Thursday 6 December 2012

Christmas Preparations and Big Birds

Hurray, finally got my last overseas parcel in the post, Now the race is on to get my Christmas cards written.  I might have to resort to a glass of festive sherry and 'Now that's what I call Christmas' to get me in the mood.

Today on my Thursday morning walk in the woods I saw a pileated woodpecker, I had never seen one before and it was massive.  I looked them up in Chuck and Suzanne's trusty bird book and apparently they are 16.5 inches long with a wingspan of 29 inches, I'm glad they don't come to my bird feeders and really glad one hasn't tried to check into the chalet.  I often think it would be nice to have a good camera for that sort of sighting but I'd probably leave it on the kitchen table with all the rest of my rubbish anyway so I guess it doesn't matter.

This evening I got the dried fruit soaking for my Christmas cake.  I wasn't going to bother with one but on reflection I can't really go through the whole of Christmas without fruitcake and how else am I going to use up all the candied peel.  It will be very Canadian as the fruit is soaking in Canadian Club whiskey (got no brandy) and I forgot to buy sultanas so used cranberries instead, the glacé cherries are green which is a bit weird but hopefully you won't see them when it's cooked.  I just hope that I've got enough time to adequately feed it before Christmas.

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