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!!

a wet week

 Yesterday was gallery duty. I didn't get wet travelling there, but the first bus of two was 20 minutes late in both directions!

the clouds lifted and outside it was sunny...but still cold in the gallery!!

Another wet day today, so another day indoors...mostly...I did manage a walk to the shops...and if I don't take the short cut it is a mile each way!!

Not much done today...Duolingo lessons, half an hour on the turbo bike, sowed the seeds from the last sweet pepper I had.

Made sure that the way was clear to get the stove out of the workshop..that should go away for renovation tomorrow.

Lots of bits of jobs and thinking in between!

I put Pirate's telescope on fb marketplace.

Bought in 1999, it was only put together once..then returned to its box for several moves....He was busy and travelling after moving to the first place we shared..and never came out of the box until I checked it this year. Sadly at this address  (and the previous one ) there is too much light pollution.

evening skies

 Pictures in reverse!!

focussing in a little to show the north end of the Isle of Arran

the bigger picture at about 9.45

today's construction. a discrete patch on my favourite jeans...Levi 501s of Pirate's..

with minimal non natural fibres ....probably the thread

picture of the patch to reinforce a small section that had become thin somehow...

Aerial view. not that big really

from the bedroom window..

and again a bit to the right

and looking from the living room at 9.30

a glowing gean..wild cherry tree that I grew from a cherry pit

This afternoon I had another look at my foot...and showed it to the village pharmacist.

We are not sure whether it was a tick bite ( picked up in Limoges..a bad area for them) or not..they don't always show the classic bull's eye...but it is a case of it could be and better have a week of antibiotics just in case than have Lyme disease pop up in the future...I do not like taking things...but ..needs must.

It has been a funny old day, weatherwise.

Started with cold wind and sharp showers until mid afternoon...and indoors the room thermostat in the lobby was showing 17⁰. You could have fooled me..it just felt cold!!

but from then on it has slowly warmed...

I think we'll be back chilly again tomorrow...duty day at the Smiddy gallery!!

starting the week

 A sunny day with a chill breeze today..I could see rain clouds but not coming here!

Mid morning bus to town for dental hygienist then dentist for checkup. 

One of those coincidences...saw a (cycling) friend with her son on the street by the dentist..as my favourite coffee stop is shut on Mondays, she recommended a different one...Beasties!! (as in Robert Burns...the Mouse) good coffee and good murals,,!

Then I was in time for the 1.15 bus....which was a noshow...1.45 bus ....

As it was still fine and sunny ( with a chill strong breeze) I got on with some serious weeding and sorting.

My Rankinson friend came mid afternoon They had picked up two good bags of compost (,free) from the recycling centre.

I gave her a horseradish plant in a pot and there will be tomato plants coming my way because mine are still seedlings! They went away with some squash plants too.

After they left I distributed the compost between the tatties and added a layer to the compost bin. 

 interesting steps and shadows in town

Garden Flowers

 Most of the garden is leaves at the moment..but there are a few flowers.

I took a few photos before going to the French conversation group..which was quite lively today!

The Carnegie library in Ayr. A lovely building.

Then....Potato followed by Chives

Chaenomoles (spelling?) Japanese Quince

Alpine Strawberry

Broad Bean

Yellow Beetroot

Carrot

still weathering.

 I had a visitor today!

The joiner (and cyclist) who helped build and roof my studio extension swung by for a good blether. 

We discussed weatherproofing , insulating and improving the roof on the studio...no point getting the stove refurbished and fitted and let all the heat out!!

I am breaking the mental Hamster Wheel, sticking an oar in its spokes to break out and build progress!!

I had a long Whatsapp chat with my daughter later on. We Do Not Do phone calls...anyone with experience of ADHD and Autism will recognise that!! You don't have control of the situation with a phone call.

You don't know what someone will say...and you don't have time to consider your reply...

Daughter's description of ADHD..Frantic Daydreaming, perfectionism, overthinking. catastrophising.

This morning....no incentive to get up!!

Daughter's back garden....

with architectural globe artichokes!! 

and this is me...aging...but still going!!