Bat crazy...

It’s not every day a bat appears at your back door. But that’s who made an unannounced visit whilst we were having dinner recently. Just around 6.30pm Niomi calmly announces “there’s a bat” (like it happens everyday), to which the rest of us rapidly turn and express far more shock.

Seems the poor little mite couldn’t fly. It was just sitting there trembling and occasionally stretching a wing. Is it dying? Is it stunned or sick? All questions without answers. Quick consultation with www.bats.org.uk gave us a helpline number which was shut for the evening. Try a vet was the advice. It was nearly 7pm by now and our local vets were all closed. We found a 24hr vet hospital in Glasgow and called there.

Some discussion on the call – not a baby bat as it had fur and they’re normally seen in June, July and August. You should bring it in, but before handling it into a suitable container (plastic box with holes in lid) you’ll need to don PPE. So Daddy was just getting himself mentally prepared for his bat handling challenge, when it seems the little furry mouse with wings took the air. It flew round the garden, a bit unsteady for about 5 mins, then seemed to recover properly and was away.

We regularly see bats flying about in the evening, but never sitting on our back porch for half an hour. It all added an interesting change to the evening routine. Bat crazy indeed.

Videoclip: Bat Crazy

Or you can watch the video here

Escape to Northumberland...

And off we went for a Easter escapade in Northumberland. Sadly Ly was left at home as she was on a course but the four of us set off with high expectations of sun, fun and adventure. Well we got two out of three as the weather did try unsuccessfully to dampen our spirits.

We were staying in a lovely little cottage near Craster, right near the coast. The fields roundabout were full of newborn lambs and daffodils abounded. It was all set for a glorious spring break but alas at times it did feel more like mid-winter with rain aplenty and wind and cold to match. Still none of this dampened our spirits and we made the most of Northumberland's offerings. There were castles at Dunstanburgh and Alnwick, gardens at Alnwick as well, and stately home and gardens at Howick Hall and Cragside. We maxed out on our big building/garden combo. And when the weather got bad we headed indoors to Barter Books and the Baliffgate Museum. The kids also loved the play offerings at Lilidorei.

I really enjoyed Alnwick. It was really different to what I expected and not the Potteresque experience I was thinking it would be. Fascinating history and our knowledge of the gruesome middle ages grew. Food was great, with plenty of local smoked kippers and cod to tantilise us, and Owl Cottage really became a home from home.  Oh and Cragside is really worth a visit if you're ever in the area.

Not quite the sun-kissed holiday we hoped for, but our escape to Northumberland provided lots of fun and adventure nonetheless. I love holidays, and after two in quite quick succession, it really was hard going back to work this week.

The lambs were adorable

Sisters 1

Sisters 2

Trouble now spring is here

The sunny beach day

But the water was bracing

'Sunbathing'

Dunstanburgh Castle

They killed me slowly

The magical Lilidorei

And the macabre Poison Garden

Enjoying blossom and daffodils

And fun in the water garden

Videoclip: Watertrap

Or you can watch the video here

Alnwick Castle

In trouble again

Falconry at Alnwick Castle

Rare sighting of all four Rookes

Skipping in the sun

The ironbridge at Cragside

The Crazies

Videoclip: The Weather Report

Or you can watch the video here

Northumberlands beautiful coast

Leaving only footprints

Taking only memories