Butterflies

 

Aren't I lucky?  I have a pair of Dark Green Fritillaries visiting my garden.  They are not common at the best of times.

 

Plus lots of Peacocks and Red Admirals, Large and Small Whites (always the most common), a Comma, Meadow Browns, Ringlets, and in greater numbers than the last couple of summers.  It is a joy to watch them.

With the advent of the cooler weather and rain, a pair of my desperate House Martins were finally able to quickly cobble together a nest and have their first brood.  The Swallows too, are back on the nest and on another brood - they had disappeared when they had fledged one or two nestfuls and it had gotten so hot.  I did wonder if they had left for Africa already.

There were so many happy birds on the wing on Tuesday, the Blue and Great Tits, Warblers, Goldfinches - swooping around in joy again.  It would seem it had been Too Hot for them too.

I got a tray of mince yesterday when I was out and turned it into 2 x 3 portions of two different meals, one including rice and veg and a bit of curry powder, and the other just mince/onions/courgettes which I had a portion of with some wild/red rice, which went down well.  All the rest has been frozen for quick evening meals when I am busy.  So £4.25 worth of mince (it was reduced by 70p I think) made 6 meals, which isn't bad going.

Today I had a short walk up the valley side a little way, but it was quite sultry so I didn't go far.   Then I began preparing the two downstairs doors (one is permanently shut) for painting.  I washed them both off and removed all the cobwebs and dug out the spider egg nests in the corners.  What fun!  Then I masked up the windows (there are four in the front door and then 3 over-the-door ones from when it was the entrance to the stables.  The Georgian door at the side (fixed shut) has 6 slimmer upright panes, and a long narrow one over.  Lots of masking tape.  I put a coat of white undercoat on the door surround at the front, and that seemed to take forever.  I will need more white undercoat though, as the brown takes some covering.  I put a dab of blue up and it is a great improvement though still comes up in a photo looking more turquoise than it is to the eye.  I think Keith would approve.

I've picked my first cucumber and have 6 or 7 others nearly ready to pick - can't have too many!  It tastes lovely.

I have been out and locked up the stables overnight, and shut the gate as there have been thefts already from "out of town" visitors.  I hate to see lads hammering young ponies up and down the town, especially on the hills.  The two I saw being driven this week couldn't have been more than 16 or 18 months old and that's being generous.   Slightly distressing to see a pony-shaped or large-person shaped shattered lump in the reinforced glass of the barber's shop though . . .

I am trying to keep super busy in this week running up to Keith's death last year - so many sad memories.

Have a lovely weekend all.