Friendships

 A few days ago it was the birthday of a very dear friend of mine who now lives in New Zealand (has done all her adult life) but we were at school together, and part of a little group who were all horse-mad.   I sent a card, hoped to have a video link on the day but she had a nasty cough and could hardly speak, so we delayed it.  Last night we caught up and it was like we only spoke yesterday.  The deepest and best of friendships are like that.  No secrets from one another and you can tell each other anything.  Hell, after 60 years of friendship, that last is an absolute given.  Rosie only had to say "Ilya Kuryakin" and we were 14 again, drooling over this Man From Uncle and I wished I still had the poster of him I begged from the paper shop!  I could take it on Antiques Roadshow and been told it was worth keeping all these years!  I went to bed so happy, thinking of when we used to roam the countryside around where we lived, and knew EVERY pony in every field, or the gypsy cobs/ponies tethered on chains on patches of ground with never a bucket of water in sight.

Lulu taking the air this afternoon.  They think it's too hot to be outside for long.

A couple of days ago it was another of our group of 5, "Little" Lin (and yes, there was a "Big Lyn" too, done purely on height!  We don't speak very often, but keep in touch on the internet and both she and Rosie read this blog.  Once again, it was just like we last spoke a week or so ago, and we chatted for ages and when I put the phone down, I was thinking of happy memories of when we all had our ponies together at Mr Starke's field in Portsmouth Road.  We knew then we were all friends for life.  Sadly, my best friend Trish died early, in 2016, but cancer is brutal.

Lulu from above.  You can see her broad "dorsal stripe" - my Fahly-horse had one too, and donkey stripes on his legs!

Then another friendship ended after 20 years or more.  Sometimes you become distanced when you don't meet up very often, even if you chat online most days.  I wish her every happiness in the future though.

Both the girls up on the bank.  They love exploring (and disappearing!) up there.

I am going to have to go for a walk shortly, despite the pollen and although it is still quite warm.  The Dr took me off the blood pressure pills and as long as I walk most days, my levels are fine.  Of course, I've not been able to do much in the way of walking lately but I'll go down the Groe, where it is at least level, and have a walk before tea.

I went to Brecon today to get the 80 pouch box of Whiskas from B&M Bargains, along with a big bag of woodpellet cat litter, and a couple of plants may have just come home with me to replace eaten Cosmos seedlings and I couldn't resist a BIG bunch of Sweet Williams from Aldi).  I came home the same way as I went - despite intending to go back over the Eppynts, so I picked a layby with a view (and in the mirror too, of Table Mountain above Crickhowell) and sat down with my sandwiches and drink.  The barley is getting quite golden although the wind parting it showed a shadow of green still.  The Honeysuckle and Dogroses thread the hedgerows, and an array of wildflowers spangle the verges.  

Keep cool everyone.

The times they are a-changin'

 I keep waking just before 5 a.m. and here is the most beautiful sunrise yesterday.

Unfortunately, the bathroom window is just under a Housemartin nest . . . but I forgive them as I just love having them and the Swallows (just one pair this year) living here, and the Swifts which come up from the town, hawking above the house and garden.

Anyway, as you can see I was up early and decided to do some baking.  I had 3 big bananas going black and past eating, so quickly rustled up a Banana and Fruit loaf.   The fruit was a bag of mixed fruit from  T*sco which had cranberries and chopped apricots in to make it more interesting.

Here is a Lemon Drizzle Cake which I had promised a friend down in the town, for a favour done.

I had a bowl of stewed apple which needed using up too, so I made a Chocolate Apple cake which I forgot to take a photo of before it went in the freezer.

I forgot to take a photo of the 70% Wholemeal loaf before I cut into it too.  Here's half of one I made earlier!

A pretty little rose I took a fancy to at the Garden Centre earlier in the week. Keith had given me some spending money so this one "Child of Mine" came home with me.  I have put it in a planter in the yard.

Salvia caradonna.  I've planted this at the back of the oval bed beneath the big arching reverted-to-single petals white rose. 

Today I did the grocery shopping early  and went to get yet more compost at the other garden centre.  I came home with a Hardy Geranium Red Admiral (which is actually an intense pink). Below:

Salvia amistad, which also came home with me today.  Another good one for attracting bees.

Rambler Violetta is one one side.

. . . and on the other is Bloomfield Courage.

Planted this year, American Pillar.

Belle de Crecy.

Malvern Hills.

The oval bed.

The Mullein keeps on growing and putting out even more flower spikes.

