Tag: garden views

This Last Afternoon Of November

David Chesworth, who understands the degrees of family relationships, and knows he is my second cousin once removed, this morning sent me his version of yesterday’s

sunset that he named Le Dragon.

I really do think I finished with the paperwork today as I emptied the second little cabinet that stood beside my desk, and Jackie and I carried it to the shed to await disposal.

After lunch I wandered around the garden, once more in a temperature warm enough for shirtsleeves, and photographed

the garden just as it is on this last afternoon of November. Each image in the gallery bears a title.

Later, I posted https://derrickjknight.com/2021/11/30/a-knights-tale-73-mine-was-bent/

This evening we dined on more of Jackie’s tasty sausages in red wine with fresh vegetables. The Culinary Queen drank Hoegaarden and I finished the Merlot.

Hollow Post On Fire

I’m doing my best to rest my right shoulder today, which severely limited my angles of focus as I held my 35 mm lens to photograph

some garden views on my way to examine

the last of the Head Gardener’s incineration, to which I could make no contribution. The pictures show the final demise of a hollow wisteria arbour post.

I also cannot type much, but the images are all labelled in the galleries.

This afternoon Joe and Angela visited for my brother to sign the final Probate Application forms and to have dinner with us; Elizabeth joined us later and we enjoyed a few pleasant hours together. Angela brought Jackie a beautiful pearl and green gemstone necklace from China, various plant pots, and some of her authentic spring rolls.

The Culinary Queen provided what our sister-in-law called a Saturday, as oppose to a Sunday, roast lamb, roast potatoes and parsnips, Yorkshire pudding, multi-coloured carrots, green Brussels sprouts, white cauliflower – all cooked to perfection – with tasty gravy, followed by a fruit meringue and mince pies. Elizabeth, Angela, and I drank Montepulciano d’Abruzzo 2020, Joseph drank Kopparberg alcohol free cider, and Jackie drank alcohol free Nozeco; the last two produced by Angela. Elizabeth brought the red wine.

Preparing For Winter

Today was one of administration spent on Mum’s estate; e-mailing photographs; and Max’s home visit from Peacock Computers.

The photographs were for a WordPress interview coming up soon.

I was able to access the Probate Forms on line and actually begin to fill them in. Some sections offered yes or no choices with boxes to be clicked. The very first of these wouldn’t work. Longer boxes required the addition of dates. When these had been typed in the spaces were split into boxes for the individual numbers.

Let’s start with Mum’s date of birth. This was 2nd October 1922. I typed 2.10.1922. This was translated to 2. 10 .1. So I typed 02101922. That worked.

I can’t be bothered to list other problems.

I was therefore most relieved when Max arrived early for his appointment, and I could abandon this task.

This pleasant young man, who fortunately, has the same model of iMac as mine checked everything and established that the core problem is probably the Broadband uploading speed. The downloading, however, is far quicker than he would have expected. I had not realised this difference when I checked the speed myself. When I have problems in transferring from iPhoto to WP I am probably being timed out.

Max has shown me how to transfer photographs through Downloads rather than the Desktop, and is going to investigate the current availability of fast fibre in our area which was not available when we joined EE Mobile.

Before setting out on the Probate fiasco, because we had noticed the expected overnight heavy winds picking up, we began once more to carry out protective efforts in the garden.

Jackie had laid down the patio chairs before the last gale and we had left them lying. This picture shows that the parasol has been removed from its base. Today we removed all three garden parasols and stored them in the orange shed.

After clearing pigeon droppings the Head Gardener covered wooden chairs and benches for the winter. Mind you, today was warm enough for us to work in shirt sleeves.

While Jackie was covering the benches I photographed the garden views from above. “Where’s Jackie?” (10) appears in a few.

We still have a colourful view from the kitchen widow,

the Wisteria Arbour still lurches.

There is still plenty of colour.

This evening we dined on second helpings of yesterday’s Chinese Take Away, with which Jackie drank Hoegaarden and I finished the Montepulciano.

Ready For Her Close Up

This morning we drove Jan, Bob, and DeAna to New Milton station for the next stage of their journey to Switzerland. Jan e-mailed me three photographs taken on the platform for Waterloo.

Jackie and Jan by De;

Jan and Derrick by De;

and Bob and De by Jan.

