Wired up at last after four days of solitude (lightning strike) - but have been occupied taking photos of the steam engines trailing through our village in preparation for the steam rally at Kemble. We have kept the front door wide open so that we can hear them coming. Once or twice our house has been filled with the smell of old fashioned coal!
Rescue Dog spent the heat of the day in his basket. He chose two of his cuddly bunny friends to join him - I reckon it became a bit hot in there - too close for comfort I'd say!
Lovely - all thoughts of those depressing grey windy days have gone away. . . . . . . .for now!
We have been sitting at the end of our garden each evening this week and watching the night sky panorama unfold. The view has been really lovely.
talking about another old boiler! I expect by now they will have their act together for next week's show at Kemble.
Lovely day here yesterday. In the evening we sat at the end of our garden enjoying a BBQ. As if by magic we had a flying display to entertain us. First it was three jets aerobatically flying the skies and then a trio of balloons drifted by - a slight huffing and puffing of their gas cylinders was all that could be heard.
Onions. The veg plot, in it's second year is doing well. We have not bought any vegetables for the past two months. We have been eating spring cabbage and loads of broad beans as well as salad from the plot. To the left of photo in the greenhouse there are two cucumber plants and on the floor tomato plants. We are looking forward to runner beans to replace the broad ones which were getting a bit tough in their old age (just like the pair of us wrinklies).
There is no better place than the view from our back garden - especially a good sunset like last night. It was so beautiful.
I grabbed the camera and took up a good position in the field - avoiding all cowpats. I think I took over 40 shots. These two photos have been quickly uploaded. I shall look forward, after my morning swim, to viewing the rest and weeding out the not so good ones.
Many thanks to Hadriana for her kind award. I must say I am having fun posting (can hardly call it writing) on my blog and of course thanks to all the bloggers who call in!
My Mother loved painting in oils - this is the picture she did for me of some of my favourite toys. She also painted one for my brother Jamie. His picture now resides with him in Australia. Perhaps in a couple of days Jamie might be able to show his picture on his blog. My favourite in that picture is 'Corn Flakes' - he is the knitted object. My Granny knitted him for me from a pattern appearing, obviously, on the back of a corn flakes packet! However Granny somehow managed to not quite understand the pattern - hence the rather large head and thin body. I am very very sad to say that Corn Flakes was stolen from my room when I was a student nurse at The Middlesex Hospital, many many moons ago, along with my purse. One of the books is titled 'Moorland Mousie' - a story of an Exmoor pony - it had wonderful pen and ink drawings. My mother declined from adding to the picture - cowboy hats etc etc which were also my favourite things. I had no dolls!!! Perhaps Jamie's picture has some cowboy hats - maybe you will find out.
We decided to dispose of a waist high corner cupboard - triangular shaped. To anyone geometrically inclined, they will realise that square or rectangular boxes will not use up the space efficiently in this cupboard.
Husband bought a flat-pack and was busily employed in the garage fitting it together - I left him alone. Eureka - about an hour later the job was done. Previous to this we had bought a similar flat-pack of the same design but smaller. On that occasion I helped Husband put it together and it took over four hours to do the job! So I must surmise that men at work should be left completely alone.
The photo on the new chest of drawers is of Abraham my first horse. He was a 14.2 thickset cob and carried me and my Wonky Knees safely for about 5 years.
I thought the female members of the blogosphere would enjoy this picture for the weekend! 
Rescue Dog says he looks bright and intelligent in this picture of our front garden which is in its second year. Jamie will not see such colour when he comes to visit us from Australia in November. 
We decided to go for a picnic today near the River Windrush at Little Barrington. We drove down a quiet narrow steep little lane towards the river. The lane was lined with perfect little cotswold cottages - I noticed these stone ducks on a window sill.
