Pairing up

Ducks on the oyce this afternoon as I came back home. They are pairing up, ready for spring, mostly mallards here but there have been wigeon and shelduck and a single goldeneye too.

Berry and I went for a wander behind the 4th barrier which was fairly successful, so long as I kept an eye on her sprints; not much fun for either dog or human when she reaches the end of her tether! I'm mindful of the three 'D's' (Duration, Distractions and Distance) which impact on being able to get her back. It's a very useful tool, and if one D is at a high level eg I'm asking for her to sit and stay for a long time, then it makes sense that the other two have to be minimal for a high-drive dog. Which she is! Of all the things I've read I think this has been the most beneficial.

When I dropped into the village shop I met a friend who is despairing of the plague of kelp flies that have been invading the house in their thousands the past couple of weeks. Nothing seems to deter them and it requires constant hoovering of the drifts of bodies from every part of the house. It must be hugely unpleasant. I'm now feeling rather glad we aren't right down on the shoreline.

I had planned a relaxing couple of hours in the hidey hole but after accidentally sewing through a lump of plastic and forcing the needle out of its socket (it's a boring story) I have now upset my super-duper computer sewing machine and it is decidedly unhappy. The stitches and then the snarl of these is more than it can contemplate. So it looks like it might be making a trip south with us in March, which is not what I really need. At least I have my spare machine but it's a right pain and all my own fault.

An extra of a weather sample today. Squally, showers of the stuff, really unpleasant to be in but not cold enough to hang around for too long.