Leave the Garden for a week and.........

Leave the garden for one week and it is bursting with colour on our return. All a mixture of torrential rain for a couple of days then full sun with temps in the 80's.

I'm posting on the garden right now as I am overwhelmed again trying to deal with hundreds of holiday photos on Windows 10. I thought I had it sussed but it is as complicated as ever. It feels like I have no control over the photos. So far I have only downloaded 100 from my camera (and even these are not filed as I would like) but I have hundreds on my i-pad.

I think I will have to send them from i-pad to computer by E-mail a few at a time. I cannot just Sync them as that would mean syncing thousands from computer to i-pad!!!

Looking through my front sitting room window

The lawn was cut really close the day before we left and it looked like a field when we returned.

We were certainly blessed with the weather. It had been only low 60's so the evening before I left I took out shorts, sun hat, sun lotion and took sweater, fleeces, vests, jeans etc. and by the second day we were basking in hot sunshine (well hot for this time of year in  the U.K.). I was so glad that I packed one pair of light, loose trousers and a number of short sleeved tea-shirts and sandals.

Hopefully I can get at least some photos sorted soon.

On The Home Front and More

It's almost 2 years ago now (Can't be but it is!) since we totally renewed our main bathroom and made the bathroom and separate loo into one. 

I decided to hang some of my watercolours on the new wall where once was a door.

Thought I'd make a post of it before going on holiday tomorrow.

While doing it we took the opportunity to re-decorate the landing, stairs and hall and buy a new mirror. The old one was an antique but I no longer liked it.

Mirror reflections

I thought you would like this.

 Grandson Oliver at his house playing Ludo with the kittens

and then on the garden front

the pigeons make a real mess on garden furniture

The roses are beginning to come into bloom in mid-May

We have had the driest winter in over 100 years here in the South East

and then the rains came in earnest and have not ceased yet just as the roses were coming into bloom

Should have lots of photos when we come back.

The Garden is Coming to Life Again and my Son's Garden

Brilliant. Alan has finished moving and relaying the garden path stones. We have had the driest winter since early last century and the clay ground is rock hard. He had to use a hammer and chisel to lift turf. The spacing is aligned to a comfortable stretch for me. Thank you Alan.  

Not much colour in the garden yet, but it is coming to life again.

I am still getting used to having a much downsized garden but I do like it. I like the space after all these years of pruning and cutting back etc.

As a complete contrast I'll show you my son's garden in the Spring.

He likes to let it grow wild and do it's own thing!

Believe it or not, this is the pathway back to the house.

He has at least since these pictures cut the grass!

I remember about 16 years ago helping him to plan his garden.

He is single and travels a lot and is happy with this wildness.

Don't tell the neighbours but he even feeds the foxes!

Bits and Pieces on May Day

I have fond memories of May day when I was a child and how different life was.

I remember one particular year when I was about 8. There was a May procession for the children in the road and I was chosen to be the May Queen leading the procession.

Previous to the day the children sat outside our house selling things we had made and anything that we could get our hands on that was no longer wanted. In other words a 1940's garage sale for the kids.

We then used this money for a little party in the street.

How I wish there were photos but there was no such luxury during the war. 

Back to modern days and a wedding card that I made for a friend's daughter last week.

My new i-pad Pro purchased on Saturday. It has taken some time but I now have all 80 plus apps from my old one installed and running.

Alan will have my old one and as he has never had one before there will be new learning curves for him.

I was just thinking how quickly time flies when coming across this picture when going through my computer albums.

Having a quick lunch in Marks and Spencer last December with our friends Don & Joyce from Louisiana. I first met Joyce as a fellow blogger and this was their third visit.

Lastly but not least Oliver and Rebekah having made it to the centre of the Hampton Court Maze last week.

Rebekah now 8 and Oliver 11 in July.

10 Years and Where to Go From Here!

I'm sitting here at my computer with all kinds of thoughts running through my head about blogging. I have published so few posts in recent months that I know I am losing followers. Also I have not visited other blogs as much as I have wanted to.

It feels like I am running out of ideas after 10 years but I don't think it's really that, it's more that I've set myself too high a standard and think I should always be posting lots of lovely photographs.

Having struggled with spinal degenerative changes and the resulting pain I have not been out and about like I used to so have not taken lots of photos.

I have also taken the easy way out with Facebook.

However when I really think about it I do NOT want to stop blogging. I have made too many friends and connections here and learned a lot so.............I am hoping to get out and about more this year as I learn to pace myself and manage pain. We have a holiday booked for next month (having cancelled our holiday last year) and I will be testing the waters and learning to keep within my new limits. Two years ago I could walk all day and climb up and down hills, now it is keeping to the flat as much as possible (not so easy in this country - we even live on a hill). 

I don't want to sound all negative, I know there are many people, and much younger, much worse off than me and I feel blessed. 

So here goes...................

This is the latest area where we took out 9 shrubs and grassed over last season and my new Spirea are doing well.

On the left we see what the winter does to our path and on the right we see what husband Alan does to make them right again.

At the same time he is moving them all closer together as when the ground was soggy in the winter I found it difficult striding out.

Not finished yet, but he is getting there. 

Pretty good for an 85 year old.

and here is dear Rebekah who was 8 last week enjoying the Gymnastic championships at the 02 Arena.

She loves her gymnastic classes and is very good at it.

2017 Garden So Far

The Green Winter Garden

The slightly Frosty Garden

No hard frosts this year

The Misty Garden

The in between garden 

The Sunny Garden

The Spring Garden

and the Corkscrew Hazel 

which is overwhelming me right now

I pruned it back hard last year and it is again needing a lot of attention and 'I don't know where to start!'

Back issues do not help.

How glad I am that we removed so many shrubs in the last 2 years