Our picnic consisted of quiche, cream cheese and cucumber sandwiches, strawberries and cream swilled down with Ginger Beer! We relaxed to the sound of the river and the wind rustling the leaves of the trees. It was extremely peaceful. Loud laughter was heard and two anglers hove into view. We asked them what was so funny - one of men replied he had just heard a rather dirty joke, not to be repeated - so I told them the ocelot joke (see my last post) - there was more loud laughter! The fishermen wandered off and peace was restored.
The friendly St. Bernard sat and watched us quietly from his vantage point - he was obviously not amused!
The golfers arrived in the right kit of course - they are used to wandering the fairways most of the year in the rain anyway! We controlled the weather beautifully - enough dry to quaff our Pimms outside and then when the heavens opened back into the kitchen. As you can see Rescue Dog really does enjoy a photo shoot - he always places himself in front of the lens (I think the sausages had something to do with this as well). A good time was had by all. The last to leave flattened a pot of geraniums in the porch (his nickname is Kipper Feet) so what else to except!
again!
hope I am not mistaken for this doorstop which has invaded our house!
back down to the farm for their TB testing. The field at the back of our garden is now deserted. In fact the field looks like a desert - the remaining grass is flattened and brown with spikey skeletons of thistles. I miss the cows constant gentle movement, the metronomic swishing of tails, flicking of ears, the calves keeping close to their mothers but occasionally having a frisky moment with a friend. I hope they will grace us with their presence later on in the year. Rescue Dog probably thinks different he is frightened of cows (spiders also).
You might spy a mouse on my desk. Last year Husband attended computer classes at the local college. He so called 'practiced' at home - his manipulation of the mouse was hilarious. For the 'clicking' exercise Husband's hand was removed 
This is a boring photo to everyone except Husband and I. This is the view out of one of our kitchen windows. At the AGM of our Parish Council I asked whether or not fly posting was illegal - they agreed that it was. It was suggested that if we thought the posters were an eyesore we could take them down and place them on another pole instead! This telegraph pole and a large number of others in our village are very often plastered with notices about village matters and they are not taken down after the event by the people who put them up in the first place! In our village there are suitable places for posters such as the Parish Council notice board and the village shop. We also receive a very good village newsletter which is the ideal place to advertise forthcoming events.
This Bull has lately been residing in the field at the end of our garden. Apparently he was a champion of champions - he was gentle and friendly because he had been handled regularly. A week ago he twisted his back whilst serving a skittish cow. He hobbled around but became very lame and eventually sat down most of the time. The farmer fed and watered him and on hot days us neighbours watered him as well. It was a very humbling experience to watch a truly noble animal relying on us in his last days. Yesterday he was there and then suddenly not there. We miss him.
This is where I take my Wonky Knees most days to try and keep fit. I have stopped participating in the Aqua class (seen here) as I now prefer to swim about 30-40 lengths for the cardiac exercise. Yesterday forgot to collect towel at Reception - I had swimming hat and goggles already in situ - struggled back into my jeans and walked through sitting room and cafe area to main entrance. 'Goodness', said Spa Manager 'Are you ready to swim the channel' !!! I wish!
This photo is a calming one - after a hectic night at the local competing in the quiz. 'The Kitchen Gardeners' team were awful - we came second to last. Wrinkly type teams cannot possibly know what Garfield's teddy was called - can they? We had never heard of the Gummy Bears. If you come last you win a bottle of wine and we could not even manage that - we would have done if we had not cheated and sidled up to a young bystander who wrote down some music answers for us! So next time we will not cheat - well - perhaps not!
For last few days, since the cows ate our apple tree and half the compost , we have suggested to Rescue Dog that he takes up position near the remaining apple tree and pretend to be a big fierce guard dog. Now that the strawberries have finished, he having eaten half of them, there is nothing for him to do! His big ears flapped up into the 'radar position' - just as he was thinking he could perhaps look a teensy weensy bit fierce - the cows were taken away into the next field! Whew what a relief for Rescue Dog.
