I’m sure you, like me and millions around the world, were stuck in front of the screen watching in anticipation the drama unfolding. We were all willing and praying that the rescue of the 33 Chilean miners from the San Jose mine will be a success.
My heart was in my mouth as I watched the first rescuer, Pavez, heads down the shaft in the Phoenix capsule and when the first miner, Avalos, appeared. Thank God for the technology and the expertise available to facilitate the rescue. Well done.
It was a time of celebration for Chile and a moment for the families of the miners to reflect on their good fortune that their loved ones have returned from what felt like a very bad dream. It was a wonderful day for humanity and I bet from this day forward these men will always be grateful to see the sun rise, feel the wind on their faces and to be given a second chance to live again.
It was also a celebration for Malaysian badminton dream team at the Commonwealth Games in Delhi. They have done well, 3 gold and a silver. I’d never seen these players play before and I was god-smacked watching them play. Lee Chong Wei who won the gold medal in the men's singles badminton showed why he was the world’s number one. He made badminton looked soo easy. Trust me, it’s not. I tore my muscle and was off work for 2 weeks. He defeated England's Ouseph.
England vs Malaysia…hmm off course I supported Malaysia. Babe wind me up by wearing my England world cup t-shirt :-). Well done too, to the men's badminton doubles after Koo Kien Kiat and Tan Boon Hiong defeated another English pair Roberston and Clark. Not forgetting the mixed doubles as well, when Koo Kien Keat and Chin Ee Hui upset top seeded Walkwork and Robertson of England, again. C’mon In-ger-land…
The Fresher’s Flu knocked me out flat on Tuesday. The virus have been spreading steadily in the library and I could feel it’s going to be my turn next. The non-stop sneezing, coughing and headaches kept me and Babe awake at night. Sorry Babe.
I’m still not over it. My appointment with the nurse was cancelled. She won’t give my vaccine booster until I clear all this gunk. I need my jab ASAP for my trip to Malaysia next month. It takes 2 weeks for the vaccine to be effective. Tons of cough syrups, paracetamol, hot lemon drinks with honey and chicken soups have been consumed. It’s still here…:-(
We’d our first departmental meeting this year. We’d lost 4 colleagues and now we welcomed 2 new members.
SH outlined the direction the department was going. It looked very promising and I’m looking forward in taking part in the process. CC gave a review of the CIG conference that we attended in Exeter. I also informed them it was available on-line and they can check it out.
I’d a farewell lunch with Farrah, a very good friend and my badminton partner-in –crime, at the Fusion Bar. She was leaving us to return to Mumbai for good. I’m going to miss a very bubbly girl with a very vivacious laugh. The library is going to be very quiet without her. All the very best Farrah and do keep in touch. 
I started the weekend early by taking Friday off. Gosh…I’m only working 3-days this week. I’m taking a break to give my poor body a rest and fingers-crossed recover from this horrible cold. Babe and I decided to check out whether the rutting season has started at Bradgate Park.
We made a pit stop at Groby Pool to check out the natives. I never liked feeding wild birds but I made an exception here and brought some bread. I’m glad I did cos they were waiting for me. They literally surrounded me when they saw me coming. Just look at them (above). But this cheeky cygnet was so close that I couldn’t resist giving him a pat.
It was very strange to see the Bradgate Park virtually empty. It was always buzzing on the weekends. So far quite promising. Usually we were greeted by a herd of deer chilling out by the entrance. As we continued walking, we spotted this handsome stag checking us out. Isn’t he awesome?
Suddenly, we heard 
the distinctive whistling ‘whee-oo’ again…He was here. I rushed to the river and there he was, the beautiful widgeon. I’d some bread left and threw small pieces for him and the rest of his gang. But he was the most vocal, chasing after every scrap of bread.
Utterly lovely…
Then we heard the drumming of the Red Deer followed by the bellowing of the Fallow Stag from deep within the forest. It was very, very surreal, the sounds echoing throughout the park. A pity we can’t see them.
I think the rutting season hasn’t started yet. The stags were beginning to make themselves heard and preparing themselves for the breeding season. We spotted lots of scrapes and slots on the ground and they were also beginning to lead a solitary life instead of being in herds.
As we continued walking towards the visitor centre, we spotted this handsome figure feeding by the road. Ha…we didn’t see him last week and today he decided to meet his subjects. 
I still have some bread left and when he heard the rustling of the plastic bag, he came running towards me. What a wonderful welcome. I know he only wants what’s in my hand. I couldn’t resist and held a chunk of bread out for him. I can’t describe the feeling of having such a magnificent bird feeding out of my hand. It was wonderful.
We spotted a few deer feeding in
the nearby field. It was also beginning to get darker and we even heard a tawny owl calling. As we continued walking back towards the car , I spied a couple of pied wagtails having a bath in the stream. They were so engrossed in giving themselves a good wash-up that I was able to get very close.
As we were leaving, I spotted the widgeon with his mates on the river. I gave them the remaining bread for their supper. As we left, the handsome beauty bid me a melodious ‘whee-oo’. It was a pleasure seeing him again. On the opposite bank, this handsome stag gave me the evil eye. 
Thankfully, the stream was between us. I guess as it turned to dusk, these animals will come out of the forest into the open when there were no visitors around. Bonne nuit my lovelies…
On the way home, as we were entering a very sharp bend, we saw a blue car on its side. We saw the shaking young passengers climbing out of it. There was another car in front of us and I guess they saw everything. Babe wanted to call 999 but we saw someone doing it first. Thankfully, no one was hurt because they were walking when we drove away. I hate encounters like this… and it always remind me that life is sacred. Handle it with care.
Did you watch Autumnwatch last Thursday? 
2 of Babe’s photograph appeared on the Nature UK Autumnwatch wildlife photos. One was of the stags at Bradgate Park that we took last week and the other was of 2 male pheasants fighting taken at Brandon Marsh. It was indeed a very nice surprise and our heartfelt contribution to Autumnwatch.
*Pocketful of Dreams in Spanish*
No comments:
Post a Comment