When I want to go for a country walk, all I have to do is to walk out of our yard and keep walking! If I turn right and then left by the stream, I climb steadily upwards through woodland, cross a field and through woodland again and then I am out on the hill, with views in all directions. This is looking up the slope - and is the view I can see from the garden if I sit on the swinging bench at the back of the garden. This is just what I did yesterday.
The little lane from our place up to the farm and beyond.
This old farmhouse is the friendly light in the night in winter.
Breathtaking views in all directions.
The wee church which has held this community together for hundreds of years and where, I believe, Wesley leapt on a fallen gravestone to preach to his faithful following.
My next walk (if it's dry enough over the weekend).
 |
| Codlins and Cream (Greater Willowherb). |
Hardhead, aka Rampion.
Even wasps have to eat! This little Toadflax type flower grows all over the Bank, having self-seeded. It supports a large insect community here. In their turn, the insects support a huge bird community. We have about 20 Swifts flying overhead all day long, hawking for insects. Today counted about 25 Swallows sat on the wire across the lane. Two broods and parents accounted for some, but I don't think they had THAT many offspring, so some probably been raised in the old stables in the field across the lane. Another brood of House Martins has fledged and an old broken nest has been repaired - whether as a nest site or somewhere to cwtch overnight, I'm not sure, but it was an absolute joy to look out of the bathroom window and see them swooping past and up to add mud to the nest.
Well, a quiet weekend is planned. Tam and her boyfriend are off camping near Narberth. I hope it doesn't rain too much, but I'm sure they'll enjoy themselves anyway.
I have torn myself away from the Manx family history research - having now gotten back to 1750 - and I spent some time this afternoon cutting and pinning the lining for the 2nd curtain for the Library, abandoned a couple of weeks back. I'll finish and hang it tomorrow. With the chance of rain preventing much in the way of walking or gardening, I shall be cracking on with decorating here. I've just ordered the wallpaper for Tam's bedroom - a sensibly-priced one too, but just what she wanted. Her original choice was out of stock. I need to do some more painting in our bedroom, and start stripping off the paper in the main bathroom, plus I think it's time we bought some white emulsion and started de-pinking the Hot Pink Bedroom! So, plenty to do.
The plumber (who should have been here fitting the bathroom now, having told us 6 weeks waiting time) is now no longer answering my calls, so I have got in touch with another plumber and he is booked to come out next Friday to give a quote for the job. He is a LOT more organized, and has a work diary and comes well-recommended on-line.
The carpenter, having quoted for the windows and said cheerfully he might be able to fit us in last week, had now also fallen off the radar . . . Imagine rolling of eyes here . . .
Bumble bees happily plundering the Lavender. We had a visit from a rareish butterfly yesterday - a White Letter Hairstreak (haven't seen Hairstreaks since living in Dorset). This one paid a flying visit - settled briefly on a rosebud and then departed, looking for bramble flowers, before I had a chance to get my camera.
