Owls, Milk and Sugar (what a recipe!)

Before I go twittering on, I have to tell you that I had a treat this morning. I had some information regarding a Barn Owl that had been seen. I spent two unsuccessful nights looking out for it, so this morning I was up early, very early. As I arrived at the field where the owl had been seen quartering, I spotted a pale ghost like shadow over the far side of the field. Even through the binoculars I was not positive it was the Barn Owl in the tree, but it looked right even at the two hundred yards distance. Keeping a close eye on the location I hurried along the fence line to a spot half way down to try and get a better look.

It was the Owl but it really was still to dark and to distant to film. I was able to watch for about ten minutes or so then it launched off and down, it had a mouse. (not this wood mouse) But it did not stay to feed but headed off with the prey in talon. As I lost sight of that one so a second appeared and they both were heading in the same direction.

Previously, on Monday, I had a clue that I was near a nest site and it looked as though they were heading in that direction. So as fast as my little paws would carry me (I am so unfit), I headed to that location. While I am still not certain of the nest site, or if they were the same birds, I saw them both near the suspected nest site with mice or voles. So it looks like they have young to feed.

While I could not get close enough to film them, there are other mornings coming.

Yesterday I heard the the company that I was getting my milk from has called in the receiver, so in effect the company has gone bust. I had an inkling that this was going to happen as my milkman cut the days I was getting my milk delivered to three days per week. With bank holidays that meant that the milk was four days old by the time of the next delivery, so I cancelled. While I wanted to support a business that was a major farmers owned cooperative, and I was willing to pay a little extra, that fall in service was beyond what I could tolerate.

While I dislike having to do so, I am now having to buy milk in plastic bottles from the major retailers. However, when I went to the supermarket today, they are now carrying milk from local North East farms. Therefore, I can at least try and remain committed to supporting local food when possible.

Also while at the supermarket, I needed to get some sugar. As well as wanting some to sweeten my tea, I wanted to make some Vanilla Sugar. No prizes for guessing who is going to be baking a cake or three. Now a one kilo bag of sugar is eighty nine pence or a two kilo bag is one pound eighty five pence. That makes the larger bag more expensive. However, they also had some five kilo bags and they worked out at eighty four pence per kilo. Now while the saving is only a few pence I got the five kilo bag. At least I will not need to buy any for a while, a long while. But it does amuse me that groups of friends and neighbours don't get together and buy in bulk so they can reduce the shopping costs. I used to do that myself, and it can work but it takes a little bit of planing. Anyway, when I helped one of the elderly ladies carry her shopping home, she said that she had forgotten to get sugar... Well I saved her another trip and I no longer have to store five kilos of sugar, just four.

Now I have to say that I got a funny email today from a friend regarding my cooking video. I was kind of stumped what I should call it, then perspiration hit, and I called it Cooking Animals, as the animals are teaching us humans how to cook. Not that I am cooking whole animals.

I am working on the next ones, but having learnt my lessons and having been to the boring school of film making, I am taking greater care to ensure I get the films succinct with no lingering shots on stirring pots. Well only to hypnotise you folks into cooking. But I am having so much fun in the woods that I need a bit more time to work on the films.

Actually I need more time to work on everything.