birds about town

 I'm definitely feeling as though spring could be in the air.  Dulcie and I headed out for a picnic in the Botanics yesterday and stayed out all afternoon, milling about and touring various local play parks.  I had forgotten how much nicer it feels to be able to spend all day out and about, taking things as they come rather than planning activities or trying (like a moron) to get things done in the house.  Roll on spring and summer!  While wandering, I spotted this little Tunnocks bird someone had made, risking life and limb (presumably) to stretch over the edge of a very high bridge to attach it to this tree stump.  Very cute and perfect in the crisp, bright coldness.

The other birds we hung out with were less sweet - the scavenging greedy louts known as the Pigeons of the Botanics...  Dulcie's inner monologue: "Back off, birds, I don't share my crisps with no-one...

"And smile for the camera!"

 

We also met an 11-week-old Alaskan malamute puppy who licked us into happy oblivion and was possibly the softest thing I have ever felt.  Do you know what they look like?  Ridiculously cute, I tell you!  I can't find a picture online that is even half as cute as the one we met, but this should give you some idea.

 

We had a good afternoon.  Dulcie was full of the joys - her imagination was running wild (she claimed she could see her Auntie Kerry's house from the top of the swing and told me what everyone was doing there) and she made lots of friends, including one rather eccentric little boy who drove her to Japan on an imaginary bus to buy sausages.  Lovely.  So let's just not mention the journey home, where she SCREAMED and SCREAMED and SCREAMED and SCREAMED.  This seems to be her pattern at the moment - 90% hilarious and delightful and kind and fun to be with, 10% unreasonable banshee.  And still not letting me sleep, naturally.