One year of Bloging

Today is the first anniversary of my blog I started it exactly one year ago today. Soon we will be saying Bonn Voyage to 'Blighty' again for a couple of month When we fly off back to Vancouver for yet another extended vacation.

Last year after I came home from Canada they had several snowfalls. I'm hoping well get some when we're over there this Christmas. That would just make it for me a White Christmas. I think in 44 years of marriage we've had about 3 White Christmases. One of them was the first year we married. Perfect.

Kobe

Alot of people have asked me what sort of dog I have when I buy large sacks of dog food. None I reply . It's my son's dog. He's a Neapolitan Mastiff. A what.............?

Well 6 years ago No. 2 son, Darrin, needed a dog. We suggested a rescue dog. No....no way. It had to be a large dog. He wanted a Neapolitan Mastiff! So several weeks later after an intensive internet search we drew up at an isolated farm house in deepest Essex. As soon as we emerged from the car this large six week old puppy bounded up and Darrin was hooked.

Bon-e-part his pedigree Kennel club name was the most boisterous of the litter. His father weighed in at 18 stone. Nothing disturbed us, the puppies were all so cute. We all were doggie novices although Darrin had some experience with a girl friends dog and he had 'jenned' up on the breed and dog care.

So Bon-e-Part now renamed Kobe, (after the Japanese City) came home with us. He cried, he was car sick and he (sorry) farted all the way home! Kobe (the city) had suffered a massive earthquake a few years before. Kobe (the dog) grew to cause earthquakes. Never never never buy the alpha dog in a litter!!!!

At 6 weeks old he looked so cuddly and soon settled in Darrin's large flat. Carpets were out of the question.

At 3 years, and still not fully grown he had to be banned from our sofa when he came to visit.
Now at 6 years old he's now a fully grown mature dog with teenage attitude problems. He's so soppy and friendly and likes allot of fuss but he's smelly, slobbery and constantly moults. He's had a few spell when he's had to come and live with us. Nightmare! I'm sure dog slobber could be collected and sold for glue! Once it's on the walls or window it's a really, really tough job to get off. On the last visit he was banned from the house but was quite happy in my studio with the patio door open so he could roam outside when he wanted.

He loves the walks around here and sniffs the base of every single tree so its a gentle walk until he realises we're on the way home then there's no stopping him. He gallops home dragging poor me behind him!

In the garden he drinks from the old washing up bowl. He slurps and splashes the water so much it has to be outside.

Oh and despite being car sick he really loves my car. Its an estate car but he will not stay in the back though. Oh no, he jumps in the rear door then, over onto the back seat and and sits there breathing in my ear as I'm driving. Just what you need, smelly breath and slobber in your neck when your driving.

Winter Flowers

Our orchids will soon need to be repotted. They're bursting out of the plastic pots they are confined in. They do like their roots confined but when they crack their pots it's time to upgrade. They've been sitting outside all summer, shaded from the little sun we had and exposed to all the rain. It must have done them good as the flower spikes are shooting up and the buds already opening.

This red orchid refused to flower last year but is making up for it this year. It was Dave's birthday present about four years ago.

Dave loves these waxy flowers but I must admit I'm not so taken.

Out in the garden the deep purple leaves of the Cotinus or 'smoke bush' have turned pinky red and orange. Soon the branches will be bare but I can enjoy these brilliant colours for a few more days yet.

This little pink ground cover rose has always lived in this pot so doesn't always flower as prolifically as it ought to but despite the cold and frosts its still flowering it's socks off.

The buds of the Christmas roses or Lenten roses are poking through the ground and will soon be out in full flower. I have several clumps of these plants dotted around the garden, most self seeded, and they make a cheerful display in the bare winter garden. I usually have a table arrangement of these lovely winter flowers on the Christmas table. This year I'm going to miss the best of their display. I wonder could I pot some and smuggle them with me to Canada. Perhapse not. I tried to find some plants over in Canada a couple of years ago when I was doing some planting in Nancy's garden.

Springfields

Yesterday (Saturday) we had to collect Miss 'Freckles' from her home in Bourne, so with her Dad we made a trip over to Spalding, our 'Home' town. After picking up our usual large order of 'Browning's' Sausages for the freezer we skipped the town centre and headed for Springfields retail outlet for a little retail therapy. Miss Freckles announced it was her most 'fav' shopping place.

We didn't go planning to buy much but we needed a Christmas wreath for Ma & Pa in Laws memorial stone in Spalding Cemetery.
After a disappointing mediocre lunch in the restaurant attached to the Festival Garden Centre we all split up. We headed into the plant area only to find a dearth of wreaths. We are too early for them apparently. After wandering around debating our options we plumped on a pretty flowering pot plant hoping it would fit into the well of the stones metal flower vase. (It didn't, but I made it!)
A couple of books and a half priced expensive expanding suitcase later we all met up at Costas for more coffee. It was so cold (the weather not the coffee) we all decided enough was enough and headed back for the car and home.

