September Already?!

 I'm not even going to try and do a review of the last few months...but just look forward, although will look back to 29th August when I was taking Peter for his walk we came across this buzzard on the path.

I tried to move it out of the way so that no loose dogs would get it, as it didn't want to fly off.  I managed to get it through the fence into the field with a bit of coaxing, but thought I would return with some gloves when I was walking Simon and if it was still there I would move it where it was safer.

On my return I saw a man and his dog and asked if he had seen it, he said no, so I thought good it had gone.  However, upon walking a little bit further on it had come back through the fence and was back on the pathway again.  Now I know it couldn't walk very fast, so I am astounded the man didn't see the bird!  Probably fortunately he clearly wasn't very observant.  

I tied Simon up, put on my gloves and carefully picked the bird up and put him up out of the way behind a stone walk and tree.  He was amazingly light.  I checked the following day and the buzzard had gone, and there was no trace of him, so I am guessing he was just drying out, perhaps his wings had got too wet and he was exhausted.  Once he felt better he flew off.  That is what I am hoping anyway.  He had the most amazing blue eyes.

So on to today, Monday 1st September, he was absolutely chucking it down with rain this morning and the gutters were overflowing again.  They have now been cleared out.  This seems to be a monthly job!

A little later I managed to get a photo of the garden.  The grass looks a tiny bit greener.

The sea was pretty rough today.  Amazingly by mid day the sky had cleared somewhat and it was just windy, but we had some blue skies and were able to enjoy lunch outside at a cafe we enjoy going to.

The triffod is growing well...actually it is the kiwifruit vine.  It is now completely covering our bedroom window, so once the kiwifruit are ripe we will cut it right back again.  We give it a harsh pruning every year.  The people before us really planted it in completely the wrong place, but I am not sure how successful we would be at moving/transplanting it now. 

I think we must have almost 20 fruits on the vine which is a first.  We have only had two or three before.

The blueberry is still producing.

Up in the orchard we have loads of apples, pears and plums, which I have been picking and giving away.  I still have a freezer full of apples, and a pantry full of jam.  We obviously eat some of the fruit as well.  I need to learn how to 'can' (using jars) fruit.

It is nice to have the fruit, especially considering I haven't really been able to do any gardening because of this thyroid illness and then falling severely back in June, which I could have done without and am still in a lot of pain as a result of the fall.  The rest of the garden was rather a flop.  I think I must be the only person that can't grow courgettes successfully...the look good, but then never amount to anything.  I have had a few beans, a couple of sweetcorn and that is it.

Oh and we had the most amazing crop of apricots this year, over 40, this is some of the first lot that I picked.  We completely enclosed it in a special strong net this year so nothing could get in at the fruit.  I really enjoyed these very much.

Forgot to add these couple of pretty plates I got from the charity shop.  

I am going to start to collect a few plates for use to replace the old chipped ones we have, so when I saw these two lovely plates, I thought they would be perfect.  

Tuesday - A Little Project Done.

Well what can I say, I have had the most dreadful couple of weeks, last week being especially bad.  I could barely walk to the end of the driveway, spent a lot of time resting, had a day in bed when the pain was really bad.  I just couldn't function at all.  I didn't know what to do with myself, how to sit or lie comfortably and just felt generally very miserable.  I managed to get a telephone consultation with my GP on Friday and he has put me back on steroids.  I was able to start them on the Saturday morning. I have started back on at 5 mg, having come off them five weeks ago at 2.5 mg.  The plan this time is to wean off them 1 mg at a time.  Four days in and I feel so much better.  The last couple of days I have been able to go walking again and even done a bit of gentle gardening.

It was a really stunning morning.

This morning I worked on something I have had planned for a long time. I didn't have any materials so used the old box that was at the front steps which was used for selling eggs by the previous owners.  I covered the top, line the inside and made a sign... for a Free Little Library.

I've started off with putting four books in it until I manage to sort some more, or people leave them.  That will be interesting to see.

I had to clear the front pathway steps as the last couple of weeks while I was unable to get out in the garden, it had become almost completely overgrown again!

There are so many pretty flowers in the front garden.  These iris make a nice display.

Looking up the driveway

It is a riot of colour.  So much has grown since earlier in the year.

Not the best shots but I loved how you could see the feet tucked up against the tail.

The magpie was chasing it and telling it what for.

Dive bombing!

Acrobatics.

A crow joins in the chase.

The first water lily has flowered.

So pretty.

At least another three flower heads.

All the tadpoles seem to have disappeared.  They were there one day, gone the next, there were hundreds of them, so not sure what has happened - perhaps it just got too hot for them.  The water level had dropped significantly.  I have since topped it up.

Beautiful red roses.

More shots of the driveway.

The bank.

One of the books went sometime during the day!  I hope whoever took it enjoys reading it.

My little geranium I got off a flower stall down the road is really growing well.

So pretty.

I pulled out some three - four foot high nettles from the front garden today.  The orchard is well... it has gone out of control.  It is a bit daunting actually, but I am going to not beat myself up about having not been able to do any gardening the last couple of weeks, and will just do it as I feel I am able.  I will concentrate on enjoying some walks as I got so down last week with all the pain, I want to work on my mood as a priority and walking really helps that, especially now I am able to do so again!  So today's walk is on another post as this was already a bit photo heavy.

Saturday Stuff.

My Dad phoned me this morning which was a lovely surprise as normally I phone him.  We had a nice long chat.

A lovely near neighbour from down the road called by with a large sheet of paper with her number and email address on as she hadn't seen me out for a week or so wanted to make sure I was okay and said to let her know if I need anything as she knew I wasn't allowed to go shopping etc due to being on the vulnerable list.  That was so sweet of her. 

I decided to finally put some pictures up this morning.  I got the drill out and started the holes with that which worked much better than just trying to hammer the nails in straight.  The walls are so hard!

I put the photo I took a few years ago of special memories and toys up above the fire place.  I eventually hope to put a lovely old wooden mantel up above the fireplace.

My husband's childhood teddy, my Nan's teddy, my son's very first violin and some vintage wooden dolls and a box brownie.

I put one of our wedding photos up in the main bedroom.  This one has always been up in a bedroom, so figured it should stay in a bedroom.

I put my lovely mirror up in my back bedroom.  I must be a creature of habit, as it has gone on the 'same' wall as it was in the previous house.

I put three of my photos up in the kitchen.  The robin taken in my garden in Hertfordshire, the bridge at one of my favourite National Trust properties and the Tui was taken in my Dad's garden a few years ago.

My Mum and Dad walking along the beach when Mum was quite bad with Alzheimer's but still mobile.

I still have a few other pictures and photos to put up yet, but haven't decided where they are to go yet.  I want to put some up in the entrance hall, but the colour it is painted just doesn't look right with any of the pictures I want to put up.  It will have to stay that colour for a while, so I guess I will just have to make a decision to put them up or not.

Little Dennis, who is not so little munching on his dinner.  He was so funny to watch this evening as he went sprinting and 'popcorning' around his cage like a little demented thing.  He obviously had a lot of energy to expend.  I wish I'd caught it on video.

From and in the garden today....

Front lawn mowed, and one round green bin full of weeds.  

On my walk....

It was mid afternoon - definitely not a good time to go walking, especially in the weekend as too many people about.  But I felt I needed to do a short walk to stop myself stiffening up.  Ha ha it didn't work, I could hardly move in the evening as per usual, but it was nice to get some sea air.