Butterflies and Buddleias

 

I woke at 5 a.m. this morning, needing a wee, but couldn't settle when I got back into bed as it was too warm.  I had spent most of the night uncovered/just a sheet on.  The kitchen's the coolest room in the house - I would have been more comfortable on a camp bed in there.  Anyway, this photo was taken about 5.20 or so.  I missed the best bit - when it threw orange light along the top hall.  By the time I'd run downstairs for my phone, it had gone behind the branches a bit.  Lots of clouds moving about today and rain has been forecast (hooray).  I am fed up with hiding inside.  Keith, many years ago, once said he'd love to retire to Cyprus as he loved the Med and had been in Cyprus with the Army.  It wouldn't have done for me . . . 36 deg. C there at the moment, and 40 next week!  Eeek.

Yesterday I had Christmas in July and sewed together the little Christmas Kitties charm pack I bought - more Christmas than Kitties and annoyingly, I can see it going off on the last two squares bottom right, so out with the stitch ripper shortly.  Then I will put the wide borders on - Christmas Kitties Frost and Midnight colourways.  It will be a little cushion for Rosie at Christmas.  Nothing too arduous in the way of sewing.

I sat and composed a conciliatory letter to E.  With some advice from Tam (you can't say THAT!)  I do hope that she might understand my state of mind when Keith was dieing, but with her problems, she may not.  In which case, that's it.  

How I hate it when labels go missing (probably buried when I planted this Buddleia.)  This is the one on the bank that I thought was Dark Knight, but is clearly a red or pink named one.  The butterflies don't care, they love it.

Here's the standard one, which was covered in Peacocks and Red Admirals this week.  There has clearly been a hatching and they are doing well.  There were the usual Small/Large Whites, a couple of Tortoiseshells, Meadow Browns and some Ringlets on it too.  I was standing by the door to nowhere, watching them.

A comfortable temperature here this morning, just 15 degrees, and it feels cool and fresh outside.  Pippi-cat will be out hunting all day today I suspect - the last few days even she has been inside by preference and flopped under my bed to keep cool.  The boys have pussy cat couchets under bushes up on the bank.

I will get a walk in today, probably when I nip down to town to get my prescription.  I will try a bit more tidying up in the garden too - I cut back some of the cranesbills in the long border yesterday - I hate trimming them even when they are down to just the last flower, but they had flopped everywhere and needed the haircut, and should come again.  I tackled the tangle of ivy and spent Dog Roses on the fence by the gate too.  The Dog Roses start putting out long feelers reaching right to where I sit and watch the world at my patio set, so those were the first to go.  

Nothing I am "into" on tv at the moment, so watching random stuff.  Watched 3 Bargain Hunts the other evening and couldn't help thinking time to knock it on the head, same-old same-old and their experts don't really help them that much!  Some of the crap they buy!!

Books on the go - downstairs The Devil's Star by Jo Nesbo and several Medieval History books, and upstairs, A Column of Fire by Ken Follett, a real doorstop of a book.

Right, crack on with the machine sewing, and then I shall get back to doing neater seams on the back of the Baltimore quilt.

Crushingly hot

 I can't do hot.  It was up around 30 deg. here yesterday - no good for man nor beast.  I made a pizza topping early, and a base for it, but in the end a lighter snacky lunch was eaten as no-one had much of an appetite.  Danny and "I" were late getting here as they has shut the A483 - but not put up any obvious diversion signs and Danny ended up coming across the Mynydd Bwlch-y-Groes and onto the Epynts, before getting spat out onto the same road that the cars competing in the Nicky Grist rally were using.  They were setting off outside the Strand in Builth.

A bit of excitement for the town, in the count-down to the Royal Welsh show.  The showground is starting to sprout tents and marquees and the Fountain Inn has set up it's hospitality bar marquee at the rear and mammoth deliveries of beer will be being delivered in the next week or so. Next week the gleaming tractors and farm machinery will start setting up on the showground. The show is HUGE - thousands of Young Farmers alone, and exhibitors and stalls selling anything from a sandwich to a tractor.  Our town's population is 2,500.  During show week, this swells to 250,000!!!  An adult ticket is £34, and £10 for a child.  I shan't be going and doubt I will even go into the town as I wouldn't get parked and the logistics of trying to get to the shops with the queues of cars gridlocked at busiest times (despite out-of-town parking) isn't worth it.  I will go to Brecon for the grocery shopping that week.