Thunderstorms predicted pretty well country-wide from midnight, accompanied by heavy rain so I haven't bothered watering round much tonight.  I will have to stay indoors tomorrow because of broken-up tiny bits of pollen.  Not good for damaged lungs.

Definitely a day to sit quietly and enjoy photos of the garden. . .

 The recent thunderstorms of course broke the pollen up into tiny pieces, so that it can get to the innermost bits of folks' lungs and if you are allergic to pollen, this is NOT good.  Yesterday I found life difficult and had to just sit down quietly after I thought I would be ok going in the shade and clawing out the moss and weeds with my trusty hoofpick.  As I had been doing this the evening before, I think perhaps it hadn't been a good move and so today I am inside, praying for the pollen to be over early this year - it's started  early anyway and there has been mention of the dreaded Pollen Bomb when everything produces pollen at once.   

A garden roundup anyway:

The wilderness which is the Bank.  Actually, with my plantings and stuff that has come up from previous times pre-membrane (which I am still removing on the right side of the bank), I now have a wonderful mix of 3 different colours of Comfrey, Ox-Eye Daisies, Buttercups, wild Raspberries (which generally get removed as they spread so), and it looks great.  The insects are so happy with it like that.

The Lupins are going over now but have put on a real show.  I have them all over the place.  Whatever colour you think you are picking, most of them seem to grow up purple!

The Lady of Shalott.

The stunning Lark Ascending.

Boscobel, surviving despite such a dry spell.

First tentative (and late) blooms from Roserie de L'Hay.  The smell of the start of summer at Ynyswen.

The Paul's Himalayan Musk in vey bright sunshine.  

Indigo, which has flowered and flowered.

My feral Foxgloves have just grown and grown and flowered non-stop.  They love this heat.

Still to come, my giant Mullein.

The back border, which has rambling roses either end, Tiny Monster cut-leaved Geranium in the middle and other Hardy Geraniums either side.  Needs something planting at the back and I will pop the Delphinium in that I bought recently (lilac).

The Ingenious Mr Fairchild, who needs a support, so I may just go to the garden centre today . . .

I need to tweak this border (move the two red geums for starters) but it's come together nicely this year.

Well, I can report that as long as I don't move much, my breathing's ok today (in fact my peak flow is good, because I'm on my full dose of inhaler medication) so I shall have to lurk inside as much as I can.  Keep cool everyone.

Posies and Potions at Tretower Court

 

Tansy.

Elecampane.

An Almond flower.  The poor tree had suffered terribly from the cold winter and then a month's drought.  There were also Walnut, Medlar and a Mulberry, and an old sort of Pear which was always inundated with fruit, despite being a youngster.

Beautiful roses (names unknown).  The versicolor striped flower was on the same bush as the solid coloured blooms.

Beautifully fragranced.

The remains of the stone castle.  An earlier one was built in timber.

This just-fledged Jackdaw had gotten OUT of the nest but wasn't sure what to do next and having people walk near scared him, so I quickly moved away after taking the photo.  I noticed when I looked out of the upper window later, that he was plodding across the grass (not quite having mastered the jackdaw swagger) and he looked so fed up.  I suddenly remembered the old camp fire song - "Nobody likes me, everybody hates me, think I'll go and eat worms"  !!!  Hope he found some shelter.

The back of Tretower Court.

Pike anyone?  Those eyes make him look quite evil and demonic.

Or roast suckling pig perhaps.

Dried eel to the left of the brass spoons, and a haunch of venison in the corner. A bat has apparently taken up residence in the fireplace (a board blocks most of the aperture) and he comes out occasionally to liven up proceedings!

Perhaps the bread is more to your liking.

 

The top table is rather posh!  The painted wall behind it amazing, and all the glass and ceramics are authentic copies of what would have been used in the late 15th C.  (1475 ish).

Not sure if I liked the fairy lights in here.

Looking across the courtyard.

 

This may remind you that various things have been filmed here.  A Discovery of Witches for starters (so the kitchen may also seem familiar as that is where the spells were woven.

Heading out now.  This is the gatehouse.

I bought myself a cold drink before heading back - a fizzy mineral water infused with crushed cherries and raspberries and NOT sweet.  Very refreshing, and I loved looking at the view and the Ox-Eye Daisies.

I'm just off to bed now.  I've had a busy day and got some bits done in the garden I hadn't planned, but which needed doing.  Two rogue Alchemilla mollis are now having cool feet in pots of well watered soil and will be transplanted in the borders tomorrow.  I may live to regret it as they spread so, but I have some gaps and they are at least free.  (I also have plenty of them on the bank - planted many years back I suspect).