Saturday 14 July 2012

After a hard day, a soak

I've had a massive clear up in the garden today and took another load to the dump. My little Meriva is the ideal car for me, with the back seats down I can use it like a van. I've shifted rotting broken pallets, rusty metal shelving, the bent metal frame from a gazebo, half a dozen old plastic plant pots, and mounds of hedge trimmings and weeds. Also to go was two big bags of dirty cat litter. I'm getting loads of cat poo at the moment and can't put it all in my bin as it makes it too heavy for the machine on the lorry to lift it.

Look what I found as I was sorting out my wood pile behind the garage. This little critter was scurrying about. I don't know what it is, any ideas? Mayze was taking an interest so I put her indoors to give it a chance to run and hide. It's an orangey colour underneath, and has four little legs, isn't it sweet :o) 

Dinner tonight was an onion, half a tin of red beans, and a quorn fillet, cooked in a little oil, spices and half a tin of tomatoes thrown in, water added, served on a bed of wholegrain rice. I didn't take a photo because it looked the same as many of my other meals, yellow from the turmeric, ha ha.

We've had a light shower tonight, otherwise it's been warm and fine all day. The back garden is looking ship shape, a bit of tidying to do on the front garden. I'm splashing out on a bath tonight, blimey that will knock me back a couple of quid. Nearly ready so I'd better go and get in it. A glass of wine as well, ooooh, I'm living it up tonight. Toodle pip.

12 comments:

  1. Looks like a common newt to me. Have you got any ponds near?
    Love from Mum
    xx

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  2. It's a Common lizard See (sorry long address!) http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?q=common+british+lizard&um=1&hl=en&sa=N&qscrl=1&nord=1&rlz=1T4GZAZ_enGB353GB353&biw=1116&bih=597&tbm=isch&tbnid=tKP_p9raGBSIyM:&imgrefurl=http://www.herpetofauna.co.uk/common_lizard.htm&docid=Qmx7U-yatrNiFM&imgurl=http://www.herpetofauna.co.uk/ident_images/JuvLizard310703373.jpg&w=355&h=254&ei=ErgBUIzyDOem0QWBq7yvBw&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=369&vpy=145&dur=87&hovh=190&hovw=265&tx=133&ty=100&sig=106165761171529366478&page=1&tbnh=125&tbnw=149&start=0&ndsp=17&ved=1t:429,r:2,s:0,i:79

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  3. I have no idea what it is. Looks like maybe a salamander? Don't know if they live around your end. I didn't think lizard types lived in England.

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  4. Sounds like you deserve a soak in the bath! I must do the same, I fell the length of the living room loaded up with shopping - got my foot caught in the strap of the laptop bag! I decided today to go back to growing most of my veg in pots, the rear of the garden has produced nothing this year due to huge amounts of slugs but 2 years ago when I grew everything in pots I had a wonderful harvest - aah well experience puts you right in the end. Hugs Vix

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  5. I've been looking up the difference between lizards and newts.

    How do I tell the difference between newts and lizards?

    "Many people confuse newts and lizards as they can be a similar size and colour.

    Lizards (pictured right) have scaly skin whereas newts possess smooth skin (which can look velvety on land) or skin with a bumpy, 'warty' texture. Lizards are much more likely to scurry away very quickly when disturbed, whereas newts will make slower 'lumbering' movements (generally speaking - if you can catch it, it's a newt).

    If you have a chance for a closer look you could count the number of toes on the front pair of legs - newts have four toes, lizards have five."
    xx

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  6. Well now I'm confused. It looks like a lizard from that photo on the link. It stood still for a while so I could have maybe picked it up, but then it scurried away. In my pic it looks like it has four toes. There are no ponds either side of me, I'll see if I can find it tomorrow for a closer look, and ask the people at the back of me if they have a pond. They might do because they have a big garden.

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  7. Enjoy your bath - cheaper than a night at the pictures or anywhere else for that matter !

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  8. It does look like a lizard, but it is a common (or smooth) newt. I used to have them at my old house and they look quite different with dry skin and when they are not swimming about. Cute things :o)

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  9. well done you, getting the garden all sorted....wish I could get out into mine...it has rained all day - the kitchen looks like a chinese laundry and the garden is fast turning into a jungle LOL.

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  10. Might be useful

    http://www.froglife.org/animals/newts.htm

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  11. I'm pretty sure it's a newt--orangey underside. I used to see alot of newts where I used to live.

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  12. If it were here, I'd call it a salamander.
    HOT HOT HOT here today...I've done nothing.
    Jane x

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