Notes from the country with Vicky Turrell

Posts

Journeys

- February 22, 2026

They came in their thousands. It was hard to believe how many there were. The sky was suddenly taken over by huge black shapes. We were in a bird hide at sunset when it happened and I could hardly believe my eyes. The hut was crowded with bird watchers holding binoculars. But you did not really need any help to see this spectacle. ‘Swoop, swoop’, cloud after cloud swished over us. A small group was joined by another and another until there was a monster swirling mass changing shape in a split second in the sky above us. When we went to the bird hide earlier in the month, we were alone, but someone wanted to join us. You have scan the QR code and fill in an application form before you get a number to unlock the door to the hide. But when we were punching the number in someone shouted. “Wait, hold the door.” A couple were running towards us. “We do not have the number.” What do you do? Do you let someone into a locked hide? They quickly stepped inside telling us that the...

It's a mystery

- February 17, 2026

“We are delighted to confirm your … initial appointment with us.” The letter addressed to me was in a big white envelope and it was a hospital appointment. I did not know anything about a new hospital visit. I scanned down the paragraphs. The appointment date was for Wednesday 8th October. I thought that they were informing me in good time, too much time. I read more carefully and saw that it said 8th October 2025. Had I missed an appointment? Well, no I had not, a quick check on my computer calendar showed that I had been to the hospital on that date. What had gone wrong? It is a mystery. I rang the hospital and they did not know what had happened. In any case I had attended the appointment because they had sent me a message via text to remind me. So, all is well and who knows what journeys and adventures my late letter had for four months before it arrived with me? It was an adventure for me too to go shopping in town the other day. I wanted some jeans as all my others are ...

Food for thought

- February 09, 2026

We are here at last! We made it through last month which seemed to have a thousand days. Now we are in shorter feathery February. The birds are here too. In February they have their wedding day – so the old saying goes, you will hear their song and see their new bright feathers ready for the event. I had a new bird feeder recently and I have filled it with my home-made bird pudding. The little birds love it because it is easy for them, but the big birds are puzzled. They find it hard to use the feeder, but that does not stop them from trying. The black corvids line up on the fence like warning notes and plan their strategy. ‘Ah’ thinks one ‘I will simply land on that dangling ball and steal that delicious pudding,’ but it is not that easy. He lands on it and before he has a chance to dig his beak into that tempting mixture, he falls off. Undeterred another one has a go. ‘I will hold on to the fence and reach across,’ he thinks. He tries this, but the dangling ball of food m...

Going wrong

- January 25, 2026

Something has gone wrong. Last year in September I planted two bowls of bulbs and left them in the garage, visiting occasionally to water them. Well, I have been telling everyone that one set of bulbs is growing really fast. They are already six inches high and big buds with crumpled petals are swelling at an alarming rate. But they are not what I expected. The packet I kept with the bowl shows purple tulips, perfect as a contrast for our pale walls of the new house. How good they would look, a real artistic touch, I thought. But they are not showing one drop of colour. They are cream and will be hidden against the light background. The hole was hidden as well. Perfectly camouflaged. It was full of water and you would not know it was there. We went in with a bang and luckily, we were not moving fast but it was still a shock as we dropped and we did not expect it. We thought that the roads would be fine after extensive work last year. The following week the hole was worse an...

Making the best of it

- January 19, 2026

“I want some sweets.” How often we have heard this cry in a supermarket. Sometimes the child even lies on the floor in protest. Often it is easiest to give in. “Oh, that’s alright we have plenty of those at home,” said the dad and the little boy went placidly to the check point. I wondered if they really had the sweets at home or if the child would forget. You have probably heard the joke where a parent tells the child that the ice cream van chimes mean that they have sold out. We all invent ways of coping. Our old sunflower heads are finally completely over. We left them for the birds long after the glorious golden flowers had wilted. Now after this snowy windy weather there are only brown bent and twisted bits of debris hanging there. Oh, how I long for the summer to see the golden delights again. Then when I was coming out of the supermarket, I saw tubs to buy presumably filled with sunflower seeds as the pots were covered with photos of the yellow flowers. I was like th...

It's a bargain!

- January 14, 2026

Is it just me or does this happen to everyone? Last night I decided to grab myself a treat and a bargain, a woollen winter jumper on-line. I went on my favourite web sites for clothes and just as I was imagining myself looking good in this modern top with a matching swish scarf, I was too late. Most of the knockdown price knitwear in my size had gone. This happened to me last year and I still have not learnt my lesson – I should try to buy sooner. Another thing to look out for is the name of the colour – ‘dahlia, rose and olive’ colours seem to sell quickly. But ‘rusted, lichen and wreckage’ seem to be slower to sell. I settled for ‘Wreckage’ (they had my size). And ‘wreckage’ is a good word for our lounge today as we are taking the decorations down. Not that we had many this year for our first Christmas in our new house. We have still not unpacked the decoration box. But there are the cards to sort. Those without glitter can be recycled so that is easy but then there ...