Hi, all. Welcome to a new week!
OG thanks agility went very well. I've just done the 5/6 mile walk again to meet OH from work. Nice and dry today which was good.
Bettyboo I read about the calf too. I cannot believe that such people exist.
Diane I bet the bunny was glad of the carrots after it's ordeal.
Not looked at the camera yet but as i type EJ is shouting fish fish fish! Mia's done a runner as I've not turned the sound down.
It's OH's Harris Hawk flight on Sunday so we're looking forward to that.
Margo when is your trip to LG?
BTW Alan, love the grebe pic
Trish2 I am sure your OH will love his meeting with his Harris Hawk, My OH had a 2 day experience with birds of prey and he loved the HH as it was the one who would follow behind just like a Labrador. So sweet!!
I‘ve looked through the photos of my favourite garden, Glenwhan, which we visited on our way home last week – and there are so many I would like to share (sorry!). What I’ll do is tell you a bit about the garden with a few pictures, and then slip others into “normal” posts! I love this garden because the plantings fit so naturally into the shape of the land. We first saw it about 15 years ago, when the trees to the north were only just big enough to fulfil their role as a windbreak and the planted area was about half what we see now. The paths have developed more twists and turns, and there are many little “secret” gardens within the whole.
This is the first impression on entering the garden:
It began 30 years ago, fashioned out of a south facing quarry. The moorland at the top remains as a walking area, with natural lochans and a reservoir that served an estate below. This is how most of the land would have looked at the beginning:
Whilst at the top, midway through our visit, we saw a Song Thrush, a Yellowhammer and a Heron, but had only taken in the wide angle and smaller zoom lenses, being a garden visit. Up there is the Millennium Obelisk by Joe Smith, a well-known Galloway Sculptor who works mainly in slate. We have seen his work as far away as Herefordshire and once had a quote for a smaller piece for our front garden – then decided that was a frivolous use of a thousand pounds!
We also looked down over the edge to see the series of pools which fall towards the two man-made lochans.
To be continued.
Ospreys Rule OK, but Goldfinches come a close second!
Sorry about font size - I didn't enlarge any of it, it just did that itself! First time of posting, it lost the first picture, so I had to edit to put it back in!
I've been trying all day to find time to come on here...
More great photos from OG - we are enjoying your tour! One of those Botanic Gardens must be the one we visited when we took my Mother on a trip to celebrate her 80th birthday, We had one night near Glasgow, then went to see the Burrell Collection plus the gardens around the house there, which was an ambition of my mothers. Next day we went to Dumfries & Galloway, and toured around, then we found the Botanic Gardens and spent a long afternoon there. Then we had a night in a B & B, and went on to see Portpatrick before going home. A memorable trip, and it seems like only about 5 or 7 years ago, but when I work it out, it was more like 14 years ago! We enjoyed the Botanic Gardens very much, and it was a hot day (remember having ice creams!) . Nice to have memories. Enjoyed seeing your 'Filo pastry Tree' and the Obelisk, above, wish I could fit one into my garden, too. Hope you can sort the Cleaner problem.
dibnlib: One of our favourite CD's was "Tell me on a Sunday" when it came out, by Marti Webb - I almost wore it out.
Wattle nice to see you on here again.
Annette: New Washer doesn't play a tune - but does a bit of a beep when its finished. I would prefer Mozart... but then, its in the garage anway, so it doesn't matter. Tried to work out what all the knobs & buttons on it do - "what's this one? " -< press>- "now its stopped and won't work" - look in instructions - "Oh, that's why - its a Pause button!!!"
Tiger: Agree about the Long Forgotten Smells - how evocative it is to smell something which takes you back sometimes many years. It is a memory which you forget you have, but which works even when sometimes you are not fully aware of it. Also like your philosophy of reactions to things. If I read old diaries, it sometimes surprises me how I reacted long ago, and would react quite differently now, to events or to things people say. I agree that its something to do with Age. I like to think I have mellowed a little, although as I'm more tolerant of a lot of things, in others I'm much more of a Grumpy Old Woman.