I moved all the tomatoes and the two cucumber plants which had been on the left side of the greenhouse over onto the right, where I have the shade-cover so I am hoping they will benefit from not being in full sun all day.  A couple of the tomatoes were suffering from shrivelled leaves, despite being watered twice a day.  Tomatoes nearly over now but cucumbers have LOTS of flowers and 8 cucumbers growing nicely.  I've tied them up to the roof.  They seem to love the heat.

Umbellifers enjoying the shade of the top paddock/orchard.  It's very overgrown up there now so I will have to borrow the strimmer back from Tam and sort it out once it's cooled down a bit.

It was lovely having Danny and "I" here - gosh, she has shot up and is really tall (6 in December).  She loved making a fuss of the cats.  Sadly, the situation with E and me is no better.  She still expects me to apologize - my outburst of terrible grief over the phone was seen as anger and screaming and not raw gut-wrenching pain.  It seems this impasse will continue forever.

I sat out in the garden with a glass of wine and my newspaper once it had cooled a bit.  I'm getting my money's worth out of that little patio set.

Right, one final photo, of the pizza - I had some for tea and cut the rest up and froze it.  

We have some rain forecast and Wednesday will be COOL! Thank heavens.

Left with a dirty taste in my mouth . . .

 

Yellow Loosestrife growing on the bank here.

Yesterday was a quiet day - too hot of course, about 24 deg.  I stripped my bed and had the top sheet dry outside in under half an hour!  I managed to sneakily remake the bed without kitten-cat interference.  Danny and little I are visiting today (long time no see) and I needed to do my weekly shop, so went to Aldi and Tesco.  I stuck to my list - a book of 8 2nd class stamps, and the items on my shopping list, with a couple of little treats.  I got a pack of 4 Hazy Jane IPA's and some crisps.  Two boughten slices of lemon cheesecake also found their way into my basket . . . One was my lunch yesterday.  I took two little fishing tents (unused and still in their covers) to the charity shop - Keith had bought them in Aldi many years ago in case the kids wanted to camp light.  I also took a goodly pile of craft/curtain making books, and took patchwork books and magazines when I went to my class on Wednesday, so a few less books in the house.  My curtain making days are over.

This Buddleia was an indulgence from a couple of years back.  I can't see the label on it, which is annoying, so I don't know it's name.  Black Knight probably.

When I was in the Health Food shop to buy Wessex Mill bread flour, I met a lovely couple who had just moved to Pembridge from Bedfordshire.  We had a good chat.  They'd only been here 5 weeks so were still exploring.  

My other little indulgence arrived in the post, some 25th December fabrics (won't mention C*****mas just yet!) with pussy cats on, to make up a little cushion or throw or pillowcase for Rosie.  Being stuck inside in this weather I may crack on with that straight away.  

Then it was back to looking for missing paperwork - for the Probate I needed to have a copy of the house insurance for 2024.  Could I find it - nope, no paper copy.  Every other year, but not 2024. Then I checked my emails, but there was a hiccup on getting into my account (Halifax' fault with a wrong link) and so I have had to email them.  All I have is the confirmation email and number/date.  I think the complete details are needed. Yet the house was continuously occupied . . .

A moment of sheer genius on my word puzzle yesterday . . . Jennie takes a bow!

In the afternoon, had irate farmer here over what he considered was an infringement.   I shan't go into details but it was the Land Registry which was wrong . . . Then, the evening, having shed my bra, irate farmer from earlier returned waving paperwork.  I got quite "aeriated" as my mum would have said - no-one accuses ME of fraud and walks away unscathed.  Stood there with my arms folded across my bosom for obvious reasons - so slight loss of dignity there!!  He apologized in the end - I should blardy think so! but that is a good friendship destroyed. They've had their last cake . . .  You can't cut MY throat and put a sticking plaster on it. Took me a while to drop off to sleep.

