Visitors from afar ...

Diane and Ray took time from their European Tour yesterday (Friday 29th November) to call in to say hello ...

 Is there a likeness to you think?

 When the rain dried up we went on our short walk together passing the row of trees in which the Red Kites like to sit ...

 and the Flower Pot Hotel

 where Ray is up to his old tricks!

After checking out the river we ambled back to Still Rockin' for a cuppa and cake before they set off once again.

Thank you both for taking time in your busy schedule to come and see us, we so enjoyed your company.  We wish you a good road on the remainder of your extensive tour and are most certainly looking forward to seeing you again in Oz in February ... getting very excited now!

Confusing the birds and a walk at dusk

Sunday (25th), a dull day ...

brightened by the sight of the woodpecker on the bird feeder but I noticed that the coconut shell was on the grass for the second time ...

I decided to move them onto the sculpture just outside the window hoping that the marina owners wouldn't mind and that the birds would find the feeders quickly

Parakeet looking for the feeders in the old apple tree ...

but he soon found the new location!

The woodpecker found them too but didn't feed because the parakeet was there.  Not sure if this is going to work as the small birds are not coming in to feed, perhaps the position is too open and they like the cover provided in the tree.  Even the parakeets 'flinch' when there are red kites flying above.  I may move them back.

The weather cleared a little in the afternoon and we went for a walk

Planes taking off from Heathrow at very regular intervals

Hambleden Lock ...

and the weir stream

Hambleden Mill

and home

I'm really pleased with the night-time shots.

Big moon and frosty days ...

6pm on Wednesday (21st November) and the moon is rising in a clear sky ...

bringing a hard frost on Thursday morning, and very low temperatures ...

but also a promise of some sunshine to come

9:15 the sun is showing its face ...

and there's a low mist over the fence towards the road and the fields

I do love the view from our mooring ...

and catching glimpses of the resident kingfisher.

Not done a lot this week apart from local walks and a visit to Marlow for bits and pieces to tide us over until ...

Friday when Mr Tesco came with our big order.

It came back ...

Wednesday (21st) the otter came back to the mill stream at lunchtime

Taken from the bow, he/she was under the mooring pontoon by the stern of Still Rockin'

Can you see him?

... and then he/she was gone.

The otter was in the mill stream for at least half-an-hour and the pictures above taken over about twenty minutes.  He/she looked tired towards the end, not so alert, and was trying to curl up and rest on those large stones.  Perhaps this was because he'd gorged on lots of fish (of which there are thousands in the stream), or perhaps he felt a bit 'trapped' because there were three of us watching, talking quietly and taking pictures.  Next time just a couple of photos and let him/her be I think.

Over the past few days ...

The photos below were taken on Thursday (15th) afternoon a couple of hours after we saw the otter in the mill stream ...

We've not seen a cat roaming the marina before

he/she has lovely markings ... rather like a jaguar.

We've started to have some interest in the bird feeders too

On Friday (16th) after a busy week with the hire car attending dentists, travel clinic, etc., and generally making use of the car, George returned it to Enterprise in Reading.

Last year whilst moored here at Hambleden for the winter we purchased gym memberships for three months and attended five mornings each week.  We're not doing that this year (saving our pennies for spending in Oz) so will have to put on our thinking caps  to decide how we're going to spend a few hours away from Still Rockin' each week.

On Saturday we went on our usual circular walk ... here looking over the Thames at Hambleden Mill and two fishermen canoeing into the weir stream

There were lots of Red Kites taking advantage of the sunshine

We see the fishermen again as we recross the weir on our way home

Sunday the woodpecker is back on the coconut shell which contains seeds etc., encased in fat ... he seems to like it!

Monday (19th) was a day of sunshine and showers.

George took the photo above of a rainbow over the river ...

and these two of the local kingfisher atop the water point stand

at the side of Still Rockin'.