Blue-Tailed Damselfly

I woke up feeling decidedly unwell this morning.  A bit of a yukky throat, not sore, but not comfortable and a feeling of nausea.  Hoping that when I helped put up the fence last week that the back neighbour wasn't carrying anything.  Stupidly I wasn't wearing my mask.  Just didn't think at the time because I was out in the garden. 

Fortunately as the morning wore on I started to feel a bit better, although still very tired.  I did some work in the front garden, but as the garden waste collection bin is packed as tight and full as it can be, and I had filled all the spare bags I had, once I filled the round gardman bin I stopped.  Partly because I just couldn't be bothered lugging it round that back and all the way up the hill to my rather large pile of garden waste that I am hoping will gradually break down.

I spent some time by the pond, trying to see if I could see any of the fish, but no luck.  Couldn't even see any newts.  There was a lovely male Blue-tailed Damselfly which I managed to photograph.

Just look at those fabulous colours in his head and thorax.  Just incredible.

There were also the usual pond skaters.

There are quite a few of these lovely orange flowers growing on my front bank, but I am not sure what they are, I believe it is part of the Crocosmia/Iris family.

In the vegetable garden:

The beans are growing well and I picked quite a few today and dropped a handful off to my neighbour.  I hope she enjoys them as much as I do.  I had a few with dinner tonight and they are really lovely.

A Harlequin Lady bird.  Hopefully eating all the aphids/black flies on my Dalmatian bean leaves!

.  Day 28/Week 4:  103 miles!  Plus I still have three days to go until the end of the month, so very chuffed to have gone over my 100 miles goal this month.  

Satisfying Sunday

Come for a walk with me 

through the rich green vegetation of the woods

A footpath can be seen let's see where it will lead.

What's this I see up yonder

Could it be a cave?

Let's get closer to see

Will you come with me...

through the darkness and eerie silence of a cave

Don't be scared

I see a glimpse of light up ahead.

The jagged rocks above (thank goodness for a flash on the camera as it really was pitch black!)

There IS light at the end of the tunnel

We are almost at its end

Looking back at the exit, or is it the entrance

Perhaps a smugglers cave in times gone by.

Back through the green green woods.

Come and sit with me a while

As I gaze out to sea

Listening to the waves and the wind rustling in the trees

I spy a lone house in the distance

Surround by green it looks very private.

Quietly listening to the breeze as it ripples and rustles amongst the grain

creating waves across the green

A Red Admiral butterfly taking rest from flight

it had to fight against the wind today

but was pleased the sunshine was out.

Total walked today:  5.1 miles

In the garden, I have been doing battle with badgers.  I have put a fence across the front garden to the pond. It was there before but I put it back.  If the badgers really want to, they will be able to push through it but I am hoping it will act as enough of a deterrent to put them off, along with the one sonic device that works (two were bought, one stopped working very soon after it arrived - a waste of money indeed!)  that I have brought down from the top garden to face the bank. 

I have been busy working in the vegetable beds today, digging out the old remaining celery that had gone to seed and toughened up like old boots.  I put some new compost in the space it was, and have planted out some more chard and beetroot seeds.  

I did some weeding and watering - the garden was SO dry despite the rain we had the other day which as I suspected was very little to make a difference.

Aha, I spy!

I wonder if this grasshopper is partly to blame for eating my vegetables?

I did some more deadheading of old flowers in the front garden and spied a 20 spot ladybird

I suspect it is of the Harlequin variety.

A good Sunday with things achieved and new places explored.  

Have a good week everyone.

A New Month!

Goals:

I always have little goals I set myself, usually involving crafting, gardening, writing etc...but this month the main one is:

Walking:  I am going to attempt to walk 100 miles this month!  That is an average of approximately 3.2 miles a day so if some days I can do more to counteract those days I do less this is achievable hopefully.  

Starting this goal as I mean to go along, I headed off this afternoon on a route I haven't done for a little while.

Up the hill to the cliff top path...

...along this path.

Along the path with blackberries on either side - must remember these when they are ripe!

As I walk along these hedgerows butterflies abound

flying in the air as if dancing to the tune of the wind.

Through the fields where a kestrel is hunting

I stood and watched it for a while as it hovered in the air, every so often diving down to land before flying back up into the air again.  I only had my small pocket camera on me today so the photos aren't the best.

It briefly stopped on the power line before flying and hovering again.  It also called out a few times so was fun hearing its cry.

Back to footpaths...

I've shown this sign before, about the ancient village of Nettlecombe.

Love this shot of the Marbled White.

A fallen branch across the walking track.  This must have come down in the last few days I would think as it had been quite windy.

Across a small trickling stream.

So much buddleia in flower

The signpost pointing back to Nettlecombe.

The old fire hydrant in Whitwell, looking a little sorry for itself.  

The church.

The time was right!

Lovely window.

Which way now...

Hidden gates.

With wonky signs.

Pathways to walk with butterflies and bees to observe busy at work.

Another interesting gate.

Lady bird

Lovely flowers

with a Hoverfly.

Beautiful colours

I left another rock on my travels, this time just at the end of the tunnel path in Niton.  

Today's walk: 5.3 miles.

New box of teabags opened for the 1st July... a strange thing to post, but it just took my fancy that I was starting a new box today for some reason.

My lunch - home grown radish, beetroot and lettuce.  Just what I needed to fuel me up for my walk.

I faffed a bit with my new trolley craft station ... I have my art books on the bottom shelf.

I forgot I had left my camera in black and white mode, so when I took this photo of the Heron this evening I realised too late.

I managed to restore it to colour just as it flew off.

I am not sure what this bug is.

My first cucumber!  Growing well.

Some cherries for after dinner.

Greens for dinner fresh from the garden.

The shelled peas - I never cook them, preferring them raw.

I picked some of the smaller raspberries from a different vine, and they were delicious, but I ate them before I got them to the house!

Oh and I saw a baby fish in the pond today which was exciting!