Right, this won't do.  I need to make another pizza topping as that's the lunchtime meal today.  I may bake a cake for Danny to take back with him too.  E is working, so has a good excuse not to come with D and "I". . .

A stroll round Llandovery

 I had the dentist this morning - two small replacement fillings - one either side of my mouth so those required two injections which made my lower lip feel gigantic! I stopped at the garage for a cold drink before driving back, but couldn't feel the can on my lower lip and was worried about pouring it down my front!  Managed to drink it, all the same.  25 deg. out - too hot for me.  Greenhouse door currently wide open and I shall go and give everything a drink in a moment.  Can't have the new growth scorched to a frazzle. 

 Isn't this a gorgeous display?  Close to the colours of the flowers were stunning.  

A wonderful attention-seeking colour to paint the walls too. Compare with the pub opposite:

My friend Kim will recognize this as she and her partner stayed there on a visit to Wales, before deciding to up sticks and move to France, where she still lives.

The ruins of Llandovery Castle.  

The monument to Llewelyn ap Gruffydd Fechan ap Caeo (1341 - 1401), a wealthy Carmarthenshire landowner who was executed by Henry IV for supporting the rebellion of Owain Glyndwr.  Some know him as the "Welsh Braveheart" since he was executed the same way and was hung, drawn and quartered by the gate to the castle in October 1401 and Gruffydd ap Rhys was granted his lands by Henry.  There is mention of Gruffydd ap Llewelyn Foethus in his pedigree (he of Dryslwyn Castle) through his mother Jonnett, Llewelyn Foethus' daughter.  Hence a random link to our old house, which was recorded as being connected with him through the Lloyds who lived there in the 14th C.  Strangely, a link to Tam's Jon too, through the Scudamores!  Check out the Wikipedia link HERE.

The Market Square in Llandovery.  Just to the left there used to be an antiques shop and we were friendly with the owners.  We went in for a natter one day and were admiring a set of 6 (or 8?) beautiful Irish chairs.  "Try them out," the wife said, so I sat on one. O.M.G.  the drop in seat wasn't properly fitted and me and seat fell through - imagine me with my btm hanging out the bottom, and knees up around my ears, laughing so hard I feared I would pee myself!  Fortunately Keith, though weak with laughter himself, managed to haul me out.  Fast forward a couple of weeks, and the wife was in the shop on her own.  She sat down to rest her legs and - you've guessed it - it was that same chair and the same thing happened to her, only she was on her own, both laughing and shrieking for help!!  Fortunately, someone in the shop next door heard her and came to her rescue.

The Craft Centre.  I didn't bother going in as it doesn't change much and I went in there last time to browse the antiques unit there - that doesn't change either!

I needed some 1" elastic to replace the had-it elastic on some comfy hareem pants of mine, and noticed this gorgeous Rose and Hubble fabric - remaindered (as I think she's not doing patchwork any more) at just £7 a metre.  I got a metre and a half for a dress for Rosie - I know - must get cracking!

The drive back was as beautiful as yesterday.  Around the Sugarloaf are masses of Common Knapweed ("hard heads" we knew them as when we were children, and used to hit one another with them.)  Such a pretty purple and matching the nearby purple Tufted Vetch.  I noticed lots of Yellow Loosestrife (garden escapee perhaps) and yellow St John's Wort, and some Codlins and Cream (Greater Willowherb).  In a damp ditch was the gorgeous Purple Loosestrife, positively puce in the bright sunshine. I forgot to mention, but when we were driving back last week (Tam had her dental check up then), hay had been cut and cleared from a hilltop field and there must have been 30 Kites and Buzzards (mostly Kites) lazily drifting round on a thermal overhead, hunting for meeces and voles in the stubble.  Today on a different cut and carried field, there were as many Rooks looking for food.  The ground is so hard and dry and it must be so difficult for them to find things like worms.

