Helping beaks and paws

Well it’s nearly the end of 2021 and the new year is nearly with us. Here’s hoping that it will be a good one for all of us. I do hope that you are all keeping safe as I’ve seen that there have been heavy snowfalls in Japan.
I was fascinated to see an article about the brave dogs that donate their blood for the benefit of other dogs who need it. I had no idea that their were blood banks for dogs that are run along the same lines as a human blood bank. The dog blood bank is for used for service dogs if they need it.
Some animal species have found ways to work together and they help each other find food shelter and protection from other animal predators. Zebras and ostriches are both prey for faster animals, they both therefore have to maintain heightened awareness of danger. Zebras have excellent eyesight but a poor sense of smell and the reverse is true for ostriches so together they work together to protect each other.
Egyptian crocodiles work together in a very different way. The plover finds food by pecking between the crocodiles teeth, this benefits both species. The plover gets a good feed and the crocodiles get a good clean which keeps them healthy.
Honey badgers and a bird called honeyguides as the name suggests have a love for honey. The birds lead the way to the honey hives and the badgers break them open thus both enjoy a good feed. I was delighted to think about all the different species working in conjunction with each other. The wonder of the natural world.
Bloggers wishing you good health and happiness in 2022 over and out London.













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Boxing Day

  --> Hope you are all well.  London had a very rainy Christmas and today is another holiday called Boxing Day.  This holiday was instigated by Queen Victoria in the 18,00s , rich families were given the day off and were given some money from the alms box where money had been collected to share out with servants and poorer people. The alms boxes were made of clay or wood, every Church of England had an alms box. The day after Christmas money was distributed to people in need in the community.  Many families still give a Christmas box today to people who have provided services; bin men, postmen and others. A tradition that has been around in London is the annual Boxing Day swim in the Serpentine in Hyde Park this swim was started in 1864, rather them than me. So Christmas has passed the trees are still up and will remain till January 6.   Then lots of trees are dumped outside and then regrettably be put in land fills.   A couple who live in Dorset have come with a wonderful way to prevent this.  They rent their trees and after Christmas they collect them when the tree reaches seven feet they plant them in a forest.  What a good idea. I’ll close with a link to one of my favourite Christmas poems by E E Cummins it is about a tree I hope you enjoy it too.  https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/47304/little-tree Take care keep warm over and out London. Sent from my iPad

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Christmas fun and meaningful


Hi bloggers well it’s the winter solstice a long dark day but hopefully we move into lighter days and a positive new year. Well Christmas is a few days away and it seems that it is accompanied by unusual types of collections, that are recorded in the Guinness Book of Records.
A new entry is a Welsh lady Sylvia Pope also known as Anna Bubbles and here’s why. She has earned her place in the book, as she has a very large collection of baubles. It currently stands at 1,760 and she’s hoping to reach 2,000 by the end of the year.
A man in Canada achieved fame by having the largest collection of Santa Claus memorabilia. He started collecting in 1988 and he has more than 25,000.
Joan Gordon’s claim to fame is her collection of robin cards. I’m not joking it’s true!
Joan has more than 11,000 cards and she begins decorating her home at the beginning of November. Now I am very fond of seeing a robin in the garden however I’m not sure about ceiling to floor coverage.
A team of landscape gardeners from Yorkshire, embody what to me is is the spirit of Christmas is really about giving. They have a Christmas project started last year. They make wooden Christmas trees made from recyclable wood. They then sell the trees and with the money raised they buy toys for children in need. They have raised £10,000 this year. They said they feel enormous joy when they go and scoop up toys to give away. What a lovely team.
So bloggers keep as warm as you can and wishing you all a peaceful merry Christmas.
Over and out London.














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