Post 353 Light, shade and birds

I woke briefly early this morning, checked that last night's blog email had been delivered and there were no surprising emails, then went back to sleep. It was, after all, very late when I went to bed last night. I woke to this interesting pattern on the blind. 

I had breakfast and eventually went to Frewville to fill the gaps in yesterday's shopping.  I also bought a couple of Vietnamese cold prawn rolls for my dinner. 

As I left for Frewville I noticed a dove soaking up the warmth of the balcony tiles, contented enough to let me snap a photo without moving.

This morning my neighbour sent me a photo of the lights she had alerted me to last night. Melody had worked it out - a Valentine's Day heart. I assumed the lower floor lights had been turned off before I got home.

Tonight, however, the truth dawned.

My friend lives at the opposite end of our apartment block (which has a long frontage and only 3 storeys in height), She looks straight on to the illuminated building, while I look at an angle - with another building in between that blocks my view of the lower part of the heart!

We'll just have to imagine.

My friend Peter in London is still feeding his sheltering pigeon with muesli. Good to see it is still surviving the wind and snow.  I began a new book - the first of the Clare Chase Eve Mallory series, Mystery on Hidden Lane.

Eventually I set it aside with a little reluctance and took up the Owl Service, working on the seed-poddy things on the large motif. My new threads are serving me well. I also heard from The Thread Studio to say my gimp will be in tomorrow's mail. Great service!

I keep forgetting to replenish my supply of seed for the doves, courtesy of Katherine's chickens. I put the last bits out this afternoon and was rewarded by a visit from Black Tips. 

By dinner time I had finished embroidering the large flower motif. It has turned out much better than I had dared to hope.

I have made a start on the last flower. This time I stayed away from white thread and laid a guide thread of a goldy-brown 5 perle. It makes the gold couching much easier. I'm still covering the perle but the brown is much more forgiving. There's a way to go, but the end is in sight.

It's unlikely that much will get done tomorrow. Tomorrow's dinner will be a small preliminary celebration for Brigid's 18th birthday.