I hope all is well,
As regular readers of my blogs will know, I have a great love of the outdoors. Whether it be simply walking my two bearded collies Toby and Ellie or disappearing for hours with my camera to capture footage of the amazing wildlife on our door steps. A few years ago I was given membership to the RSPB (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds) as a gift and it is something I have continued to subscribe to ever since. A place I have long had on my wish list to visit has been RSPB Arne near Wareham in Dorset.
I finally made the trip a couple of weeks ago. What a treat it was, like picking up my local heath and woodland and placing it on the exquisite sandy beaches of Poole Harbour – bliss! The complete silence was something I rarely get to experience, as although I live in a semi-rural location there’s always the hum of an aircraft, or the constant hushed roar of a not too distant motorway. At Arne, human noise was virtually non-existent. In fact, as the evening drew in I was the last person sitting in one of their tranquil wooden hides, serenaded by the gentle call of wading birds and the slowly ebbing tide. I found the silence quite emotional and savoured every second.
Arne is situated in a spectacular location around the back of Poole Harbour not far from Corfe Castle and Purbeck Hills, well away from the busy navigation channels nestling behind the spectacular Islands of Brownsea, Furzey and Green. So the silence was indeed golden, as was the light – needless to say I managed to get a few good photos too!
It has been a strange summer of very mixed weather hasn’t it? Scorching hot one day and flash floods the next. Toby and Ellie love it when we are pottering in “their garden” and always find a flower pot to chew or a ball to present us with, but as you can imagine with their coats they struggle with the heat. We found Ellie in one of her usual hiding places the other day making the most of some shade. I think bearded collies must have some warthog DNA as they love wallowing in the cool of a freshly excavated hollow.
This weekend there are as usual some great gardening shows with our own Michael Perry and regular guests, giving you plenty of ideas to help make the most of any outdoor space you may be lucky enough to have. However, at my house, along with gardening jobs, there always seems to be a never ending list of DIY jobs too! The Today’s Special Value (TSV) for this Sunday is from Yard Force, when they’ll be bringing us a versatile 4-in-1 Cordless Gardening Multi Tool.
It can be used hand held or with the telescopic handle up to 1.24m, which means an average height person could reach up to 3.3m! It comes with a soil scarifier, grass trimmer, a really useful hedge trimmer and a pruner attachment – it runs on a 10.8 volt battery with a run time of unto 30 minutes and we’re including an additional battery in our bundle offer! Watch out for a great price and interest-free instalment option too!
A quick heads up that one of Mrs F’s fave brands, Margaret Dabbs London, has a three-piece Supersize Hands, Feet and Legs Collection TSV on the 4th that is pre-launching at 9pm on the 3rd.
Time for me to disappear now and mow the lawn as I can see the rain clouds looming…
So until next time, stay relaxed and most importantly… stay well!
Dale x