Must grump off, now and join my OH who is watching the Chelsea Flower Show final part. We have enjoyed all the displays and the flowers, but do wish that they would leave the camera on the actual blooms for a little longer than they do. And show less 'talking heads' and .... Oh dear, I'm off again!
Lynette: Hope that your old Chapel can be used for something - they often make lovely Community Centres, or homes.
After a lovely day, all the D words for weather since dinner, and windy with it – must be bank holiday weekend; good that all OH’s grass got tidied today.
Lots been said today – thanks all.
Annette – I am pleased to find out more about my Grandmother’s family – but still need to do other 75% - and most of OH’s too! It will be good to correspond with Dad’s Cousin and share memories of people like my Great Grandfather (his Grandfather). I think I met this cousin once – possibly at GGDad’s funeral tea when I was about 4! Your Wren reminds me of the year our hanging basket liners went bald – they were the mock-moss type, and the Sparrows took all the fibres off the backing and went around with moustaches for a few weeks while building!
Alan – lucky you, seeing the Kite from home. Would love to see Rag and Bone Men make a return (wonder what PC name they will dream up for them?) – much preferable to these silly carbon-wasting plastic charity bags - we've had three this week!
Dibnlib – what will happen to Dillon if you both go cycling?
Lynette – sorry the chapel is closing down – but these places need regular congregations to pay to keep them. Lots of wee kirks in Scotland have become art galleries!
Diane – terrific news that you can expect Ospreys nearby! We love having local ones – they feel so special, as if they are there just for us!
Trish – glad your walk was dry today. Enjoy Sunday – and I hope it will be a nice day to make it extra special.
Lindy – pleased my pictures revived happy memories for you. The Burrell Collection is terrific – went there with Grandsons when they were really very young, but they were enthralled – lucky with all our Children and Grandchildren as they have all enjoyed museums and exhibitions.
Now time for a little something, so will say good night to all, with one more Glenwhan picture – where we started our tour at the bottom of the garden (no fairies!):
Evening all: Much warmer than forecast today and very blustery tonight, but pleasant enough. Puttered around Ross - a discount store - this morning and bought a couple of really cute little outfits for a certain tiny girl; then tootled off to the rose garden. Picked up some smoked salmon and cold salads for dinner; tomorrow am getting my hair tidied up, then OH and I are meeting a couple of friends for a light dinner.
dibnlib: I know what you mean about bikes - over the years I've become much more aware of the hazards, and to think I used to ride around Watford hands-free, so to speak. Not sure what European braking system is; here, on very basic bikes you have to pedal backwards, completely counter-intuitive. First stime I rode one, I nearly ended up riding off a dock into the Pacific!
Alan: I remember our rag and bone man!
Lynette: Hope they can use your old chapel; in my sister's village, the church has a "rotating" vicar who provides services for several villages in the area. In between times, the church is closed up.
Diane: Do hope you get some new neighbors of the avian persuasion!
Trish2: Nice that agility went well.
OG: Those are some lovely gardens! I like the sculpture - love to see natural materials used in different ways. In LA, the South Coast Botanic Garden was developed on a former trash dump. Our little wren is nicely sheltered from the current blustery winds and is completely hidden from the crows, although I'm sure the hummingbirds that like to sit in the orange tree know exactly where she is!
Lindybird: I weas convinced our machine had gone kerpooey after my daughter came to visit and pushed the "spin" button which made it not spin; apparently we'd inadvertently changed the pre-set program. Grumpy old woman!? That doesn't sound like you at all.
Usually our winds die down in the mid-too-late evening, but it's wild out there tonight! Anyway, am about to head off to bed. Have a lovely Saturday all; a special hallo to those I haven't mentioned!
The most unexpected pictures you will ever see. See Pale Male chicks
I am thrilled to have been able to post those.
The thread on this topic is here
Tiger Signature