A brief inspection of further storm damage revealed that Jackie’s favourite view from the stable door has been ruined by

a wind-blown lurch of the Wisteria Arbour.

Jackie had laid down the chairs on the decking, but simply closed up the parasol which had been lifted clear of the table through the centre of which it normally stands, and gently placed against the fence.

Plenty of flowers have, however, happily survived.

This afternoon we took a forest drive, intending to take the route to Pilley via Undershore.

A large tree had, however, been thrown across the now puddly path, so a reverse sweep was required on a lane requiring a numerous point turn.

As can be seen the day began with strong sunshine. This rapidly deteriorated into one of bright, brief, sunny spells forcing their way between dark, heavy, showers pattering on the car roof; spreading racing, rippling, rivulets such that the wipers could not keep pace to provide clear vision; and turning my T-shirt into a wet dishcloth when I stepped out at Pilley lake to photograph its current condition.

The water was now filling up, so that the lone pig which had a couple of weeks ago been part of a group that had frolicked over the dry bed must have been disappointed as it

stood on the surrounding landscape.

Rain now pelted where porkers had pootled.

On Cadnam Lane ponies reflected on pools; sheltered from the rain; or failed to dry their hair after another downpour.

Pigs were unperturbed by the elements, one was certainly ready for her close up.

This evening we sat at our lonely table and raised our glasses, containing more of the Sauvignon Blanc, and Chevalier de Fauvert Comté Tolosan Rouge 2019, to absent friends while reprising last night’s repast of sausages in red wine.

We Haven’t Done Too Badly

On another blustery morning we carried out domestic indoor tasks and I posted https://derrickjknight.com/2021/09/28/a-knights-tale-42-i-find-my-direction/

Later Jackie righted most of the fallen pots; I set up a few more, gathered up more tree twigs, and picked up the mirror which was fortunately undamaged.

The Head Gardener cleared some broken plants and tied up others. I took those that had been ripped off to the compost bins. As can be seen the cosmos still attracts bees. Jackie had laid down the chairs in these pictures before the heavier storm. They will remain like this until the gusts are gone.

If you don’t look too closely we haven’t done too badly. So far.

As the afternoon wore on the skies darkened and the gale built up its momentum. By the time we sat down to enjoy our evening meal, heavy rain beat a tattoo on the kitchen roof, and I would not have been surprised to see one or two of the three little pigs flying overhead propelled by the huffing and puffing of the big bad wolf.

Dinner consisted of Jackie’s spicy pasta arrabbiata and tender runner beans, with which she finished the Rosé and I drank more of the Cotes du Rhone.

“Hello Barbara”

Mum perked up yesterday afternoon. When Elizabeth and Jacqueline arrived she was sitting up in bed, drinking from her own cup. She stayed awake for two hours; conversed lucidly; and consumed a little liquid nourishment, antibiotics, and water. Staff were concerned about her breathing overnight and she is to be given morphine to make her more comfortable.

Early in the evening Jackie photographed her favourite view from the stable door, and two along the Gazebo Path.

For Mothers Day earlier in the year Becky sent her a bouquet from which she has rooted a chrysanthemum in water.

She also pictured this which has been nurtured to produce a flourishing plant and will find its way into a bed next year.

A significant amount of rain fell overnight, refreshing the garden.

I produced a range of random images each of which has its own title in the gallery.

While I was wandering about, Jackie was talking on the phone to our friend Barbara who had telephoned in response to my post of yesterday.

“Hello Barbara”.

This evening we dined on Jackie’s flavoursome sausages in red wine; crisp Yorkshire pudding; creamy mashed potatoes; firm carrots, cauliflower and peas, with which I finished the Rioja whilst the Culinary Queen abstained because she had enjoyed her Hoegaarden on the patio beforehand.

We Still Have Some Colour

This morning I posted https://derrickjknight.com/2021/09/10/a-knights-tale-31-mugging-more/

When shopping at Lidl yesterday Jackie discovered quite a number of empty shelves. In the central aisles she did find some flat-pack ones that she would like for the garden. She found them so easy to assemble and returned for more today.

She bought another four packs. There are now three alongside and one behind the Head Gardener’s shed. One is inside the building, but in too narrow a space for me to photograph.

I carried out so much dead heading that I needed to tour the garden to assure myself that we still have some colour.

These are a few views that are identified in the gallery, which can be accessed with a click on any one.

