I wish I was a bird brain…

I know, I know. People accuse you of being a bird brain as if it’s a bad thing. That just shows that people who like to accuse other people of being things aren’t as bright as they think they are. Unless, of course, it’s the birds of Poole harbour who are exceptional?

Picture the scene. It’s a bright sunny but cold day. I need to be out of the house for a few hours while the central heating is serviced because of my pesky immune system. (Incidentally, the house smells lovely because every window was open and it warmed up by mid-afternoon.) That mae it the perfect day for a really long walk, and yes, my joints are paying for it this morning but better that than risking another bout with COVID-19 because COVID-19 always wins.

These days there are no figures to tell me what the risks are round here so I don’t know if I need to be careful so I have less freedom than before, especially when there are a lot of people with nasty coughs who don’t seem to have heard about hygiene and go around touching things with germ infested hands. If it’s not Covid it’ll be norovirus and it may serve them right but I don’t want either of those.

So down to Poole Quay I walk, feeling the wind on my face and in my hair and the sun nipping in and out behind the clouds. When it was out there was a real hint of warmth to it and when it wasn’t… well, I was warmly wrapped up so it didn't matter. The Harbourside Park is an area of Special Scientific Interest because of it’s overwintering birds so I watched the Brent Geese heading off to Russia and thought of how the turnstones have already started heading back to Canada and thought how clever and brave they are to fly these long distances twice a year without so much as a map, let alone Sat Nav. Then I thought of the swallows who’ll be on their way to us from North Africa and the butterflies who fly the same route and the first of them have already arrived to find flowering plants waiting for them in my garden.

Down past the fishing boats I walked and then on to the Quay where they were weighing sacks of oysters. Whenever the fishermen looked away the seagulls were swooping in to collect an oyster and then fly up and smash it down on the concrete to break it open. Our seagulls don’t steal chips. Why would they want to? And they’ve got bright, beady eyes and an impish expression as they one-up the fishermen, and I know they’re predators but so are hawks and tigers and our ospreys and sea eagles and I love them all.

I still had plenty of time in hand, so I decided to go restaurant hopping. This is where I read the menus outside and look for inspiration. We have fossil farms meat down here, which is utterly gorgeous and not too expensive if you know which cuts to pick. They also deliver to most of the restaurants down by the Quay so basically, anything meaty they have, I can have too. Greenslades fish van comes to the open air market on Saturday so anything fishy the proper restaurants use I can have too. (We won’t mention the restaurant that imports fish from Brixham. Or maybe we will because we’ll say more expensive, not as good, and complaining about not doing well. I can’t imagine why, can you?)

I got some lovely ideas, and some nice chats as the staff set up for lunchtime. Apparently the current favourite meal across the restaurants is Fossil Farm sausages, mashed potatoes, peas, onion gravy and a Yorkshire pudding. All of which I can do at home, and I worked it out that 1 portion out gives 4 of us lunch and me a guilt-free £5-00 towards my Victorian House bed and breakfast project.

This is reframing holidays being out because of infection as ‘I live in an amazing place, with lovely people. All my favourite bed and breakfasts were the something house. Our mid terraced house was built in 1886 so it is the Victorian House.' It it is being steadily and luxuriously upgraded with the money I would have spent on holidays and in restaurants so I love it’s semi-professional kitchen to go with the semi-professional cook I'm gradually becoming. I've got a luxurious and comfy bedroom with candles and a diffuser and gorgeous soft duvet covers and clean pillowcases and pyjamas or a nightie every night, which feels so luxurious. I dress as if I'm on holiday and make sure I spoil myself, and my husband has become a mean barista and even uses stencils on top so I have posh coffee every single day.

My current project is getting all my pretty accessories hung on racks so I can see and use them rather than them being stuck in drawers where I never think to use them. Best is now reframed as every day being the very best day I can have and I'm adding to them now I'm growing my hair and I promise I’ll share pictures when I finish. We have a pretty garden too…

So, I now have lots of ideas, and this gorgeous picture to go with a gorgeous memory. Yes, the starling was sitting on the seat at a table outside the lovely deli, who are happy for me to order and pay online and then bring it out to me when they see me arriving. So is the sweet shop but it’s Lent so I’m trying to be good. Yes, he looked all the world as if he was waiting to order, and he was beautiful in the sunshine. He was iridescent black with highlights of gold and bright, intelligent eyes and oh, did he know he was photogenic! He was perfectly happy to pose, and I hope he had lunch served.

So a good morning, and here’s my menu for this weekend.

SATURDAY

BREAKFAST Scrambled egg on toasted home made French bread baguette with sun-dried tomatoes finely chopped on top.

LUNCH Philly cheese steak rolls

TEA Spaghetti carbonara.

SUNDAY

Breakfast Crumpets with so much butter that they drip.

LUNCH - Pork medallions cooked in cider. Little roast potatoes with seasonal vegetables. Desert will be chocolate orange sponge pudding and chocolate sauce.

TEATIME - Nachos with salsa, cheese, chopped peppers and sour cream,.

The cost? About the same as main course and pud for one of us for both days, because I took advice from the birds and make the most of my opportunities. I hope you do the same this week.