Soon after dawn this morning, a couple of sleek, dark, lean looking adult starlings led a pair of fluffy fat fledglings onto the roof above their nest. A friendly young blackbird, like the lonely child watching others playing, attempted to join the group. It was chased off by Mum and Dad. Naturally I dashed, such as I can, downstairs for my camera. By the time I returned the birds had flown. We miss them already. Later, Jackie tackled further tidying of the beds surrounding the Heligan Path. I helped a bit, and a bit more in erecting a third arch along The Brick Path. This consisted of nailing an old piece of timber to the dead snake bark maple. We trained the clematis Montana, now devoid of flowers, onto the strut, which we hope will be met by one recently planted at the foot of the tree.
To the left of this third photograph can be seen a scented peach coloured climbing rose which, seeking the light now available, doesn’t appear to want to join the white rose and clematis adorning the Gothic arch, and now rambles elsewhere. 
This afternoon, Jackie planted up the cleared section around the dead tree.
While we were thus engaged A.P. Maintenance, in the form of Aaron and his Dad, Dave, continued laying the brick paving in the projected rose garden. This curve perfectly reflects that of the much older Heligan Path with which it links. 
Those of you who have been following for a while may have wondered what the peripatetic mice have been up to recently. They, and their sheep, now cast as Sherpas, are attempting a conquest of Everest. The base camp has been set up in front of a portrait Jackie drew of her mother many years ago. One rodent perches atop an approach peak that is one of Giles’s stained glass creations, on which flies a flag proclaiming ‘Conquering Everest 2015’. Our double-glazed windows were installed by a well-known firm who claim to fit the best. Get it? We dined this evening on Jackie’s sublime sausage casserole, crisp carrots and cabbage, and creamy mashed potatoes, followed by pineapple sponge pudding and evap. Jackie drank Hoegaarden and I drank Louis de Camponac merlot 2014.
I thought the starlings leading their children up the roof was going to be the conquering of Everest… until the appearance of the mouse!
It is nice to catch you for a change Bruce. Thank you.
Nope! You will have to explain that one for me. Love the curved path!
Thank you Pauline. For as long as I can remember a young mad who never seems to age has advertised Everest double glazing. 🙂
Love that curved path, as always lovely clicks…
Thank you Chitra. The young man is superb.
Your garden continues to astonish. The mice are a hoot. I’ll look forward to further adventures. The sheep being Sherpas gave me a chuckle…
Thank you Lisa – fancy me missing the Sherpa alliteration. To be amended immediately 🙂
I liked the way a group of them were lined up at the bottom of the ascent as well…
All Jackie’s work, as I expect you realised
I like the peach rose doing her own thing – in WordPress speak, yay!
🙂
Thank you Derrick, you make me smile on monday morning!
Thank you Blogger
You have quite the garden!
Thank you
Did you do most of the work when creating the garden?
The basics were all there when we arrived a year ago. Our task has been rediscovering it from a jungle so overgrown as to have hidden some of the paths. Thank you for asking
Good for you!
You’re always running for your camera… Ever thought about wearing it around your neck? 🙂
It’s only a titchy camera on a small strap – I’d probably throttle myself
The colors of the brick pavers are wonderful. and i love the curve in that path!
Really nice, Derrick!
Thank you Laurie. I will tell Aaron
adorable mice 😀
Thank you Anna