… and finches and thrushes and starlings and all the rest of the birds in my garden. It’s that time of year again: the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch. I’ve been sat comfortably in my dining room with a mug of coffee, a notebook and my binoculars - although I’m only looking the length of the garden, the far end where the bird table and trees are is quite a distance away.

I also had to do some cat-herding, because once they knew I was awake, they all piled out of the garage and immediately got interested in the birds. I shut all four in the living room; then had to separate a couple because of squabbling. I’ve given in again now and put them back out, and there’s at least one sat under the bird table. (Which is an improvement - she often sits in it.)

Also today, I am mostly … doodling once more

… for Doodle Week. I missed December’s because I keep forgetting about it, so I’ve subscribed to the RSS feed so I never have to miss another one (unless I choose to, of course).

Today’s theme is ‘What it’s like in January where you live’. I did think about doodling my back garden, with the trees and the snow we had last week, but January after all for me is bird-feeding and -watching time. I make sure there’s always bread and seeds on the bird table, plus a fat ball or two and the peanut feeder. I watch the visitors from my window next to my desk upstairs, and get excited every time I get an unusual visitor; we’ve had a pair of collared doves this year for the first time, even though they’re pretty ubiquitous. I don’t get gold-, green- or bullfinches very often, so I’m always pleased to see them. I didn’t get anything very exciting today though; just the usual gang.

So today’s doodle, naturally enough, is an anonymous bird on a peanut feeder. (I’m not good enough to draw an actual species; this is sort of like a very dark sparrow.)

… although only with today’s Doodle.

… and not enjoying it. I made it over the Glenshane Pass (high point of Northern Ireland at around 1000 feet) this morning just as the snow was starting to get heavy. I believe it was closed for a while later, and was certainly described as ‘treacherous’ and had some stranded drivers. But not me, thankfully. I just drove through moderately heavy snow for about 50 miles, although at lower altitudes the ground was too warm/damp for the snow to settle.

The weather was basically a lot worse than forecast, and if I’d known it was going to be that bad, I might have taken the laptop home last night and cancelled this evening’s meeting (especially since only 2 other people showed up). But what the heck, I made it safely to Belfast after all, and it was sunny there for most of the day. And I don’t have to go anywhere else much for the rest of the week. Maybe. Maybe not.

Also today, I am mostly … wishing I could draw properly

… because some of the doodles done for Doodle Week are absolutely fabulous. Mine, in contrast, are pitiful. Although I’m not entirely dissatisfied with today’s ghost, even if it was done in a bit of a hurry after I got home this evening… (I gave up on the crayons though.)

… to not very successfully doodle a monster. I should probably have stuck to Paint Shop Pro.

Still, I like his green wellies and blue gloves, and I think he looks fairly friendly. If very hairy, Cousin It-style.

Also today, I am mostly … already having a busy week

… which is only going to get busier. Drove about 35 mins or so to the Halloween salsa party last night. It was ok - it was fun to watch all the juxtapositions of costumes, such as a cow dancing with Amy Winehouse, or Captain Jack Sparrow with Super Mario (Luigi was there too), but it was geared to those who knew what they were doing. (I just went dressed as a rather boring witch. Yay for black clothes.)

And on the way home, I got pulled over by the cops for the first time ever, flashing blue light and all. By the Gardaí, in fact, since I was over the border in Donegal at the time. It was just routine; I didn’t have my license but he seemed satisfied that I wasn’t drunk (I wasn’t) and my tax & MOT were fine. What did amuse me though was that the guard who spoke to me was wearing a beanie hat - I can’t help wondering if they’re standard issue!

Anyway, I was in Belfast today, and will be again tomorrow (snow/sleet showers promised overnight on high ground, i.e. on the mountains I have to cross, yippee) because I have our Belfast NANoWriMo kick-off in the evening. Then it’s the Derry kick-off on Wednesday; I’m supposed to be starting salsa classes for myself on Thursday; and Friday is Halloween. Whee!

… because like an idiot, I forgot to put in my calendar that the latest Doodle Week started on the 25th. I missed the September one and particularly wanted to do this month’s with its Halloween theme.

Because I’m playing catch-up, I did yesterday’s and today’s doodles in Paint Shop Pro. Hopefully I’ll hand-draw the rest.

Yesterday’s theme was Pink Boobies, in support of Breast Cancer Awareness month.

Today’s theme is also something large and round… pumpkins!

Also today, I am mostly … bemoaning the weather

… as usual, because it depresses me. On the plus side, the clocks went back last night, which I’d forgotten about when I got up this morning - so I’ve got an hour extra to do stuff rather than an extra hour in bed. Which is pretty damn useful as I need to get a lot of housework done before I go out today to a Halloween salsa party. (That’s salsa as in the dance, not the condiment.)

It’s not just the housework; I need to make a pot of chilli for Colin’s tea, and I also need to type up all the handwritten and dictated bits of the short story I’ve been working on, as I now have just five days to finish it before NaNoWriMo starts…

… because I didn’t post yesterday’s (didn’t even get scanning it till now, in fact) because I was fairly busy.  But here’s my doodle-pet - a cat, of course.

And to further prove my complete lack of artistic skills, here’s today’s body (which I think looks a bit like plasticine Morph):

Also today, I am mostly … doing housework

… and wondering why Ozzy is sat on the garage roof. He can see me through the study window when he sits there, and now I know he’s there and staring at me, it’s a bit disconcerting.

Anyway, back to the housework. If I want to have a bath tonight, I have to clean out all the paper bits left from my last LUSH bath (Champagne Supernova bath ballistic).