solstice

 A quiet weekend for solstice..garden pottering as it got warmer..just over 20⁰…20⁰ less than friends north of Limoges. The heat dome of air from Africa...canicule in French..is stretching from Iberia up to Germany and across to Italy..and probably other places too.

I'm busy shutting windows and curtains on the hot side and opening them on the cool side, working on getting a gentle through draught.  To think only a few days ago it was cold wet and windy.

I planted the squash plants out. Hopefully they will get a good start with this week's warm weather.

Today I saw neighbours further down and stopped for a blether about gardening...and about houses being empty. Three in the vicinity ...hope they wont be empty for too long.

Last night's sunset was red and spectacular..as was the sunrise at 3am. I just happened to wake and hear the birds just starting. 

of course blogger reversed these ! so they zre from 10.30...

and this spectacular one at 20pm

.I just happened to wake and hear the birds just starting. Tonight it was more yellow.

I think the Solstice was officially here at 9.35 am. so Solstice Blessings all xx

Bzzzzzz

 More pollenators....

and an ad for flavoured water...

French conversation went well.

We had to read out what we'd written.

Our teacher had read mine when I arrived, and made a note on her paper of my mistake. She did that as we took turns to read our work aloud , then we discussed each in turn.

Funnily enough without thinking I corrected it as I read it out!!  Getting there slowly.

I'd had a choice before going to town...do I wear the warm jacket....or the jacket that is more waterproof?

It was colder here than in town but....I should have gone for waterproof!

I may have made a friend on the bus home...she does watercolours but mainly textile collages...I'm ten years younger than her gran. But age is irrelevant when you talk art.

yo yo weather!

 And we are back to cold wet and windy!!

While I was waiting fot the bus I saw this bee...hanging on and waiting for the wind to ease?

I treated myself to lunch out after shopping...just a baked tattie and salad, at a different café in Ayr.

The aim now is to think positively. Always a good idea! However it is too easy to pick up on negative  thoughts.

Work in Progress.

 

Back to sunshine

 We are getting summer in dribs and drabs!

After walking down to the village medical centre to see the nurse/vampire (!!) to have bloods taken. Hopefully I'll get the results on Monday..they may be in on Friday afternoon..but I don't want to miss French conversation group! 

Most of today has been taking it easy. I have cleaned a few windows...the cloth comes off black and a bit sticky, the joys of living under the airport flight path even ten miles out.

The runner beans are now planted out, and I'm eyeing up places to put the squash plants when they are big enough.  Everything is way behind where they should be but I might get some sort of crop.

It was a nice sunset sky tonight..I took that shot at 10pm....nicer than last night's early dark under grey cloud.

 

These could be lentil flowers .I grew some chick peas as well on this patch a couple of years ago! They are in the onion patch but I'll keep them just to see !!

My rose...Munstead Wood. I can't remember the name of his yellow one.

Aaaargh!!...I didn't expect it to start climbing up those thorns!

I weeded the rose pots...I'm afraid they've been rather neglected.

Big 'un and little 'un

All change

 What a difference!

Meh!

 

A day indoors. Not feeling 100% as well.

On fb memories a photo came up of some of last year's currant crop....which admittedly was a little early.  However this year they are still all definitely green and unripe.

Keep on keeping on....

Not Weeds

 The studio stove went away for renovation today..he wont be installing it. but he is giving me advice on how to do it!

Another wet and windy day, but fortunately dry for stove collection and for a quick dash into town and along to Sainsbugs...with neatly coordinating buses this time!!...(more by luck than judgement)

Just enough time after getting back to freeze milk in the amounts to fit the yoghurt maker...it was on special offer ..Two 2 litre bottles make three 2 pint/1.3 litre containers.

I see no point just in doing 1 litre batches if the machine will take 2 pints max!!!

The "meadow" is coming along steadily in half of the front garden.

Beginning to open...

nearly there..a Pyramid Orchid, a common one I think

Knapweed. not quite flowering yet

Dock flowering nicely. the goldfinches xill like the seed

not sure what this is...a sort of vetch?

Butterfly orchid on its way...nearly open..cream and pale yellow and quite rare I think

and a thistle...couldn't go without one of these!!