The infamous oozel bird

Waiting for the tea to brew Husband and I were watching birds eating the nuts outside the kitchen window. There was a nuthatch in its usual upside-down eating pose while a sparrow and blue tit fluttered around. Nearby there was a bird that looked like a blackbird but not quite. I asked Husband what it was.

"It's a young male blackbird. His beak's not properly yellow yet and his plumage is still grey. Although," he said, "it appears to have a ring around its neck. It could be ring oozel*, although they're rare."
I looked at him doubtfully, "A ring oozel?"
He took down the bird book and flicked to the index. "Oh, it's not there. Perhaps I made it up."
"You think?"
"Ah, there it is, under oozel ring."

It wasn't. I mean it was in the bird book, unlikely as that sounds, but the bird in the garden was definitely a young blackbird, not an oozel of any sort.

I picked up the teapot to pour the tea. It felt very light. "Did you make the tea?" I asked.

"Yes. Didn't I?"

He'd only warmed the pot. Now I'm here telling this story as I wait for the tea to brew.

* * * * *

I popped into the village this morning and, not wanting to spend money on parking drove around the back streets. I found a parking space but it was rather small. "Come on, you can do this," I gave myself a talking to. You have to understand that normally I will drive around for ages rather than attempt parallel parking but it was Saturday morning and the village was busy; I might not find another space at all. So I took a deep breath . . . and did it perfectly first time!

I was so pleased I took a photo to show everyone. Younger Son commented that the space looked reasonably-sized. "Not by my standards. By my standards that is a small space."

Meanwhile coming out of a shop ahead of a man and woman I heard the woman say, "Would you ever?"

And without an instant's hesitation her partner replied, "Yes." And I am left wondering what it is he would do so readily and why she was doubtful about it.

As Daughter reminded me that last year I'd finished Christmas shopping by the end of October I decided it would be a wise move this year as well, bearing in mind that Husband will probably be hospitalised - and shielding before that and needing looking after afterwards - some time over the next couple of months. So I'm pleased to report I bought two Christmas presents this morning. Then I remembered that, of the two people I'd bought for, one's present ungiven from last year is still in our dining room. So really that's three presents I have.

But before I buy any cards I will check what I have left from last year.

* That should be ouzel apparently, but try telling A.A. Milne that. (Pooh and the Woozel.)