Monday in bits

 Sunday dusk...

Beautiful sound, but really defending his territory!

A night of fitfull sleep....but a lovely day to follow. Three lots of washing through,dried, ironed and kept by mid afternoon!

A little more grass tidying and sorting of pots.  Catching up after the past couple of years.

A walk to the shop..tatties needed, and cash...I have a gallery duty on Wednesday and we carry our own float for change.

Any cash sales we pay into our own banks then transfer to that of the collective.

Finished off the day with some quilt sewing.

So not feeling the most rewarding or satisfying of days...but a lot of bits got done!

Sunday by bike and a garden surprise

 A local group had a club run this morning...I didn't get ready in time, but decided to ride down to the meeting place. This would give me an idea of how long before the meeting time to leave in future.

The twelve miles...just under 20km...took me 1 hour and 15 minutes....yes, I walked one hill....I need to get a lot stronger again and do more riding before I can keep up even with the slowest of them!!  I'll stick to riding out to the end of run coffee stop for now. At least I won't have to be up and out so early!!

As I was going past on the way home (I wasn't going to go back up the hills I'd rolled down!!) I packed my pannier bag and pockets with shopping...How can one run out of dark chocolate AND cheese on the same day?!

Then made my way to Ayr and headed out towards home... meeting an old club mate of Pirate's after crossing the main road south...he was just on his way home to Ayr..a brief catch-up and welcome stop! Before heading east on the bike path (glorified pavement...and only just wide enough to be called that in places!) turning off at the last village before the main turn off to home. That avoids a mile of busy road , not the easiest on a bike.

It is a little longer, but quieter. 

And the surprise....as I went to put the bike away, what was waiting in the greenhouse....

The courgette plants have started flowering! I've put them in bigger pots which probably prompted this...I need to decide where they will be planted!!

I haven't done much since the ride... apart from recover!! 

I am getting stronger... slowly...

Saturday, village walking..and a wet garden

 Wet after overnight rain...so even before it started again there was nothing I could do.

It isn't that big...just that most of the back is growing area....or sheds!

When I think what I left in Cwmcarn, it is decidedly small in comparison! That was a pair of skull size allotments, 100 x 22 feet....a shed at the bottom of one and a greenhouse at the bottom of the other...going down to a stream at the back, where The Carpenter built a bridge to the other bank!!

Anyhow..this is home now...

A wide angle lens is a help...but excuse the slight distortion.

Too wet to garden,,,but not for a walk....down Ladies Walk

A new estate at the bottom...

A mining village history 

More new houses...but just look at the pocket hankie of a garden...this is a semi-detached house 

This was the Welcome Inn..or rather the lefthand end of it...there is another semi you can see on the right, there will possibly be another two pairs behind it eventually 

One of the few original houses of the old village that are left..they even renamed the village Drongan...it was Taiglwm...after a farm which is still on the village outskirts 

The old smiddy.. still a workshop.

And the Wee Free church hall...now a house.

The local bar...not a pub or inn...

And it started raining before I got home!

Friday gardening

 Before..and after 

Finished just as a short shower arrived.

The Gean has fruit this year!...only about half a dozen, but it is a start.

The blackbirds have started on the currants. So I picked those nearly ripe...and the alpine strawberries. Birds don't do sharing..peck and run merchants!! I wouldn't mind so much if they did eat the fruit, but much id just spoiled and on the earth.

I'll get plums....this year, next year...?!!

Rosa Mundi. ( Blogger seems to have stretched the image,!)

Then the Clydeside sky at almost 10.30...what a difference a clear day makes!

Thursday

 Not quite so warm to start with...back into jeans... although by the time I'd wrangled the housework into submission ( after a late start) it was pleasantly warm outside!!

The car is still sitting out there....so plan B will be next week.  Weekend cancelled.

This afternoon was gardening again...edge trimming the front path, clearing, edging by the side of the house and tidying around there.

It is back to hoolie-gan weather, moving up from the south for a change. 

If I get a break in the weather tomorrow there will be more garden tidying!

I need to radically sort the plants in pots...those that have survived two years of neglect!!

Wednesday

 Bro on his way early yesterday morning for the ferry to Ireland .

It feels rather empty now he has gone!

I got on with much needed potting on and planting out in the garden.

Not good news possibly about my car...the one who was supposed to be helping mend my car wrote off one of my garage man's cars last Saturday...and hasn't been contactable....we'll just have to see if he turns up today.....

Meanwhile I'm still walking... pavements (sidewalks to some!) around the village this time...

Then evening views at 10pm

Walking and computers

 On yesterday's walk we saw ..a hairy coo... definitely posing!!

Today's walk...

Squirrels! 

It has been a lovely day...two lots of washing dried, neighbours chatted with..

A few photos cleared from an old computer, and everything put on the new one....which is now too full already....so I need to go through over ten years of photos and clear duplicates and those not worth keeping....