciation. 

Yesterday we visited a beautiful garden near us. It has a large lake which at this time of year, just on the edge of summer going into autumn,  is filled with gorgeous water lilies.

 There are many types and colours and my all-time favourite is this one with its pristine white petals and a vibrant yellow centre. 

We don't have a lake or even a pond in our garden so when I like to see water-loving plants we come to this garden and it is wonderful.

The lake was so serene, just a gentle breeze on a warm day gently rippling the surface of the water with the hazy sunlight dancing sparkling across the waves. It was so relaxing and so lovely. An afternoon off to appreciate the beauty of a waterlily on the lake.... precious moments indeed. 

Do you like water lilies?