On the way home Miss Freckles decided she wanted to take a photo on her camera phone of the rather splendid sunset .

But she certainly didn't want advice on how to from Dad!
Dad doesn't know he should open his eyes when being photographed!

First Snow of Winter

Sunday Morning
It's freezing and gray
Not nice

But this is a perfect antidote



for this!

Plus the Sunday papers and a hot coffee of course.

Preparing for the Festive Season Part 2

As we are jetting off to spend Christmas in Canada this year my thought are whizzing around my head making virtual 'to do' lists. The family Christmas presents need to be thought about bought and wrapped early. None of the previous years last minute gift wrapping late on Christmas eve!

This week I turned my attention to Christmas cards. Over the last few years I made my own. Not from penny pinching but from the sheer enjoyment and relaxation of creating them. I originally thought that this year I would just go out and buy them but, rooting about in my art cupboard I dragged out the card making materials and started messing about with ideas. Soon the cards started to stack up once more.

They get easier, quicker and maybe a little more professional to create year. It's really an absorbing relaxing pastime. Very satisfactory. Even addressing the envelopes, something I've always hated doing is easier now days with my list of addresses all computerised I just press a few keys and the envelopes spews out, all addressed and ready to send.

Preparing for the Festive Season

Winter has definitely hit us now. Leaves are almost shed. The ones that desperately cling to the trees are the most beautiful shades of yellows, browns and oranges. The rest form a sad, damp multi colour carpet beneath the bare branches. The weather is damp and grey. Rain rain and rain is the predominate pattern at the moment. The sun has been unable to penetrate the heavy layers of cloud and mist except for the briefest of periods.

Waking through the Queensgate mall this week I have been following the progress of the arrival of the Christmas decoration.

They arrive section by section overnight. I'm quite impressed this year. They are looking really festive and beautiful. Lots of bright reds and gold to cheer the soul in this 'Credit Crunch' consumer depression. Obviously designed to cheer the customer up and encourager them to spend. This is a real festive improvement from last years understated dismal decorations

Apparently the 20 ft Christmas tree arrived in Cathedral Square this morning. I haven't seen it yet, but if the street decorations are as good as the Mall ones then the City is in for a cheerful sight to lighten the mood of the shoppers. I believe the grand switch on ceremony is due to take place sometime next week.

Remember Remember

I loved firework and bonfire night when I was a kid. Our little back garden displays were always presided over my my Dad and we were always made to stand well away from the bonfire and fireworks. They were never very big affairs as we never had enough money to squander on big displays. A couple of very modest rockets a Cathrine wheel several fire crackers and the best of all, sparklers.

Later when I was an 18 year old student nurse I helped to nurse a young 12 year old lad with severe burns from having a firework in his pocket. I never forgot the screams of that little lad as we lowered him into a saline bath each day as part of his treatment. His burns were pretty horrendous and the treatment over 40 years ago was very basic. I often wondered what happened to him.

The results of that experience was my reluctance to allow my own children fireworks parties at home. I didn't mind taking them to organised displays but fireworks at home were never encouraged.

Not long after we came to live in Peterborough the Firework Fiesta began. The first one was held on the Showground and was a great success until the time came to leave. A mass of people attempting to leave the Showground all at the same time was a scary position to be in especially as I really don't like to be in a crowd. Keeping hold of three small children in a crush was no mean feat. After that they went to a much smaller local display for some years.

For 20 years now we have lived just a stones throw from where the Fire work Fiesta is now held but I haven't been once. Each year the family comes to us to park their cars and walk across to the display. While they are away I prepare food for them to come back to between straying into the garden to oooh and aaaah over the fire works lighting up the sky.

Caity ready for the weather!

This year we had two new additions to the family at their first firework expirence. Our Great grand daughter Caitlyn and my nieces little son Joshua. What a awful initiation to the expirence it was. Just as the great bonfire was due to be light the heavens opened and it rained nonstop for the rest of the evening. The little ones were propably the lucky ones tucked up in their buggies behind rain sheilds. The grown ups got soaked to the skin

A Shepards Warning

OK I'm back....... Haven't felt much like 'blogging' over the last few weeks........... I promise to make an effort to keep it up to date from now on!
This slightly fuzzy scarlet sun rise was taken on my phone camera. 'Red Sky in The Morning, Shepards Warning'. Well that's what I was always told in the dim and distant past when I was a kid.

Old wives tale or not the weather has taken on a sudden cold snap. The Weather Forcasters frost warnings galvanised me to sort out the frost tender plants in the garden. The geraniums have been rescued and put to over winter in the conservatory and other tender plants moved to shelter.

