My only visitor this year.

 I live a lonely life.

I spied on her from my window.

  • Reminded me of this video here> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vhj8FbeA3E8

    The squirrels got married..lol

  • I understand the fear, but those students might not have been home in several months, and it may be that none/very few of them have visited Wuhan. Some of their families may also be UK-based.

    Statistically, the chances of contracting the virus are incredibly low, and that's what's reassuring me.

  • My virus fears are real.  One of my jobs as exam invigilator was checking student IDs. This consisted of picking up a student ID card with my fingers, checking if the photo on the ID matched the face and the ID number on the card matched the number on the list.  I usually checked 40 IDs in the morning and 40 in the afternoon.  I did this over 21 shifts.  This means that I touched around  800 ID. Cards over the two weeks.  That means a lot of cross contamination.  I estimate a quarter of the students were chinese.

  • Warm greetings :)

    Robert, have you though of making an exhibition of your photos? Do you have any art exhibitions in your area that you could contact or any charities that could sponsor your exhibition? This could be a first step to earning money through photography.

  • I'm really sorry to hear you're having a tough time, Robert. It might be worth contacting the Citizens' Advice Bureau or the Money Advice Service for some guidance on your finances and what support is available to you.

    If it makes you feel better at all, there are very few cases of the Coronavirus in the UK and, even in China, it's mostly isolated to the Wuhan province.

  • I'm sorry Robert.  Many people upon hearing your tale would care deeply. Even though it must seem like to you that they would not.

  • My thread has been brought back to life. 

    So a quick update. 

    My only other visitor was a gas boiler repair man, while I was out.

    Moneywise it's bad.  I get Universal credit.  My full rent is not paid by it because I am subject to the benefit cap,  and I claim a Discretionary Housing Payment (DHP) to cover part of  the shortfall.  I still waiting to hear about this year's award.

     Water, my landlord will not allow a water meter, so I am on a social tarriff and I have to reapply every year to stay on it. 

    Gas & Electric,  I claim a warm front grant of £140 every year towards the bill.  

    I get a free flu jab from my GP because I am considered to be in a vulnerable group.

    I've used a footbank twice, this was at a methodist church, where they try to persuade the users to join in prayer with them.

    Work, well the most recent paid employment was as an exam invigilator at both a school and a university.  These are zero hour contracts.

    Now, I am jumping on the Coronavirus panic wagon.  In January, I spent two weeks as an exams invigilator at the university of Leeds.  It was a very eventful couple of weeks and there are thousands of Chinese students there. 

  • Hi! You had the most beautiful visitor! Living a lonely life maybe a blessing for some of us. Lovely picture. 

  • (Lastly -- It is also still not fair that Mr.Robert here... is *this good at photography*, but "qualifications" seem to prevent earning money from it? I know that feeling, but it is not fair! I also still say that NAS could make a profitable Calender out of some of the Pictures which some of Us post upon here!)

  • "Happy New Year/Decade" from Me, You, Mr Math-Photographer, You! Slight smile 

    ... I have not forgotten the Kingfisher which You Posted awhile back. (& for anyone else reading, according to Newspapers it is "time to clear out old nests" and "prepare for spring Birds", now... (!) 

    Tip for a Wildlife Thread: Always remember to dampen Bread before leaving out for small birds, because Bread swells up when water is added to it. 

  • What I try to do is keep the squirrels to one side distracted by the monkey nuts and throw some out at the other side for the Jays. 

    Greetings... & *sigh*... This, to Me, is Intelligent & Brilliant, & Intelligent. I would say that "the World" needs more people who know to do this kind of thing. Feeding both Factions, that is.

    Most plain folk would put up a "squirrel proof feeder"... but You are clearly a rebel against society... Yay! From Me at least, Thank You for posting this!  Slight smile

  • Wonder what she is thinking?..."does that guy have a nikon or canon?" hmmmm!

  • I prefer non-human animals too. 

    On the topic of squirrels... 

    I have a squirrel that has learnt that I feed the Jays and has learnt which window I throw them out of. I get about four squirrels daily competing with the Jays for the nuts. Not gonna lie, my preference is for the Jays to get them. But the squirrels are cute, I can't deny that. One particular squirrel even eats monkey nuts (Peanuts still in the shell) from my hand now. It comes up to my window and puts its little hands on the glass and stares in at me... What I try to do is keep the squirrels to one side distracted by the monkey nuts and throw some out at the other side for the Jays. 

    I also make a noise a a sort of call. Again this was for the Jays, but the squirrels have gotten to know the noise too. If a Jay is wihtin the locality and it hears the noise it comes and perches at the edges of the garden and waits for the nuts to be thrown out. I only throw out a few nuts at a time so i know it's all eaten up before it attracts rats thats why I do the noise thing. Now the squirrels turn up pretty much as soon as they hear me too. 

  • She's a lovely visitor - great picture :)

  • I prefer animals to humans so this would be a welcome visitor to me. How lovely