Friday!

I woke with a migraine yesterday so any thoughts of doing anything was completely ruled out so I had an easy day.

We had a tiny bit of rain last night, but still not enough for the garden.

Poppy flower

Beautiful roses, although most are up high in the hedge.

This has started flowering...I know the name, but it currently escapes me.

It was a lovely afternoon

A ferry in the distance.

Oh this one is from yesterday - I think they were probably doing a training exercise as it was hovering around for a while.

This morning I made another batch of jam.  I have labels for these jars - need to make sure I get them on straight!

I made a wholemeal loaf of bread this afternoon for lunch tomorrow.

I painted three more rocks.

I enjoyed an afternoon walk.

The buddleia are starting to flower.

So pretty.  I hope they attract lots of butterflies.

Roadside flowers.

I left a rock.

Admiring the view.

The fields are looking so green.

Fields of wheat.

Delighted to spot some more Marbled White Butterflies.

A pretty rose on the hedge of one of the cottages I pass on my way home.

I hope everyone has a lovely weekend.  Hope to catch up with some of you in the morning. Due to yesterday's migraine I am limiting my computer time today.

Successful Saturday

A good morning spent in the garden.

Admiring my beautiful poppy.

Lovely cherries.

Trying to protect at least some of them from the birds as normally you end up losing them just as they ripen.

I mowed the lawn and did some more weeding, another two big round bins full of weeds trampled down into the garden waste collection bin.  I really don't think I can fit anything else in there now before the collection on Thursday.

Looks like a badger has been at the bird feeder.

I made the second batch of jam.

You can tell I don't usually put labels on my jam, it is very wonky!  I took this jar round to the lady who gave me a box of jars this morning.  Just after I ordered some from amazon last night!

My plant that used to live in my bedroom at my old place is looking good.

It has just flowered.

A yummy lunch.

Raspberry Muffins - yum yum.

My current viewing...

A 'new' plant from the garden gate stall down the road.  Fortunately I had the white outer pot to put it in.

Another lovely evening walk after rain late afternoon.

A new dishcloth - waves.

Friday thoughts and Jam Making

I realised the other day when going through my 'Gooseberry Jam posts'  that I have been blogging for over 13 years.  My first blog started in January 2007 was private.  I then started the first Balancing Kiwi blog in March 2009.  I am not sure why I ended up with a second Balancing Kiwi blog now...perhaps because I thought the first was getting a bit too depressing, who knows.  Sometimes I wonder if I should go back to the first and just amalgamate the two blogs then I have all my blog records in one place, but somehow never get round to it.   Blogging has certainly changed over the years, and I looked back on my blog roll of blogs I visited regularly and also bloggers I had met and am sad to see most stopped blogging a long time ago. I wonder why that is?  Did they all move over to places like IG or FB?  It is a shame as you can't really get the full appreciation and enjoyment from those I don't think.  They are just quick 'snapshots' that you look at then scroll past.  Plus it is so much more difficult to write anything when using a silly little phone keyboard, which is why I still much prefer things that I can look at and use via the computer.  Give me a full size keyboard on which I can actually type any day! 

I used to enjoy the real community blogging seemed to be and had fun over a few years taking part in blog swaps of various kinds, from creative, challenges and even letter writing. Good times.  I still do enjoy reading blogs, and the ones I follow who still post, even if I don't always comment - I am sorry to that, I do need to make more effort!

Anyway, back to the task in hand...today was the first batch of gooseberry jam making.

I picked over three kilos of gooseberries this morning and there are still ample left on the bushes to ripen for more jam making and also desserts later in July hopefully.

Lovely gooseberries free of blemishes on the whole.

Topped and tailed.

boiling away... I discovered jam making on an AGA is not as easy as it was on my gas stove... there are only two elements very hot and simmer.... and anyone who tells you you can just move the pan half way off to minimise heat is telling porkies!  It is VERY easy for it to boil over as I discovered...and the simmer plate isn't really quite hot enough for that rolling boil you need to keep going for the jam, so it took a lot longer to make than usual, and also a far bit of cleaning up when it boiled over.  Not to mention a few choice words.  Perhaps I need more specialised saucepans/jam pans on the AGA.  I used my heaviest based pan, but do have a slightly larger one so will use that for the second batch I make tomorrow morning.

With a hotch potch of jars I managed 11 jars of lovely looking jam. 

This mornings raspberries.

Hollyhocks have started to flower along the driveway.

My trusty gumboots/wellington boots have taken a beating over the last few months.

and are looking a little worse for wear.

Holes everywhere!

What to do?

Armed with scissors and some gorilla tape that is supposed to stick to all sorts of surfaces

I patched them.  I fear though it will not last as it has already started to peel. 

In the evening I went for a lovely peaceful walk as the sun came out after a rather wet and dreary day.

What a treat it was.

Have a good weekend.