I was 6 years old when I started being interested in wild flowers, when a neighbour's daughter was doing a project for school.  That began a lifelong interest, so thank you Marilyn.  We had a wild border to our garden so lots of wild flowers grew there, and we had Common Lizards and Slow Worms for the wildlife side of things, and the occasional visit from a Grass Snake too.  I still love to learn about Botany, and wild life - life is one long learning process after all.

Vergeside flowers on the way to Llandod recently - the delicate white flower is Hedge Bedstraw, next to the yellow Ladies Bedstraw.  These would have been strewing herbs for floors in Medieval and Tudor times.

Now, I am considering setting up my sewing machine in the cool of the kitchen and getting that last hand-quilted border in place . . .

The most beautiful sight

Sometimes it's just too hot outside . . . young Pippi relaxing.

 No photo I'm afraid, but I've just gone out for a breath of evening air, and a "scream" of Swifts flew over the house, the late afternoon sun catching the gleam of the feathers on their heads and wing edges like mercury was pouring off them.  The sun really made them look like they had headlights!    I've said about it before, but the angle of the sun tonight really lit them up and they were just SO beautiful.

My patchwork class went well - lots of chatting about holidays and I diligently pinned and sewed three of the hand-quilted borders and know how to tackle the overlapping batting and what have you on the back - all the components were stitched and then assembled.

It was a lovely drive home, with the pink of the Foxgloves being reproduced in the soaring pink spires of Rosebay Willowherb, and Meadowsweet, Agrimony and a bevy of Umbellifers making the verges glow.  It was good to get through Llanwrtyd Wells and see the Mohican Haircuts of the Army pinetree plantings on the top of the Epynts, and the rounded whale-back humps of the heather-clad hills around my home.

When I got home I watered in the greenhouse - much needed - and decided I would sit down at my little patio table with a glass of white wine and a bag of crisps.  Both went down very well and it was lovely to sit in the shade and watch butterflies and birds fly above and around me.

I have a little notion about what I may research essay-wise.  I need to do a couple of visitations now to see what I can find . . .

Let Them Eat Cake

 

I had a sort out day yesterday.  I was determined to excavate the freezer, and it was just as well I did - a plastic container of chicken curry from 2021?  That was out the door onto the compost heap, along with some partly-used not-proper-food tofu pretend-chicken-in-breadcrumbs type meals that Emma had bought, so those were over a year old at least.  Not my sort of grub.  Anyway, in the sorting out I came across some grated carrot I had made up when I bought a big bag of carrots and they needed using before they had to be chucked.  So, grated to go in meals or in cakes. This called for a Carrot Cake - one with Honey Drizzle, recipe courtesy of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's book River Cottage Everyday.  I'm going to see my friend Pam today, and I always take them a cake as Pam doesn't bake.  Then it's Patchwork class.

The sorting out continued in the Utility room and I hoiked all the detritis out from the corner so I could get into what is the airing cupboard, but is full of camping stuff and odds and sods.  I needed to find my dehydrator, and did, along with the two books on dehydrating.  I found it, and there was a stack of old recipes and a floor plan of Ynyswen.  No good to me any more, but it has stayed for the moment, for memory's sake.  Then it all went back, minus a few things from the cupboard which can go to the charity shop.  The top shelf is stuffed with sleeping bags from our camping days.  Tam and I will decide their fate when she comes over next.  Dehydrator now all washed and ready to use.

I did get a shock though, going through the cupboard when I found an old well-worn Polo shirt of Keith's, which I had put there to be a polishing rag.  As I pulled it out, I burst into tears.  SO many memories of him wearing that - 100s of times.  He liked his polo shirts.  I was going to chuck it, but couldn't quite bring myself to.  Gabby said keep it for the moment, so it has gone in the wash.  

The opposite end of my stall at the weekend.  I would have thought that the painting of the dog would have sold straight away, it's so well painted, and an ancient note on the back states it is believed to be by Landseer's daughter.  A very talented artist, whoever it was.  On the windowsill you can just see the end of my spare fruit bowl.  I have two - and the other is a lovely riveted copper Art & Crafts bowl which is staying.  This wooden one is made of Jackfruit wood and has a lovely patina.  Below - I found a photo of the windowsill I took.  You can see it properly here. It didn't sell so is now back on the dairy table in the kitchen until the next Fair.  I wish the lovely galloping horse coat rack would sell as the mane and tail catch in my clothing every time I manhandle it. The French ship's light is one of two that went in the tall cupboard in the utility "out of the way" and forgotten about.  It's gone back there now!

