The Queen's Diamond Jubilee

Thinking about Jubilee celebrations sent me looking through an old photo album to find a picture of my girls at the time of the Queen's Silver Jubilee in 1977. If my maths are correct that would have been just a few days before Sam's 10th birthday and Beccy would have been 7 yrs old.

Now we are celebrating the Queen's Diamond Jubilee. In my opinion she has been a wonderful ambassador for this country can you imagine being in the public eye (and frequently criticised by media and politicians who would like get rid of the Royal Family) for so long. I wish her many more healthy and happy years as our head of state.

My flags are flying albeit they can only be seen at close quarters!

I can see you!!!!

Yesterday I heard a dull thud on the window and wondered if a bird was the culprit. There sitting on the fence was one of the doves that seem to inhabit my garden. Not sure if it was dazed or just bold but it didn't move as I took photos albeit from inside the house. Normally they depart rapidly if there is any any movement. Wonder where it's partner was hiding as they are usually together!!!!!

How did I spend my weekend......

We have been enjoying a really warm spell these last few days, you could say it's summer come early! I decided to use the opportunity to do a little outside maintenance and have spend the best part of two days painting the back fences. It's a job I've been intending to do for a couple of years. So as you might guess the fences needed TLC; and I don't think one coat is enough -well the forecast is good for a few more days!! Only problem being my back and shoulder, as both are so painful from the exercise (or should I say previous lack of it)!!!

Update:
The end result after a couple of coats of timber care....

Very Long Time Away--Garden Produce

I keep starting post and then I get distracted!!!

In fact this one was started several weeks ago (originally saved on July 19th) after I was inspired by the amount of produce we are managing to get from the various planters we are using in our non-existent garden.
Our back garden really is a yard as some of you may remember from those long ago Fun Monday posts when we put our homes and gardens on show.

We had another good crop of Loganberries from just one vine and I made around fifteen pots of jam. Now this might not seem like many to most of you; but much as I love it I don't want to eat too much jam, so Beccy took a few pots back to Dublin and I am saving some for Sam when I visit San Francisco in October.

All the potatoes are grown in a bag or plastic pots and if you haven't tasted new potatoes freshly dug and cooked then topped with a little butter and parsley you have missed a treat!

We have been eating runner and french beans for the last couple of weeks it's wonderful to have such fresh veg.

After a poor start (due to weather) we had a good crop of rhubarb and one of the things I used it for was Rhubarb Crumble Muffins. I found the recipe in one of the Sunday Mags and although I say it myself they were delicious.

After last year's disaster we used a plastic frame to cover the tomatoes and Embee created a watering system which seems to have worked perfectly. The first ones we picked were eaten by my grandson.

Below I am picking them quicker than we can eat them!

This is the first year we have grown beet; only one row but I have already given quite a few away ad Embee likes them hot as well with salads. I've still got to cook and bottle some for the winter.

Last year we produced enough onions to use throughout the winter. This year I asked for some red ones as well as white and they are currently drying out-well I have used a couple already!

The first carrots we picked were very poor standard they had been eaten by carrot fly (or some bug-you can tell I'm no gardener). However these later ones are a good size and no sign of being eaten. I love raw carrots.

Cabbage is another veg we are trying this year and I'm using one of these for dinner this evening. I can hear both my girls groaning they do not like beans,beets or cabbage. If they get to read this I'm sure there will be comments about boiled cabbage!

Not sure why but I didn't take any pictures of my Blueberry bushes (I have 4) and they also produced a good crop- have been having some on my muesli every morning for breakfast for past couple of months. They are coming to an end so must make the most of the ones currently ripening.

Hope you enjoyed this little trip around veggie plots.

Winter Wonderland

These are my last few snow pictures (well I hope we've seen the last of it!)

These first two photos were taken from our top bedroom, some 50 feet from ground level. You get a good view of the neighbourhood from here.

Below virgin snow, the postman soon made it look messy!

We saw quite a few animal prints in the snow, some were clearly birds, but not sure if this was made by a cat or fox. As we have walls and fences around the back it had to be a good climber!

We thought we'd seen the last of the snow after a mild weekend, but this morning we woke up to a snow storm which left a dusting of the white stuff. It soon turned to rain and is now completely disappeared.

Will this be the last of it I wonder????

Archives:
2009: Worm Works
2008: Electronic Arts Redwood City
2007: Don't you just love Garfield

More Snow and more on the way!

A good few inches of snow fell over night. I got up to have a look around 4am and it looked beautiful. By the time I got up at 8am my good neighbour, John, was out clearing the road again.

I had a chat with him when I went to get the papers, and I cleared a pathway out to the front gate. I decided to leave the back, as my blister has only just healed from the last time.

I was supposed to be driving Embee to the clinic for an eye test but the snow had drifted against the gate so my car was stuck in the yard. Another reason for not clearing the snow as I'm not keen on driving in these conditions! Embee re-arranged the appointment for next week, and to be honest I don't think he was that keen on venturing out as he's still recovering from a chest infection and he has a nasty cough.

My little bulbs were beginning to peep out but now they are covered in a cosy white blanket!

Now if it had been like this over Christmas the plant below would have been pretty!

This is a fun time for the children who don't have school but it's less fun for those trying to go to work and for the elderly who are trying to keep warm in sub-zero temperatures. My oil gauge is dropping at an alarming rate so I hope it warms up soon.

Archives:
2009: Snow
2008: Meme-7 things about me
2007: Using up Beef

Some more snow photos

My daughter Sam wanted to see some more snow photos. I don't think this is what she really means but I took a few more around the house.

I thought these looked just like crowns.

It might not look very deep but it had drifted against the gate.

The blueberry plants look very forlorn!

An early morning shot of the front garden while it was still dark.

I won't be using the washing line for a while!

Nor do I think we'll be sitting out any time soon!

It took me ages to clear a path to the gate but I'm glad I made the effort as I was able to drive my car today. I'm less pleased about the huge raw area on the palm of my right hand where a blister burst!

Archives:
2008: Look at My Belly Flops
2007: Winter Solstice
2006: Last Celebration Meal

On my travels again!!

This evening I'm leaving this to spend about 9 days with Beccy and the family in Dublin. We will be celebrating a couple of birthdays while I'm there (more of that later).
I am taking my laptop so I might manage to write a couple of postcards to let Sam, Embee, my mother and you, my blog friends, know how we're doing.
The only problem being there is a weather warning for high winds, so hope this doesn't affect flights! I was in Dublin around this time last year and, if any of you remember, we were grounded by snow. So please keep your fingers crossed that I have a safe journey. Thank you x

Archives:
2007: Witty Wednesday-73
2007: Fun Monday-42
2007: None

First this year

I have anxiously been waiting for my blueberries to ripen. This year the bushes were laden with fruit but they are quite fragile and the wind, ably assisted by the birds, seems to have been knocking the fruit to the ground. Not having sufficient sun has also been a major problem, however yesterday I managed to find enough to make a meal. Some could have been a little riper but I couldn't wait any longer!

Archives:
2008: June Taylor Conserves
2007: Rocking Girl Blogger Award

Blueberries = Home grown fruit is the best!

I came back from holiday to find that my blueberries were ripe. Unfortunately the wind had blown a lot of the fruit off. I only have four bushes and this is the most fruit they have ever produced, so I was really delighted.


Final haul weighed almost a pound. This may not seem many but when you think how much they cost here in the UK for about 4oz, I am more than pleased. Also they taste so much nicer when you have grown them yourself!
We also had a small crop of loganberries.

Archives:
2007: Views of the Niagara falls