Then we had our Half Term Holiday in and around Leominster. Adam came until Thursday and Stacey came up on the Friday for the week-end. WE had a great time. We have been there before but we still found new places to go and things to see. There is some stunning scenery up there and this was the time when the blossom was on the thousands of Cider Apple Trees that were everywhere! We went to places too many to list here but one day we followed the Black & White Trail which is a 40 mile trail through villages with loads of Black & White houses and cottages. Some of them were stretching the imagination a bit to be included but most were lovely. We went to Hereford and found somewhere new – OK It was a Wetherspoons! Over the whole week we had a great time and on the Sunday came back and told all the others about it!
Dad’s Birthday w/e, he and Mum went to Southampton. They didn’t take us this time – I asked Dad why and he said, “ask Mum” so I asked Mum and she said, “ask Dad”. I guess it was because they hadn’t got our travel cage out of the loft in time for their quick getaway on the Friday! They went to Winchester on the Friday and spent Saturday in Southampton and Sunday at Mottisfont Abbey which was superb!
Then we had a week-end at home followed by Adam’s birthday week-end at Torquay and Exeter. We went on this w/e as we do love Torbay. We spent Friday afternoon travelling down and on Saturday we spent the day around Torquay, going into Paignton in the afternoon. There were no outside seats at Wetherspoons so we had to go back in the car which Dad had parked in the shade for us. That was only for half an hour, when we went to Exeter. On Sunday, we went to the Wharf where we walked to our usual pub a short walk away and had Lunch. Mum & Dad shared their Jacket Potato with us as we do love potato! At the end of the afternoon we had to drop Adam back at the railway station and we went on home.
The following w/e we were off again – this time to Reading. We spent the Saturday at Basildon Court and the Sunday around the Kennet & Avon Canal’s junction with the River Thames. In the afternoon (after a non-Wetherspoons pub lunch) Dad had a Foster Home Check to do for Birdline. We went along there but the applicant wasn’t there. His Mum was and she said we could wait and then she showed us into a very hot conservatory. There was an African Grey there who must have been used to it but we were both gasping! After waiting an hour, Dad made his excuses and we left! A spoiled end to a great w/e!
It seems as if we have been gallivanting about a lot and I guess we have. This ignores all the walks we have had around Swindon, Lacock, Bath and Chippenham. I must be honest here when I say they did NOT all end at a Wetherspoons – but they did all end at a PUB!!!
Right, throughout this our mate Charlie the Blue & Gold Macaw has been getting, we think, hormonal. He went from being Dad’s “baby” to being VERY viscious with Dad, to the extent that in the end they had to move him into a smaller Montana cage and, reluctantly they had a Hormone Implant implanted by Neil Forbes. This is NOT a route they want to use often but for Charlie’s own safety it was felt necessary this time. It was only done a couple of weeks ago so it is too early days to see a result. Hopefully after our Summer Hols Charlie will be better.
That brings us on to the main topic of this blog entry. We are going to the South of France and Northern Spain for 6 weeks holiday! We have had our Psittacosis tests done and as long as the results are the expected negative, we will have our health check next Monday and depart on Tuesday. Adam is coming with us for the first 4 weeks and then he is going back home to look after the fids and give Stacey a break and some company. We are soooo looking forward to our holiday; we can’t wait!