Swooping And Squabbling

All was still and bright in the garden today when we began the post-storm recovery.

We didn’t manage the patio area, which won’t take long tomorrow.

Aaron righted the Rose Garden arch, with minimal discomfort to Crown Princess Margareta and Zefirini Drouhin.

The Phantom Path;

the Gazebo Path;

views from the Kitchen Bed,

from the Shady Path,

from the Palm Bed,

towards the Rose Garden from the corner of the Phantom Path, are now less cluttered.

Some hanging baskets, like these suspended from the eucalyptus, have been righted.

In order to prevent loosening of the rose roots from further winds, Jackie has begun their winter pruning.

Nugget, of course, could not keep his beak out of the process. Yes – he and Muggle are both alive and well.

“Where’s Nugget?” (42)

Late this afternoon we took a drive into the forest. Given that a woman had been killed not far away yesterday by a tree falling on her car it had been a good decision not to risk it ourselves.

Moody skycapes loomed above Beaulieu Heath

and Hatchet Pond,

casting reflections on the water

over which greedy gulls swooped and squabbled.

This evening we dined on Jackie’s especially spicy lamb jalfrezi with pilau rice, vegetable samosas, and plain parathas with which she drank Hoegaarden and I drank more of the Fleurie.

80 comments

  1. Good to see the gardens recovering from the windstorm.

    The skies still look quite dark and brooding there, Derrick. I am sorry to hear about the woman killed by the falling tree. That is always a lurking danger during high winds and rain.

  2. So glad to see that your garden and its two delightful occupants have survived the windstorm. So sorry to hear about the woman who lost her life. A friend’s car suffered the same fate during a recent windstorm here in Los Angeles. Happily, she wasn’t in the vehicle at the time.

  3. I’m relieved to know Nugget and Muggle survived the storm. That’s terrible about the woman who lost her life. Your photos are stunning, Derrick. Thanks for sharing.

  4. And I am certainly delighted to see Nugget there, he is finely camouflaged among the boughs in the Quiz picture. Good to hear Muggle too is doing well.

      1. He just disappears at night leaving no clues? Perhaps you need to sprinkle some flour across the floors of the nesting boxes so he will leave little birdie footprints as he sneaks in and out of the one of his choice.

  5. Your sky photos, your water photos, and your reflection photos are stunningly beautiful!
    So glad Nugget and Muggle are safe! Whew!
    So very sad to hear about the woman dying. 🙁 Storms are so scary. 🙁
    Looks like the garden is coming back together nicely. Thankful for all of the helpers…you, Jackie, Aaron, and Nugget.
    Gulls can be noisy, but I still find them handsome!
    HUGS!!! 🙂

  6. Love the pictures of the moody skies and water. Garden now looking as good as new. Amelie visited us over the weekend with tons of rain and high winds. Luckily any damage wrought by the storms will be righted by the gardeners.

  7. Glad to see the garden getting back to it’s tidy state again and Nugget is back to his beakiest best! 😉 ( And is even enjoying the late evening(??) sunshine in the branches!)

    Those gull shots are remarkable – they almost seem to be in black and white.

  8. I’m glad the robins survived the storm.
    You look to be getting back to garden normality.
    What a tragic accident, the poor lady. I feel so sorry for the suffering of her family right now.

  9. What a storm! I enjoyed the first shot of your garden in disarray — that didn’t sound right. That is to say, before shots make me appreciate the work you two do to keep your garden looking so lovely. I enjoyed the ribbons of clouds in the sky. Here’s hoping you get some sunshine today.

  10. Nice to see order being restored. Glad you stayed out of the forest. As someone who lives in the woods, I have a keen appreciation (and apprehension) for falling trees.

  11. I am glad to see your garden being brought to its former glory, Derrick.
    Marvelous photos of the gloomy sky and reflection in the pond. Nugget is perched on a branch to the left of the center, partially obscured by another branch.

  12. Those winds sure can do some damage – and I do wonder where the birds go when the wind is howling through trees and breaking off branches. They always seem to appear the next morning hopping among the debris looking for free food so I guess they have a plan. I like your Hatchet pond shots today Derrick, almost monochrome with just a hint of colour – beautiful!!

  13. In truth, Nugget and Muggle (and no doubt a few others) have a wonderful spot there to ride out a storm. There’s plenty of cover to protect them from both wind and rain — but it’s still good to know they made it through. I am sorry to hear about the woman. We have tree-caused storm deaths here from time to time, and they’re so unpredictable. Worst is when excessive rains soak the soil, and the large trees just topple over, even without wind. I’m glad you and Jackie made the wise decision to play robin and huddle in!

  14. I am sad to hear of the tragic passing, it must be a shock.
    I am relieved your storm recovery efforts are going smoothly (please don’t over-work!) and that little Nugget and Muggle are safe.

  15. The skyscapes are beautiful! I got a kick out of the Nugget photo. He seemed to be saying, Hey, what’s happening here? I was very sorry to hear of the death of the woman in her car.

Leave a Reply