Orchard Day, Oxlip, Cowslip or False Oxlip

The Orchard

The above is a joiner photo I took from the top of the orchard. Jim had just cut the grass and it looked particularly good.


This is the very top of the orchard, which I cleared a short while ago. It was where the turkey shed was and was covered in wire, wood, nettles and brambles. Jim will grass seed it.


This is a joiner of the wood at the bottom of the orchard. Jim just mows a path around it. Do click on it if you would like to enlarge it.


The horse chestnut leave had just come out. I wonder whether we'll have any conkers this year?


A carpet of celandine


They are such sunny flowers.


This rather worn swing hangs from one of the old apple trees. I wouldn't sit on it anymore though.

The soft fruit bushes are once again covered in tiny berries - they will get bigger!

Blackcurrants


White currants - there area always thousands of them - but they're very small and a pain to pick.


These rather beautiful daffodils have just come out in the orchard. Jim has to mow round them.

A last joiner taken from the wood up towards the top of the orchard. The darker green under the trees is wild garlic.

The Oxlip puzzle.


Cowslip. These are in the garden to the left of our gate and we also have a hybrid, shown below.



This is known as a False Oxlip. The true Oxlip is apparently confined to just a few areas in the UK and so far there hasn't been any in Ireland. The False Oxlip is in fact a cross between a cowslip and primrose.


This is a photo taken from the Internet of a True Oxlip. So now you know!

ATCs

We have reached P in our Artist Trading Card group and I received this rather cute ATC from soulbrush. P is for Painting:


Now I thought they were singing into a microphone first but they are paint brushes! I think I'm the one on the right!


Soul also enclosed all these great goodies. Lots of cute cats and wonderful sayings all about chocolate - how well you know me Joss!

I don't think I've shown you my 'O'. I ended up doing O for Orbiting Owl!



This has headed off to Florida to Cat.

My P is for Puffin, a stitched one that has stuffing behind it:


Today Jim and I finished digging over the vegetable bed. Phew, it was a bigger job than we thought.

On Wednesday, we are off to the UK by ferry this time so we can bring back any remaining things from the house in Worthing. If all goes well, we will make a super fast trip up to Suffolk to see Jason, Sam, Jack and Kitty for the afternoon on Sunday. Then it's car packing on Monday and back to Ireland Tuesday. Poor Buster will not be happy.

Bit of a Mixture

A cobweb on a frosty, misty morning.

Who'd have thought we'd ever be wanting rain in Ireland? It's been dry for weeks and the garden needs some rain. It is supposed to be coming this weekend and for a change I'll be grateful.

On the radio people have been asked not to light bonfires as everything is tinder dry. We noticed that a lot of our gorse has died with the cold Winter and that burns like crazy. There is also a lot of dead grass around.

I have almost finished my patch of nettles/convolvulus by the pond/soak away. I've been quite tired but maybe that's days of swinging the mattock.

The other morning I woke up early and it was very misty outside, plus there had been a ground frost! I rushed out with my camera but most of the photos I took were a bit of a disappointment. I did get a few decent ones though.


This is the view from our gate towards the lake! It looks rather spooky.


Look at that white grass in front of The Deenery!


This cobweb reminded me of a hammock.


While this one needs a bit of repair.


A double cobweb - one behind the other.


I love this photo of all the webs on the gorse. It looks ghostly.


Finally a web with a spider already busy in the centre. Do click on it to see more clearly.


I can't remember the name of this bush but it is head to toe in blossom. I took this on the way back to the cottage. Buster clearly thought it was far too early for all this activity:


He followed me around the meadow but sat down at every opportunity.


This joiner is of Flagmount in the mist.

I took 197 photos! I tried to be quite selective for you.

I am tired now so it's off to bed for me.

Big Garden Project. Family Photos.

Jim and Buster in the garden. Buster still tries to sit on Jim's lap!

Garden

Jim and I have spent the past few days tackling some of the mess left by the builders. We are hoping to extend the lawn from the arboretum almost to the cottage. This area is full of stones at the moment! Jim has been digging up huge stones that were in the way and pulling soil from various heaps over the flattened area to form the lawn. We'll have to leave it to settle for a while before we sow grass seed.

Jim attacking some of the buried stones

The start of the new lawn! It's much bigger now - I'll take a new photo in a day or two.

This is the bank where Jim is taking some of the soil to make the lawn. All those stones have been dug out of the ground so far!


Sandy made a nest for himself under the bird feeders! The birds just ignored him.

I have been clearing this area, which was covered in brambles and stinging nettles! It's taken days and I've almost finished.

It did all look like this!

I have been using a mattock and it's been hard work. I usually stay out until it's getting dark, about 9pm and am really stiff by then!

Family Photos

I have 'lifted' a few photos of my family so I thought I'd post some of them:


My youngest son Ben with his girlfriend Hayley in Thailand where they had a holiday before Christmas.


Naturally I love this one of Ben!!

My big son Jason took his family to Dinosaur Land for the day. Here is Jason with Kitty. She looks so grown up already!

Jason and jack playing golf. Isn't this a fun photo!

Jason being eaten by a dinosaur!!


I love this photo of Jack keeping the dinosaurs at bay!


2 Pretty Ladies, Sam and Kitty. Ready to go out.

Jack started 'big school' on Tuesday. Sam didn't want him to go! Doesn't he look super smart in his new uniform? He enjoyed his first day.

Daughter K and Granddaughter Lina walking into Chesterfield.


Lina's new haircut. Very smart.

It was my Granddaughter Kirsty's 24th birthday yesterday (Tuesday). She is a classroom assistant so had to go to work, but the children sang 'Happy Birthday' to her and she received lots of cards and presents. Here are a couple of photos from her special day:

All ready for work.


She met her fiancee for lunch at Burger King!


I had been a long day. Kirsty all ready for bed. She is such a pretty lady. I was there when she was born - and with Lina too!

Do you remember the other day, this was 2 buds? Now one of them is almost out.


A yellow tulip almost out

And finally a pink one.