The relaxing influence of pheasants

Yesterday we visited our impending new home to be given a final 'handover' tour by the current owners. We still do not have a completion date. But we are hoping that the discovery of an elusive 1952 deed to the property means this is not far away. I was initially very apprehensive about our visit. What if we saw only the negatives and had a final 'should we shouldn't we dilemma?'' Within minutes of sitting for a cup of tea at the kitchen table a number of plump pheasants wandered past the window at a conversational distance. A range of other birdlife including a great big Jay also descended on the bird feeder as if they were familiar friends. The is something extremely relaxing about these normally nervous and flight birds being in such close proximity. They were a very good distraction from the more mundane explanations of water supplies and oil suppliers and septic tanks and stop cocks. By the end of several hours of wandering round the garden accompanied by lots of pointing and explaining from the current residents, there were very few negatives. I want to get digging.