Friday 28 August 2015

It's a Blue . . .


My camera is not good for taking close-ups, so this is the best I can do.  A Holly Blue who we first spotted in the garden when Tam and Zane were here.  Sadly, just the one I think (leastways, I haven't seen two together).  A neighbour at the bottom of the hill has something to do with a Butterfly group (poss. the link one?) and is always on about her hedges mustn't be cut back because of the butterflies. I don't know if they put various larvae on her land, as we see just one Brimstone in the spring, and yet there are no feedplants for these in our area (Alder Buckthorn).

Anyway, Blues are my favourite butterflies and always remind me of Dorset, so I was thrilled to see this one on the Purple Loosestrife in the garden.



On Monday afternoon I was out in the garden all afternoon and finished clearing up around the pond.  Only the fact that my secateurs broke when I was cutting out old stems of Snowberry, stopped me working.  Tuesday morning saw me having to go out and buy new secateurs - I went for the best I could find, so hopefully they will last a few years.  The wildlife pond needs clearing as there is a lot of dead leaf detritis in the bottom and barely any depth of water on the top, so I will have a good clear out next month before the inhabitants start to hibernate.




I was unpegging the cat cushion covers from the line and putting them in the laundry basket when Mama's Little Helper decided to come along and check out the nice bed I'd made for him . . .


Little Whale looking very smug!


This Hydrangea starts of blue and then wants to turn pink, but stays purple instead. . .


This is the pretty little rag rug I bought at the Cheddar car boot sale for just £1.  Today I am visiting my fellow-blogger Dawn and learning to make my own.


I baked two Strawberry Madeira cakes yesterday - the small one to take today, and the big one for the freezer.

Photos over the weekend from today's outing.

10 comments:

  1. Have a great day with Dawn, I am a teensy bit jealous but am planning on having a day out with Francesca. The cake looks good.

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  2. Lovely Holly Blue- well spotted. And I love the look on Mr Puss Cat's face- who got the cream? Yummy cakes too x

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  3. If one of those cakes appeared on our table the farmer would get down on his knees and tell you that you were his friend for life!

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  4. Pat - ah, the secret of making friends and influencing people! I just LOVE to bake, and have promised a friend of ours - whose wife has just left him after 40 years of marriage - a big cake all to himself next week, rather than just a slice from the communal one I normally take to Fairs.

    CT - we don't get many Blues round here and when we do it is the Holly Blue or the occasional Common Blue. Doesn't LW look so SMUG?!

    Pam - I wish you had been there too, but perhaps we could all have a crafternoon soon - you and Dawn are welcome here any time. I hope you and Francesca had a nice outing anyway.

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  5. I hope you enjoy your trip to Dawn's she is such a lovely lady, our cats like to make their beds on the laundry if we are not looking.

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  6. I love your pond the shape and the little bridge I intending using it for inspiration when I come to mine, the cake was lovely and what was left has now been consumed by two hungry children and Martin, Sol got a few crumbs that they dropped :-)

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  7. Marlene - cats always have an eye to the main chance and know a comfy spot when they see it!

    Dawn - I had a LOVELY time at yours today. The main pond is based on a butterfly shape - though Keith always calls it a Bonio! The bridge is a delight - I often kneel on it and watch what is happening in the pond. I'm glad the VERY wee cake was well-received.

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  8. Mmm delicious looking cakes, and rag rugging looks good to, I suppose they are very washable as well.

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  9. Ohh the cakes look fab. Love the blue of the rag rug and the cat snoozing.

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  10. thelma - yes, very washable and it helps to tighten the weave once you have made them up. I only had one bit of cake as it was wee (t'other one is in the freezer for when we have friends round next week).

    Suzie - easy to make - just a basic Madeira recipe with some squished strawberries added.

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