Sure enough the night temperatures plumeted to -2 to -4. My poor fushias were flowering their soxs off. Now they just look sad with dying foliage and shriveled flowers. Ready to be pruned on the next day I can get out into the garden. The camelia behind them has begun to develope it's buds ready for spring flowering. It's a cheerful pink. Lovely to brighten the post winter days. Although frost and cold winds will make it look really sad. Still it's worth it for the years it suvives and blooms in abundance.
The grape vine is still clinging onto a few leaves. All the bunches of rather small grapes have been picked and it's now had it's winter pruning. It was a very poor season for the grapes this year. So wet and not enough sun. It's been growing on my south facing garage wall now for several years. It grows well but never fruits in abundance. It's a cutting from a cutting from Henry the eighths grape vine in Hampton Court. It's grandparent is a hugh vine over 500 years old. I believe!

The fires now been lit in the lounge. Some night it's so warm in there we have to open all the doors to spread the heat around the house. The log store has been opened up and tided up ready for a new delivery.

The garden pots near the front have been tidied. Summer bedding removed and composted. These cheerful cyclamen planted to give some cheerful colour in the grey days ahead.

A Workshop Par Excellence

Hi, to all you out there. It's a little while since I last posted on this blog. I'm afraid personal stuff has kept me so busy. Some really exciting news though, we're off back to Canada and for Christmas as well. We've never had Christmas away from family before. Ever. Well nothing stays the same forever and I think we need a change. Tickets are book and paid for so no changing of minds now. I'm having trouble though, finding a suitable Insurance policy that isn't going to cost the earth though. They get more difficult to find as you get older and various 'senior' ailments set in! I've discovered we're going to need individual policies this time as his 'lordship' is 65 and I'm going to stay longer than him! More complications. I've also decided to resurrect the Canadian adventure blog for our trip but will give it another suitable name.Watch this space..................

Anyway back to more recent matters. A few weeks ago I was browsing the wool department of our John Lewis store and asking questions from an assistant. She told me about a series of knitting workshops they were going to hold. She made them sound very tempting. Politely declining I went off to continue shopping. Before I got out of the department I suddenly thought 'why not' so I returned and book one up. The workshop was for 'Funky Fair'isle Mitts.' Your wool, lunch plus a discount voucher for 10% off Rowan Wools was all included. Bargain!

The day arrived (yesterday) and after a shortened daily swim I parked at No 2's sons home and walked into town. At John Lewis's haberdashery department very nice young man escorted me to the large room on the fourth floor where the workshop was to be held. The mittens above were an example of what we were aiming for.

This basket contained some samples for fair'isle patterns and some of the really lovely pattern books were looked over before we settled to start our sampler piece. We started knitting as the coffee and biscuits arrived. Later in the morning lunch, buffet style was delivered to us and was absolutely delicious and so tasty and really well presented.

After lunch we left our samplers of fair'isle and started on the mitts. These wools were a sample of the selection of the lovely Rowan Felted Tweed wools we could choose to knit with.
Afternoon tea arrived at about 3pm along with a plate of homemade shortbread, mmmm......... delicious and the tea was very welcome by that time.

I think our excellent tutor for the day, Margaret Reid, deserved a round of applause.

The workshop was due to end at 4pm but ran on as we were so engrossed with our knitting. Thank goodness I had put a meal in the slow cooker before I left in the morning as I was absolutly exhusted by the time I got home.

I couldn't resist adding a picture of this yummy lime cheese cake we had for dessert at lunch. There was also a fresh fruit salad but who could not resist this calorie loaded delight?

Sorry not me!

Oh and I'll certainly be booking other workshops at this store and maybe I'll go along to their Knit and Natter sessions in the resturant on the second Thursdays of the month.

It's A Funny Old Year

Is it August or is it Autumn? the seasons seem unsure. I went out to post a letter this afternoon and decided to carry on and walk through the woods before I went home. We have some lovely walks around our home but I must admit we don't go out and enjoy them as much as we ought to.

The first thing I notices was the rowan berries already ripe at the top of the Rowan trees. It doesn't seem to be a year for heavy fruit crops.

Along the pavement edge are some young Oak trees and I couldn't help noticing these strange shapes clustered among the leaves. Intrigued as I have never seen this deformity before and knowing quite a few of our indigenous trees are succumbing to disease I searched for the answer on the 'Net'.

Apparently its called Knopper Gall, and is cause by the tiny gall wasp Andricus quercuscalicis. It can affect a high proportion of acorns in one year, and almost none the next. Apparently it is unlikely that it will pose any threat to the future of the oak, since most acorns are destined to be food for something rather than turning into trees. I hope it won't harm the squirrels! Further along the walk some of the older Oaks in the ancient tree belt are thankfully unaffected.

The Sloe bushes are looking distinctly poorly this year as well. The leaves are very small and shriveled. The cause is definitely not through lack of water we've had more than enough rain this year. The fruits are ripening but are very sparse. These bushes are usually loaded with fruits.

In the middle of August, these Hornbeam trees which were very late leafing up this spring are looking very stressed and have shed all these leaves prematurely. The path is looking like Autumn not August.