Birthday greetings

Brandon Marsh's - Autumnal coat.

A Lickle Birthday Poem for Hubby
Darling
You're all I ever wanted
Without you, I just couldn't cope
In this crazy world we live in
You're my life, my love, my hope
With all my love on your **th birthday
~Your Missus~

We'd a very low-key celebration, just the two of us. I gave him a card, chocolates and an earlier pressie of a remote-control helicopter which he managed to fly only once. We bought lobster which is still defrosting and apple crumble which is still baking in the oven. My mother-in-law sent him a lovely painting of sunset at Barafundle Bay, Pembrokeshire. And my baby caught the cold from me :-)

I was off work for 3 days with that cold. And I wasn't alone. My colleagues, too, were dropping like flies. I guess it's the change in the season. It's getting colder and darker earlier. The British Summertime also ends yesterday, The clock goes back an hour which is a pain in our casa cos all the electrical appliances have built-in clocks. And next Spring, we have to turn it forward an hour. Strange, but an interesting routine.

On Friday, was Breast Cancer Awareness Day. Unknowingly, I wore a pink cardigan with matching pink earrings. I also have a pink badge somewhere. I really sympathise with those who are battling this awful disease and those who have suffered from its ravages, whether they suffer themselves or it affects someone they are close to. I've lost an aunt and 2 friends to the Big C. When I was in Dumfries, I'd a scare when I found tiny, itchy dots on mine. Immediately, I went to my GP who made an appointment asap with the Infirmary. Within a week, I was seen to and had a scan done. Syukur alhamdulillah, it was nothing. I was just allergic to something. I'm glad that living here in the UK, I'm accessible to one of the best health service in the world.
We'd a quick visit to Brandon Marsh cos I wanted to take some shots on autumn landscapes.

Since Kevin isn't feeling well, we just walked to the nearest lake. I'm selecting some photographs which I hoped will be shown on the BBC Warwickshire website. We quickly dashed home to avoid the traffic build-up. There was a football match between Sky Blues and Colchester. Coventry City won 1:0. Well-done. They really need some good results to dampen the news on the debt problems the Club have been facing lately.

I took today off to chill-out and recover from my persistent cold. We went to the University lake to feed the natives. Boy, aren't they glad to see us. We were surrounded by hundreds of quacking ducks, pesky Canadian geese and shy moorhens. Kevin threw huge chunks of bread into the lake and we watched them racing, squabbling over it. It was hillarious.

We wandered into the nearby Tocil Wood Nature Reserve. In Spring, bluebells were everywhere. But now, covered with fallen leaves and branches, there's a musty, mouldy smell in the air. We saw a few cheeky squirrels playing hide and seek and lots and lots of fungi. It's fungi heaven.

And officially, the DS team are now known as Metadata Librarians. Another good excuse to stuff ourselves at Wing Wah. Actually, I've used that designation a month ago when I reply to a query on Autocat. I did wonder whether I would be told off by Management. Perhaps, when they saw me using it, they might as well make it official :-)

Also, all the best to my former boss in UW Aberystwyth, JN, on his retirement. He's off to the USA to put his feet up and spoil his grandkids. Bon Voyage and Au Revoir.