Sunday 22 May 2016

Are things back to normal?

After a fortnight with very patchy Broadband, suddenly mid-afternoon yesterday I got it and it has stayed on.   It is now half past nine on Sunday morning and it is still on.   The engineer is supposed to be coming in the morning (the third time that BT have promised to come, so I shall still expect him to call and check things over.)  It would be just my luck to cancel them and for it then to disappear again.

Life has been hard without it.   We tend to take such things fore granted. Trying to book cattle transfers by telephone when one is deaf is not an experience I would wish on anyone.  I did get it done finally but at great expense to my nervous system.

So, what has been happening since our return from our cruise?   Well the most important thing is that Spring has burgeoned - even here in the North of England.   Riding through the lanes around here, the trees are in full leaf (except for a few late ash trees), the verges are thick with cow parsley, dandelions are turning to 'clocks' and buttercups are taking their place, and the birds are in full household mode.

The eaves which face North on our farmhouse are full of house martins' nests, as they are every year;and the air above is full of those house martins as they scream and swoop and catch insects.   They are a delight to watch.   There are less swallows than there used to be (same last year)  but three or four pairs are building in various barns.   Pied wagtails,blackbirds, tree sparrows, hedge sparrows, yellow hammers, house sparrows - all have nests in or around the farmyard.   And collared doves, as usual, in our pine trees.   The trouble is that their nests are so flimsy that one strong wind and the eggs end up on the grass below.

Today we are meeting my God-daughter and her husband in Ravenstonedale - this means a drive through Wensleydale, turning up along the side of the Mallerstang (well-known to Gwil), left at Lady Anne Clifford's Castle (a ruin), over the moors and down on to the edge of the Lakes.    It is a gloriously sunny day so it will be a lovely ride.

I will post photographs this evening, assuming I still have broadband.   In the meantime here is another photograph from our holiday cruise - this one outside the cheese shop in Edam.   I remember this particularly because the sky was deep blue and the air was full of the sight and sound of screaming swifts.

23 comments:

HiToplay said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Elizabeth said...

I think you need to dump the previous comment!
What a super picture of Holland.
I had a lovely visit to England recently and it is finally getting green around here!
All best wishes.

Tom Stephenson said...

I have to change provider this week, and I am still not sure who to go for, now I hear about your BT problems. This was a great quote, Weave:

"Trying to book cattle transfers by telephone when one is deaf is not an experience I would wish on anyone."

coffeeontheporchwithme said...

The tops of the houses (shops?) in that photo are charming! I sincerely hope your broadband (internet) stays on from now on. Shame on the company for keeping you waiting like that. The birds are out in full force here, too. -Jenn

Gwil W said...

Sometimes they are able to mysteriously fix these things without even coming round.

Heather said...

Welcome back and fingers crossed that things stay that way.
I do love the gables on those buildings in Holland.
The journey you describe to meet your goddaughter sounds so beautiful. I look forward to seeing the photos.

Yorkshire Pudding said...

Funny how your broadband righted itself just before the BLT man arrives. It's like toothache. You make an emergency appointment at the dental surgery and just before you get there the pain dissipates. This can make you feel like a proper charlie.

donna baker said...

Pat, it sounds glorious around there.

Rachel Phillips said...

Thank you for the photo Weave, beautiful blue sky and a barrow full of cheeses and some interesting buildings. I look forward to seeing a few more, perhaps a river and a boat?

As for BT Broadband I have never had a problem with it or them. Mumbai are always helpful except the bit when they ask you to unscrew the junction box from the wall and carry out a few checks yourself. Nobody likes that bit. Intermittent problems must be difficult for both them and us.

Sue in Suffolk said...

Ash trees are late here too, must have been the cold weather, so Oak out well before Ash this year.

Frances said...

Hoping that the broadband power holds, and also that tomorrow's visiting technician will be able to explain what has caused the recurring lack of service.

I'm looking forward to seeing more pictues from your holiday.

When I read the names of the birds you've been seeing, I realized that many of them are unknown around here. I'm going to look for some pictures on the web.

Have a grand Sunday! xo

Mac n' Janet said...

Glad you've got your Broadband back, I'm lost when the internet is gone. Lovely photo of Edam a town I remember well.

Sue said...

Amazing blue sky and I love the Dutch houses. Nice to have you back Weaver.

Simon Douglas Thompson said...

Here the cow parsely came from nowhere to about 5 feet tall in about a week! Glad spring is with you now.

Barbara said...

Oh, I love the blue sky in the picture you posted! We've seen FAR too little of that lately.
I hope your broadband continues to work. It is nerve-wracking to attempt to do any type of business "the old-fashioned" way anymore.

Anonymous said...

I love hearing about all your birds and envy you the swallows and martins nests :o)

angryparsnip said...

What a beautiful photo.
How wonderful for you to see all the birds.
I like to sit outside and watch the birds fly around and the bats come out to eat the bugs.

cheers, parsnip

Gerry Snape said...

Glad you are back on the world of wifi...I'm down in Devon and the ash is slow down here too...does that have a significance in the weather for the summer do you think?

Derek Faulkner said...

Gerry, the old country saying relating to the coming summer goes:- "Oak before the Ash, we're in for a splash - Ash before the Oak, we're in for a soak"

Fairtrader said...

Dear Weaver!!
Where I live, broadband is no problem really, but to think that we actually depend so much on it!! Technology seem to have us in a tight grip! In Sweden we have problems right now that we usually connect with other latitudes - we are running out of water!!
We are used to water running when needed, but the last few winters and summers has been unusually dry, so in some parts, they have to drive tankers with water so that firedepartments and hospitals can work normally!!
I look forward to see pictures from your sundaytrip, Yorkshire is just a tv-and bookbased experience for me - James Herriot mostly. The picture you added today was also nice, Holland is really nice .

Librarian said...

Driving through Wensleydale on a sunny day sounds lovely - walking there sounds (to me) even better :-)
I hope you had a great day, and Mr. BT is at your place today as promised. I wonder what their excuse is for letting you down twice already.

The Weaver of Grass said...

Thanks for your comments everyone - as to having broadband back, the engineer says it will still be intermittent until the job is finished. But at present it is back, so I am making the most of it.

Billie said...

I love reading your delightful blog. The farming community, the village, animals & day to day life. We visited England, London, Bath, Bristol & the Cotswold some years ago & were completely delighted. Thank you so much for sharing.