I was so fed up of having a dressing on my finger by yesterday, but the edges of the cut were lifting and I was wary of catching them on something and ripping it open again.  I got some scissors and trimmed the edge, and then it lifted more and I gently got the whole top layer of skin off as new skin had formed beneath it.  Now I am dressing free but will be careful not to knock it as the new skin still a bit soft and vulnerable.  I was able to have a bath without wearing a washing up glove last night.  Triumph!

Anyway, 7.30 a.m. now so time for some breakfast.  Have a good day.

The Quiet Rhythm of Summer Days

 

Isn't this gorgeous?  It's called Princess Diana.  Perhaps my favourite amongst my Clematis plants.  They have all benefitted from a good feed of special Clematis feed this year.

The beautiful wild Mullein in the yard - I don't know how I thought it was a Hollyhock the other day as the leaves are nothing like!!!  Silly mare.

I am picking cherry tomatoes just about every day now.  Here is the first Cucumber too.  A Ridge sort, but grown in the greenhouse.  I have another (Telegraph) growing well and lots of babies.  Just found out I can use Tomato feed for the Cucumbers (AND the runner beans) so will be trotting round with that shortly.  Beans fed/watered.  Roses out back deadheaded - Belle de Crecy did exceptionally well too.  Lavatera flowering its socks off.

Raspberries still coming out of my ears.  Even a brilliant year for the wild ones and this was one picking of wild ones from up on the bank!  I like free food.

Main crop.  I have frozen them for the moment but need to gird my loins and go into the Utility room cupboard - which means moving LOTS of stuff which has been Bunged in the Corner, so I can open the door.  I remember putting my dehumidifier in there and want to try my hand at fruit leathers. UPDATE: I've been good and had a clear out and found the dehydrator.  A bit less dross in the cupboard but lots of camping stuff I don't need, and Tam's food processor and steam cleaner, which I also don't need . . .  It's cheered me up no end to do a job that really has needed doing for ages.  I've been into the corner to look for stock, but now know what I have in a box there and that can go next time - it's been there about 3 years (covered over with detritus.)

I got given some courgettes, and had tomatoes to use up so threw together a pizza sauce and made 4 individual pizzas for the freezer.  One, the mince one below, used up a couple of spoonfuls of mince and onion and made a very tasty tea with some Hunter beans.  Cost - about a pound for all four I should think. Biggest expense the cheese grated on top.

I had a walk in the cool by the River Wye yesterday, down on the Groe in town (park).  Umbellifers and the soft blue-purple of Tufted Vetch, perhaps my favourite wild flower (if only for the colour).

These summer days pass by slowly, and I dead head roses and cut back the Hardy Geraniums when they are down to one flower per stem, hoping for another flowering.  I am going to have a slow walk up the hill (it's hot already) and see if there are lots of wild raspberries on the canes where the lane splits.  Waste not, want not.

Lots of butterflies about - only one or two of each sort but I have had Small Tortoiseshells, Ringlets, Red Admirals, lots of small Whites, Meadow Browns, a Peacock.  Several big dragonflies too, over the pond.

No bats last night - I tucked a towel under each doorway to make sure that they couldn't creep under and into the towel. I haven't seen the Hornets flying around lately but doubt they have gone away.  I think they may nest under the roof slates too. 

The badger(s) returned and there were dead red-tailed bumblebees by the entrance to their nest, so they must have been successful on Sunday night.  Such a shame, but I guess they have to eat.

Isn't this cute?  Part of a bigger embroidery.  May try this for a little picture for Rosie.

I finished Elly Griffith's The Frozen People last night.  I think she struggled a bit with this - it certainly doesn't flow like her books about Dr Ruth Galloway (nice to have the archaeology link too).  We will see if Ali Dawson is her new heroine, and where she may time-travel next . . .