This evening we dined on succulent steaks on a bed of peppers and leeks; fried potatoes; crunchy carrots and cauliflower; tender spinach and runner beans, and meaty gravy, with which Jackie finished the Pinot Grigio and I dram more of the Dao.

On The Approach To September

After lunch on a warmly sun-kissed day I poked my camera out of the upstairs windows to introduce it to

the garden views on the approach to September.

I then read more of Charles Dickens’s ‘Our Mutual Friend’, and scanned the next four of Charles Keeping’s memorable illustrations.

‘She sat on the ground, with her face leaning on her hand’

‘The bird of prey lay stretched upon the shore’

‘A gloomy house the Bower’

‘Hooked on the board by the armpits was a young gentleman of tender years’

Early this evening I posted https://derrickjknight.com/2021/08/25/a-knights-tale-21-the-summer-of-1947/

Later, we dined on Red Chilli excellent takeaway fare. We ordered enough for two days, consisting of Saag Chicken, Saag and Onion Bhajis, Tandoori King Prawn Naga, Paneer Tikka, Egg Fried Rice, and a plain Naan. Jackie drank more of the Greco di Tufo and I drank more of the Dao.

Noon In The Knight Garden

At noon, on another warm, sunny, day with a moderate breeze, I poked my camera out of the upstairs window in order to record the garden’s continuing splendour. (I was inspired by a comment from Elizabeth Gauffreau for today’s title)

This afternoon I finished reading ‘David Copperfield’ and scanned the final eight drawings with which that splendid illustrator, Charles Keeping, has adorned the closing pages of my Folio Society edition.

‘I hired a boat directly, and we put off to the ship’

‘I came into the valley, as the evening sun was shining on the remote heights of snow’

‘I thought I had never seen an obstinate head of hair rolling about in such a shower of kisses’

in ‘Going softly to her piano, Agnes played some of those old airs to which we had often listened in that place’ Mr Keeping, through the medium of the flowing grain on the side of the instrument, conveys the unspoken communication between singer and listener which culminates in the next but one illustration.

‘Whom should we behold, to our amazement, in this converted Number Twenty Seven, but Uriah Heep!’, unmistakeable to anyone who has seen the artist’s previous depictions.

‘Clasped in my arms as she had never been, as I had thought she never was to be!’

‘Mr Peggotty went with me to see a little tablet I had put up in the churchyard to the memory of Ham’

‘Peggotty, my good old nurse’

I don’t propose to review such a well-known book, save to say that it was a very good choice for Charles Dickens to term his favourite of the novels.

I have probably mentioned before that I do not generally keep more than one book on the go at any one time. This Dickens work and another, modern, novel have been an exception while I have returned to the Victorian masterpiece. As soon as I have finished reading Harold Brodkey’s book I will draw some comparisons between the two.

This evening we dined on Jackie’s spicy pasta arrabbiata with which she finished the Rosé and I drank Barossa Valley Shiraz 2017.

Happy Planting

Jackie spent most of this pleasantly sunny day on general garden maintenance, including spraying about half of the

Back Drive weeds with herbicide.

My contribution was dead heading, hand weeding, and clearing debris, in one long and one short bursts.

Here are some blooms of For Your Eyes Only, before and after dead heading.

I managed to disturb hoverflies like these on Summer Wine and bees like this on a white climber, but they didn’t take it personally.

I was serenaded by the trickling of the water fountain in the Rose Garden, and by small birds

like this tiny goldfinch perched atop the Weeping Birch. You may need enlargement of this image.

Happy plantings include these different yellow/orang dahlias; the juxtaposition of clematis, petunias, and verbena bonariensis against the kitchen wall; and the sprays of gaura (no, not Laura, WP) bursting from the Ali Baba pot.

This final set of images each bears a title in the gallery.

This afternoon I posted ‘A Knight’s Tale (8: From The Good Life To Refugee Status)’

Elizabeth came to dinner and we received a Red Chilli takeaway meal. My main choice was Tiger Prawn Vindaloo; Elizabeth’s was Bengal Chilli Chicken; and Jackie’s Saag Chicken. We shared special fried rice, a plain paratha, chana masala, saag bhaji, saag dal, and a mixed vegetable curry. Jackie drank more of the Carricante; Elizabeth and I drank more of the Fleurie.