green and country in the city 20 October

• So we didn't get the forecast storm. I was at a Seasonal Alignment Day in Kew on Saturday and in Kew gardens in the afternoon. It was windy but not stormy so fine for walking round. Then very windy when I got up this morning, but wind had calmed a lot so I cycled off to kayaking. Wind died down some more and sun came out so an enjoyable paddle on the water.
• I got a white heather at the shop by Kew station. On my to-get list this year for some autumn food for insects.
• Plumber came for boiler maintenance on Wednesday. Afterwards put up thermal curtain which I had carefully sewn material on to one side. I had had to get rid of portiere rod as it had come out one side above the door and had replaced it with ordinary curtain rod. But new curtain too heavy and curtain hooks come out of curtain rings when I open door. Have taken off material (very quick - it had taken me ages to sew it on!) and will try just the thermal curtain and hope it is light enough. Not very attractive, but do need door curtain as I have wide door and panels are two panels wide and there is a gap. I had put some green sticky tape down the gaps, but it is not very attractive and keeps peeling at the edges.
• I always look to see what birds there are on the sports ground when I am waiting for the bus in the mornings. This autumn there have been a lot of what I think are herring gulls (right colouring but don't seem large enough - or is it my childhood memory that makes them seem large?). But the black-headed gulls hadn't been there until Friday when I saw two. 
• This autumn there have also been many more wood pigeons on the sports ground than usual(100-200 of them!). But rarely any feral pigeons. In the winter I don't see them on the sports ground in the mornings - but I do see them on roofs and pavements on the bus journey to the tube station. But in summer and autumn expect to see them on the sports ground, but most days none and only occasionally one or two. Not seen so many elsewhere either.
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