Diary - Saturday 6th February

[DianaCanada]

Rare mutation may be so in Canada Diana, dont know, but there is a European black squirrel.  I glimpsed one in the Tiergarten Park in Berlin and was thrilled to have seen it. 

It looks like the mutation of the northern North American squirrel might be due to the black fur being slightly warmer, but scientists don’t really know.  The Great Lakes Basin of southern Ontario and neighbouring Michigan has the highest rate, so don’t know if cold weather is the only reason. The grey ones have quite a variety of colours really, from reddish or beige tails, white tummies, and grey or beige coats.  On the other hand, all the chipmunks look the same!
Haven’t done a squirrel count lately  but looks like a 50/50 split in my backyard.

[Viktoria]

Daughter phoned early today, as she is sitting with the horse!
He is calmer when she is there.She saw Flash Harry today,well she was outside he inside  the  grumbelow where he lives,l
She asked had he been good ,and had he done his work for school with
Daddy ?
He went inside and brought out the chart that has to be filled in each day,to show they have done the work, brought it to the window and held it up.
The little monkey had himself filled it in for today, having put crosses in the answer squares!It has to be photographed and sent to school.
He really has switched off ,what a pity ,he was so keen at school, but one to one is very intense.
Had he been born three months later than he was he would not be in school
yet.
At least he did not cheat  and put ticks.
Went for a big walk with Daddy, and I had suggested some things to do ,last week.
So today they were going to throw stones in a wide stream, so were collecting stones and when one had been thrown in ,they would count them again and incidentally he would see the decreasing amount.He can count a long way.
No paper or pencils involved so informal ,like play to him.
They do a lot of that,always baking and weighing .
They have a chart with pictures of ingredients on it ,with the words underneath ,so Mum or Dad will say ,showing a word,”  I need some of this “.
FH matches and can say “ flour!”


Hope all are as well as can be expected , a sprinkling of snow today, very cold when I went for my walk, went up the main road where there is another way to get to the Cemetery ,but there is a bus stop on the way and there was a group of about six people waiting , no two metre distances!.
The pavement is narrow and there really was nowhere for them to go and I was not stepping into the road so turned about and went another way.

A neighbour has just had new windows ,really good frames with glass, in the skip, what lovely cold frames they would make!
Guess which neighbour,yes he of the uncontrollable temper ,proud owner of the dipped pavement!
Shame ,I could use some but no matter.

Bright sunshine  today.
 I expect it will freeze tonight.
Keep safe everyone.
Viktoria.