Art on Friday

Gosh the last two days have been absolutely scorching!  Needless to say not a lot has been done in the garden.  I haven't gone for a walk either.  I was going to go this afternoon and then I remembered I was expecting my grocery delivery sometime between 2 pm and 10 pm and hadn't received a time (as don't often get a signal for the text to come through) and although it will probably arrive late this evening, I thought knowing my luck if I did go out for a walk, then it would arrive while I'm out!

I ordered an art book the other day to encourage me to get back into painting again.  I haven't got a book on how to paint leaves and flowers and saw this one, read the reviews and decided to get it. I am quite pleased with my rose picture, although not so much with the picture of the fern.

1st August!

August is the month of birthdays in my family, my dad, daughter in law, sister, and husband all have their birthdays this month.

I am so enjoying this book that was put in my 'Free Library' during the week.  It is the best book I have read for ages.  I mentioned the other day, and about the author's life in the Lake District.

This evening I saw what I believe was a Pipistrelle bat flying around  the front garden.  It was fascinating watching it, and I just wish I could have caught it on film but it was far too quick, darting this way and that, but following a very similar repeating pattern.

Tuesday

A seat to sit and read whilst listening and looking at the sea.

A grey and cloudy day, but still warm enough to sit out.

Watching the Cormorants

and the interplay between them.

Rocks seen on the beach...and a passion fruit skin.

Rubbish as well unfortunately

A Small Tortoiseshell Butterfly

An Oedemera nobilis beetle.

Large crack in the ground

Erosion

Fence line just hanging on by a thread.

Another spot I sat and read for a while...

Back at home

Watching.... so refreshing, no PC nonsense, no malice intended, just plain good fun.

Tomatoes growing.

Still no sign of my parcel and Hermes proving to be impossible to contact.  Very frustrating.

Thursday

Wednesday was a bit of a damp day and overcast so I spent it inside taking it easy and pottering.  Not really sure what I did apart from some knitting and watching Netflix! So not especially productive, but relaxing.

Today I didn't do a lot either to be honest, just had a wander around the garden.

The planters are looking lovely now that they are filling out.

Really pleased with how these have turned out as they looked a bit sparse when I first planted them up in March.

A nice lot of colour on the decking.

This boot was a Christmas gift from my son and daughter in law one Christmas that I finally planted up when I moved here.  Loving it.

Flowers in the garden.

 

Bumble bee busy at work

I am not sure what these two plants are with the big leaves.

This one is going to flower soon so will hopefully give me more clues!

Pond skaters.  Not sure what variety they are.

My book doesn't list different species/sexes.

Prince of Wales Combat Vessel sailing past yesterday morning.

Recently finished this book.  A nice enjoyable read of times past and the author's childhood in a seaside village in the early 1900s.

I finally got my Pashley bike back today.  Unfortunately the bike shop that we took them too are unable to do the repairs to the damage that the removers did to our bikes as apparently the paint sprayers have unfortunately gone out of business due to Covid-19 and they have been unable to find anyone else who will do them.  The other bikes will be collected tomorrow.

Fortunately my Pashley was the least damaged, and as long as I keep the damaged areas dry so they don't rust it should be okay.

I took it out for a ride this afternoon.  My goodness what hard work it was!  I wonder if I will be sore tomorrow.  What I thought was relatively flat when walking is a lot steeper when riding a bike.   

Murphy enjoying some dandelion leaves.

Bully and the Badger

Sometimes you get to read a really good well written book, and this was one of them.  It had me giggling at the hospital when I was reading while waiting for my CT Scan.  I haven't had a book make me laugh in ages, but the scenes the author painted I could just so imagine happening - as they in fact did. 

I grew up with Bull Terriers as well, which was partly why I was initially attracted to the title of the book.  It certainly didn't disappoint.  Definitely a book I will keep and probably read again at some stage.  I've always enjoyed nature based stories, especially those that are factual like this one or based on fact.  I love how the author described his experience and that of his dog 'Bully' of fostering a badger cub and its subsequent return to the wild which is just how it should be done.

Wednesday

Garden photo for today - Great and Blue Tits enjoying the peanuts. 

Also saw a couple of Ring Neck Doves, a Blackbird, and of course the Robin.

Currently reading this and really enjoying it.  I will now have to add this to my 'Authors' to look for when out and about as this is apparently the third in a Trilogy and although can be read on its own, it will be great to read the others.

Slowly taking the Christmas decorations down now.  I did the Christmas Teddies yesterday and today it is the turn of the smaller Christmas Tree and the 'Villages'.  They are now all boxed up.  We are trying to clear the corner of the loft where they are stored before putting them back up - so that we know exactly what is in that corner and that it is all stuff to keep.  In the process I am trying to 'refine' the way I store the Christmas Decorations.  Yesterday I managed to put in one box, what normally takes up two, so that was progress.  

Day 11

Well I am over a week into my Whole30 programme and doing pretty well with sticking to it.  Not had any major cravings really and enjoying thinking about what to cook for a change rather than just choosing what is easiest.  Although to be honest not a lot is different to how we normally eat, just some of the things that we use such as butter, tomato sauce etc...have had to been cut out, but you can make your own tomato sauce substitute pretty easily and it is nice to know it hasn't got any chemicals, additives etc in it.

No real difference to my pain levels.  Haven't had a headache since Day 1 so that is an improvement. Oh and I have actually lost a little bit of weight - the bloating I was experiencing has gone.  One very strange thing though...since Saturday I have had this gross, almost metallic taste in my mouth.  It doesn't affect the taste of things, but it is there all the time otherwise. Not sure if that has anything to do with the change in diet or something else.  I hope it goes as it isn't especially pleasant I can tell you!

The sun is out this morning, but it is blowing a gale out there...hoping to go for a walk, but looks like dark clouds are fast approaching so will see.  I have a few 'chores' that need attending to first.

Currently reading this - I just wish they wouldn't make the font so small!

I seem to have pretty much lost my blogging mojo for this blog at the moment, so it is not especially exciting, but not a lot is different, the days drift into each other, and it seems despite my best intentions, I don't achieve what I hope to achieve in the day.  Not sure if I expect too much of myself, of it is just the time of the year.