An Appeal For Help

This morning was wet and dull.

Light rain glistened on the dimly lit garden foliage seen from the bedroom windows.

After lunch the sun smiled down and spread a little joy.

It was warm enough for Aaron to mow Mistletoe Cottage’s lawn wearing a T-shirt.

I wandered around at ground level noting roses including

Peach Abundance,

Margaret Merrill,

and Festive Jewel:

 

fuchsias such as Delta’s Sarah:

and the flowering pieris piercing the lawn.

Iris Reticulatas have penetrated the Weeping Birch Bed at the point where the honesty blooms are giving way to the soon to be transparent seed medallions.

Brightly burnished blowflies’ metallic blue bodies mutated into rusty red.

In the meantime Nugget continues his parental duties. So diligently is he zooming backwards and forwards to his nest which may well be in the garden of North Breeze, that he has lost interest in hiding. If his family is domiciled on our neighbour’s property, we will not consider him disloyal because we know that avian boundaries are not the same as ours.

“Where’s Nugget?” (76)

This afternoon, in order to prevent bigger birds from snaffling our robin’s food, Jackie had wired up the outside of their feeder, leaving a robin sized access hole.

While I watched the news this evening, Jackie sat with a glass of Heineken on the patio.

Suddenly Nugget perched, chirping, on the back of the chair next to her. She turned. They made eye contact. Her familiar cocked his to one side and continued tweeting.

“What is it?”, Jackie asked.

A pause. She then said “I know. I’ll come and sort it out.”

He flew ahead of her, stopped in the centre of the path outside the kitchen window, and continued to call until she got up and followed him.

Still flying ahead of Jackie, he perched in the wisteria, waiting while she removed the chicken wire from his larder.

He flew past her head, chirruped his thanks, entered the container, and sped off to feed his brood.

After this we dined on roast pork, chipolata sausages, piquant cauliflower cheese, carrots, broccoli and cabbage with which Jackie continued her Hoegaarden and I finished the Fleurie.

 

 

 

87 comments

  1. I love the way Mr Nugget communicates his requests to Jackie; theirs is certainly a very special relationship. He is perched on the same watering can (or whatever that black object is) where he was seen yesterday, and he is in full view.
    Your roses are splendid!

  2. Things looking so lovely there – lush and green! 🙂 Is that white flower towards the bottom lily of the valley? We used to have a bunch where I grew up, and I always loved them 🙂

      1. 🙂 I couldn’t quite tell – thanks for clearing that up for me – and thanks for sharing the link with lily of the valley 🙂 Such lovely pictures.

  3. YAY! Jackie understands Bird! A language most of us don’t speak or understand. 😉 🙂 But, them Moms usually do understand their kids in a way no one else does! 🙂
    I have a friend who feeds squirrels every morning. And if she doesn’t get the food out on time one of the squirrels knocks on her sliding glass door. 🙂 Isn’t that wonderful!

    Yay for Aaron! What a great helper/worker!

    Great close-up photo of the blowfly!

    Love all your flowers and their regal names!
    (((HUGS))) 🙂

  4. Jackie and Nugget are the definition of a symbiotic relationship. Thanks for the happy news today – Robin and Human Collaborate Across Borders to Feed Young. How I’d love to see that headline in the local rag.

  5. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: That is no ordinary bird and no ordinary bond. Thank you for this delightfully heartwarming story!

  6. I love these stories of Nugget and Jackie — true symbiosis between woman and nature! And Jackie does such wonderful things with the gardens, too!

  7. I can only echo the wonderful comments that have preceded this. An absolutely touching episode in the intertwined lives of Jackie and Nugget.

  8. I loved the update on Jackie and Nugget.
    The garden is looking really lovely. And talking of the garden have you watched the One Show this week?
    If not, please will you consider having a look at this. I thought of you and Jackie as soon as I saw this, so I quickly took these photos of the TV screen. They are not expecting perfection, but yours is!
    https://nansfarm.files.wordpress.com/2020/05/my-chelsea-garden-1.jpeg
    https://nansfarm.files.wordpress.com/2020/05/my-chelsea-garden-2.jpeg

  9. Isn’t it amazing to see the evidence of trusting relationship between humans and other creatures? We assume it with dogs and cats, but Jackie and Nugget is a wonderfully true example.

  10. Even on a dull, wet day, your garden is a wonder. Really enjoyed the story about Nugget communicating with Jackie.Those two really have a bond. Lovely to read about it.

  11. I wonder how you remember all the flowers’ names Derrick. What a beautiful garden , I cannot say it enough. How strange that your robin seems totally domesticated.

    1. Thanks very much, Geetha. This really was unusual, even for robins, who are known as the gardener’s friend. I do have to check with the Head Gardener fo some of the names.

  12. I often pass by, admiring your garden, envying your meals, but don’t often leave a comment. The story about Nugget was gobsmacking; he has you folks as well trained as cats train their owners!

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