Wonderful Wednesday Weather at Wrest Park

What fabulous weather we are having.  You couldn't ask for better weather really.  Yesterday we decided to take advantage of the day and went over to Wrest Park, one of the English Heritage Properties we like to visit.  We haven't been there for ages and quite a few changes had been made at the Folly, so it looked quite different.  Lots of new planting.  

Percy is in at the Veterinary Hospital having his chemo treatment so we just took Stanley.  Percy comes home tomorrow afternoon.  We've been advised his heart murmur has got slightly worse which is a little concerning, but also a little subjective as a different vet listened to it from last time.  So just hoping it is nothing to worry about.  His steroid dose is decreasing so that is good.

The garden looked so beautiful.

It has a lovely scent as well.  Not sure which flowers were so scented though.

What an approach!

Noticed this furry caterpillar on the ground making his way along

Sat here for ages just sitting and listening to the birds and insects.

A lot of work and planting has taken place here.  I can't believe how different it looks!

So beautiful in the sunshine.

Bees busy pollinating.

We received some rather good news while walking along looking at these flowers, which if all goes according to plan I will share at a later date.

Good Morning Monday

Gosh what an amazing weekend we had.  You couldn't have asked for better weather really.  The temperature was lovely and warm, but not too hot, the sky was blue and the sun shone beautifully in the sky.  I spent a really lovely day yesterday sitting out in the garden most of the day crafting.  I'd taken the dogs for a walk in the morning.  I've started doing two walks.  One shorter one with both dogs, and then taking Percy home, who still lacks a bit of stamina due probably to his continued chemo treatment, and then going on a more brisk walk with Stanley.

I had my CT Scan results back on Friday and I am still a little bit shell shocked and not completely sure how I feel about things.  I have a mixture of relief that they HAVE actually found something as you start to question yourself when the doctors keep doubting you.  But also a bit concerned about the fact that they have.

It seems I have something very rare called Sclerosing Mesenteritis (also known as Mesenteric Panniculitis  which can be genetic or an autoimmune disorder.   I was also low in folate, which my bloods have actually indicated for some time if only the other doctors had looked at the whole picture!  So this doctor has started me on a course of Folic Acid for the folate and a two month course of steroids for the SM.  I can't say I am overjoyed at having to take the steroids, I don't like drugs at the best of times...and as I was actually not feeling too bad and haven't done for the last couple of weeks, I was wondering whether I should just try more natural forms, but as I am impressed with this doctor and how thorough he is I thought I had better.  He is going to review me in two months time and retake the scans to see if the SM has improved etc...  I so hope so!  

I now wonder if both these two things, the low folate and the SM have actually been affecting me for some time.  So it will be interesting to see how I go.  I started the steroids on Saturday morning and the folate Friday afternoon.  I haven't slept properly the last couple of nights and I don't know if that is the steroids, or just the heat and thoughts churning around in my head.

Hopefully though we are on the right track and my health will start improving.

I'm going to have to watch even more closely what I eat now with being on steroids, so this is a good time to also focus on that along with regular exercise.

Well I have a list of things I want to get done today, so better get on.  

It is the start of a new week, a positive attitude and a way forward.

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.

Sunday Summary

Gosh we are already a whole week into to September.  I really don't like how quickly the year is going.  It has already started to feel decidedly chilly and has gone down to 7 degrees during the night and wasn't much more than that when I woke up this morning.  Far too early to have the heating on yet though, and anyway we have to get the thermostat automatic switch fixed as it stopped working earlier on in the year.  More jumpers for now and I think I will replace the summer bedding with the winter duvet. 

I really haven't done much in the garden this summer due to my ill health, but have managed to get out a couple of times in the last week to do some long overdue weeding and cutting back.  The roses haven't done as well this year as in previous years.  Whether this is because I gave them a real hard prune last year, or just because of general neglect or the weather I don't know.  The whole of the rose garden really needs a bit of an overhaul.  Extensive weeding and new bark, but unfortunately our local garden centre where we use to get all the bark is closing down.  A real shame as we used to use it a lot.

The Marigolds are putting on a delightful display outside my bedroom window and I just love their cheerful sunshine colour.

There is one on either side of the window.  

They are really stunning.

The sky was an amazing blue this morning.  A real nip in the air, it was pretty cold when I took the dogs for their walk, I actually put a hat on!

The neighbours apple tree.  Wish we could reach the apples as they will all be wasted.  For some reason our trees only produced one apple this year, despite having blossom on them.  That is ONE apple out of THREE trees!  

The Maple is looking so green.  DH is currently pruning it a bit to let some more light into our garden as it has grown really quite tall.  

After a couple of chilling nights I decided it was time for the winter duvet.

Not wanting to feel quite like winter yet though I chose some pretty spring/summer print vintage sheets

and a light butterfly duvet cover.  This duvet is very light, but oh so warm, so I was quite snug last night.

Stanley had another good groom this morning after his walk.  He is moulting like made.  He looks a bit funny here as I'd taken his collar off to groom round his neck properly and only just put the collar back on so his hair hasn't settled round it properly,

Such a handsome boy,.

This rather large spider was seen strolling across our wall the other evening.  I'd already captured one earlier in the day and put him out!  

Victoria Plum Jam.

We have a lovely Victoria Plum tree in our garden, although unfortunately some of the branches now extend over to the neighbours garden, and they don't use them, just let them go to waste and rot.  They do the same with their apple trees, it is heartbreaking!  Anyway, we have had a reasonable crop this year and I managed to collect 1.5kg plums (stoned) to make jam.  We have also had them for dessert several times this week.

Wash the plums, cut in half and remove the stones.

Place in large heavy bottom saucepan, add 100 - 150ml of water and a tablespoon of lemon juice.

Bring to the boil, stirring constantly and then simmer for around 40 minutes until plums soft.

Add sugar (same weight of sugar as plums)

Bring to the boil and keep stirring while boiling until reaches setting point.  This took about 20 minutes I think.  Once at setting point pour into sterilised jars.

My 1.5kg of plums made seven jars of jam.  Yum!

A Ladybird Study

Just a small one... this morning I discovered this little ladybird sitting on a sellotape reel.

I tried looking it up in my insect book to see what variety it is, as it clearly has more than seven spots.

It seems to match (in spots at least) the Eyed Ladybird Anatis ocellata  but the spots don't have the pale area around them making them look like eyes.

I took the Ladybird outside and put it on a rose leaf.

It immediately headed to the water and seemed to drink it.

 I don't know how long it had been inside, but it was certainly thirsty!

My Insect book only had the Seven Spot and Eyed Ladybird in it, so I am still none the wiser as to who this particular one is.