Beautiful Autumn leaves have now all fallen. This is another photograph from my walk in Riverside park in the autumn. I have been reading through information about Skokholm Island today and typing up our household budget. Now we are living together I would like to see if we can afford to move house again. A bit boring really but relaxing enough. My pet lovebirds are still doing courtship displays and regurgitating food into each others throats as a demonstration of their mutual devotion. Samuel is currently playing on the playstation. He is nearly 30 years old and loves doing this to let off steam. Fine if it means I can have time to myself up here!

I have been back in Hampshire over one month and got used to living with my partner Samuel again after so much time apart while I was working as a ranger in Norfolk.I have taken some photographs of my local surroundings for you to browse over the next few days as I add entries.

I have so far had two interviews for contracts but have not found a job yet.

I am not rushing on the ideal job hunt as we have been re-decorating our house and I have other projects such as some study to finish off. We just have to be careful with our pennies!

Our house has been back on the market since one week. We had 5 viewings but no offers yet. Still, this is very positive. It is hard to resist the temptation of viewing other properties we might buy which certainly would not be able to afford if we haven't sold our house. Now we have done more things to it like change the curtains and repaint the lounge/dining area I quite feel like staying in it for a bit longer anyway. Here is a picture of Riverside Park one mile from here.

Goodbye for now Norfolk!

This is my final image from the garden at Woodview Annex: A comma butterfly feeding on the rotting grapes. I am now just one week and a bit returned to Southampton where I live in a semi in the city suburb of Midanbury. Although it is considerably more built up here I like my house here as it is on the top of the hill and it has a great view for fireworks in November. My nearest river to my home is the Itchen where we used to look after a boat. I might go for a walk there tomorrow...watch this space.

A colder darker day. The only bright thing is the golden Nasturtium moonlight rising up my trellis that I planted in my landlords garden outside the annex.I have just returned from Salhouse in Samuel's tiny red car. I said goodbye to Phyll, a good friend. She was happy I was going really as she said that it was probably the best decision for me. I have now filled my house with boxes (mainly my books).

Green Boat Show

As I am writing from the annex in Hemblington (Pedham) the sky has turned dark and I can hear rain on the roof. The flat is very very dark as woodland completely envelops the back. In front of my flat is my landlords beautiful family house and garden;then, there is a quiet road some thatched houses, and mainly countryside to left and well kept playing field a short walk on the right. I will miss the location when I move but not the vast amount of electricity cards that the annex seems to consume to have a bare minimum of warmth. I have to say my landlord has been very nice and his family have too. So it is a slightly reflective mood I am in.

I have posted a picture of Salhouse Broad where I have been working up until one month ago. On my nearly last day we had a green boat show so I ended my contract on a really high note, promoting countryside access and great opportunities to enjoy it in a more environmental way...

....speaking of the environment....I couldn't go for one day without venturing out again and took a short walk up a public footpath beside one of the cottages. It was very sunny and windy earlier so very good for all the cobwebs to be blown away. I ventured through a turnip field and it was lovely and warm. Strange now isn't it to be seeing butterflies this late in October? I saw a Red Admiral butterfly amongst swarms of wasps drinking juice from the grapevine fermenting outside the annex. Something fascinating about seeing butterflies being nearly hit by falling yellow leaves. I might investigate it further or record it on a website or something. Even in Winchester last week a friend saw one too and thought it was strange.

Bye for now

Pema

To introduce myself: this is me working on a Moth evening at Salhouse Broad: one of a great many activities I got involved in as a Countryside Ranger. We had a moth expert: Jon Clifton and plenty of community support.

My first post! I have yet to update my profile as this blog is a new thing...and something I have longed to do. Before I logged on I was packing up my things to leave Norfolk and return to Southampton after spending a year managing a small broad as a countryside ranger. It is quite hard to get on with it as really I would just like to be out walking (old habits die hard) like I did yesterday evening. I walked out over Strumpshaw Fen and watched a barn owl hunting over the reeds in the sunset. Asides from packing up my stuff in a tiny rural village (Hemblington in Broadland)I have an entire environmental studies project to write too....and now I have found this very alluring blogging website where I can post all my pictures from my ranging around working in beautiful places. It could not be better!!!