tulips Diamond Jubilee – derrickjknight

An Enforced Eviction

CLICK ON IMAGES TO ENLARGE. REPEAT IF REQUIRED.

Early this morning the sun shone on the wall-bound wisteria aiming for the en suite bathroom.

Lingering early raindrops rolled around the Diamond Jubilee tulips

Raindrops and fly on tulip Diamond Jubilee

onto which a thirsty fly dropped for a drink.

Another rhododendron, leading the eye to the pieris on the grass, is beginning to bloom.

The day dulled over as it progressed. We spent the morning working on the garden. Jackie did some general planting and weeding, and sprinkled chicken pellets over the newly composted beds. Before you imagine otherwise, we do not keep chickens. The pellets come in a large bucket and are marketed as manure.

Vinca makes an attractive ground cover, but it does have a tendency to sprawl, take root, and make life very uncomfortable for bed-mates. So it has been for the Weeping Birch Bed. I therefore concentrated my efforts on that. Fast approaching is the warmer weather when a thinner duvet will be in order.

A black-spotted ladybird and a tiny striped snail suffered an enforced eviction as I ejected their shelter.

Our stone urns and other containers are mounted on dry brick pillars. The ground under one of these subsided a bit last autumn and it fell over. We spent the last few minutes before lunch levelling a space and beginning to rebuild the column.

This evening we dined on succulent roast pork and apple sauce, roast sweet and savoury potatoes, with al dente carrots, cauliflower, and runner beans; followed by rice pudding and blackberry jam. I drank Reserve des Tuguets madiran 2012, and Jackie drank Hoegaarden.

Baa

CLICK ON IMAGES TO ENLARGE. THOSE IN GROUPS ACCESS GALLERIES THAT CAN BE VIEWED FULL SIZE BY SCROLLING DOWN THE PAGE AND CLICKING THE RELEVANT BOX.

It wasn’t until early evening that the clarity of the dawn skies was to be repeated today.

Jackie discovered that the Big Beast had dug its way under her reinforced log last night, further trampled the cyclamen, and knocked over the obelisk. Undeterred, she put back the loose soil and buried more, lower, stakes around the wooden peg.

Elizabeth came for lunch which consisted of cold meats and salads. After this she and I photographed bugs on the diamond jubilee tulips. The first is mine with my Canon EOS 5D;

the next two with my Canon SX700;

and finally, Elizabeth’s with her i-Phone, by which time the bugs had fled.

Later, we took a drive to the north of the forest.

On Flexford Lane in Sway, we needed to wait on the verge for a horse and rider with a cycling escort, followed by a white van, to pass.

The gorse-covered hills below Abbot’s Well at Frogham glowed in the evening light.

Jackie and Elizabeth turned and spotted me photographing them as they stood in the car park.

The colourfully attired gentleman beside them obligingly took his own camera into the landscape, thus providing a foil to my photographs.

As we left, a pony drank from a reflective pool.

As we approached the Cadnam roundabout near the end of Roger Penny Way, we noticed a flock of sheep blocking a turning to our left. As soon as she could Jackie turned around so we could see what was happening. The woolly animals were steadfastly making their way past our car to the aforementioned major road,

where they caused a total standstill.

Looking back down the lane we saw what seemed like the final stragglers,

who picked up speed and galloped in panic after the main group.

In fact they were not the last. Two more had been left behind. We hoped they found their friends.

Further along this lane a very small sow snuffling against a wall, became excited by our presence, perhaps hoping for a chat.

Around the next bend a couple of ducks had taken possession of a watery verge.

One was an Indian runner. We didn’t recognise the other.

Finally, a collection of chickens scampered from the verge when we stopped beside them.

This evening the three of us dined on Jackie’s splendid chilli con carne, savoury rice, and green beans. The ladies drank Hoegaarden and I finished the Malbec.

What Other Municipal Dump……?

I know my mobile phone is working now, because O2 and Carphone Warehouse continue to send me texts and e-mails containing special offers, and reviews about their service. Some people are gluttons for punishment.

This was another day of sunshine and showers.

The daffodils I photographed yesterday were all in close-up. This is the general effect they give across the garden. Through the arch in the centre, installed by The Head Gardener a month or two ago, can be seen a couple of the camellias.

We weren’t expecting these Diamond Jubilee tulips, planted last year, to have such short legs.

In the front garden, Jackie has erected a little arbour in which to take a rest. This has tiered pots of flowers. These daffodils must cause some confusion to passing drivers. Naturally there are a couple of owls occupying the fence, one a little further along.

Last weekend, when we were away, Aaron and Robin had filled two more of the canvas bags with tree cuttings. This afternoon, we felt well enough to take these to the Efford Recycling Centre. Two trips were enough for us.

As we have often wondered, what other municipal dump, would offer such views on the approach and beyond the containers?

This evening we dined on the remains of yesterday’s pasta bake, supplemented by fried bacon and mushrooms, and La Doria tinned ratatouille, kept for such emergencies. Dessert was Tesco’s zesty lemon tart. Water was imbibed