Easter Saturday and Sunday 2009 EGGS

Well, it's been a funny couple of days! Jim toddled off to get some petrol yesterday so eventually I braved the rather cold weather and did some work clearing the stream area to make way for the new path. It was pretty horrid though and there were lots of gnats and bitey things about so I moved to the allotment and did some work there. It was very wet and boggy there but I weeded a raised section and that wasn't too bad. It was full of buttercups and stinging nettles. Then I decided to fill in some more of the holes left by the cow invasion we had a few weeks ago. If the owner only knew how much work they've caused us.

Jim came back, having gone all the way to Ennis. I'd asked him to buy me some elastic on his last trip and he'd left it in the shop so he'd been and picked it up!

As the evening drew in, the sky became brilliant red and I fetched Jim from inside to take some photos with my camera.





Sunset over Doorus













I think this is my favourite
























The view over Lough Graney







Not much else to report. Usual evening computing, eating and a bit of craft work. We went to bed very late as usual. I did finish another ATC:





I've called it 'Bee in the garden'. It sounds like an order, doesn't it?












Today is Easter Sunday. Another typical April day, some sun, some rain. All the things in Jim's cold frame are popping up their little heads. We had a few plants to plant and decided where to put them. A new pieris on top of the fairy hill. We had a very sad looking rhododendron there, which obviously hated our soil so that had to go and the pieris was planted in its place. Also a new ceonothus and a photinia have gone in up there. I did lots of weeding as it's covered in buttercup, bitter cress and dandelion. I only managed quite a small amount. Lots more to do.

We did exchange Easter Eggs and here they are:



Jim's is the Yorkie mug on the right and an egg and a bar of Yorkie.

The rest are MINE!!!!






Anyone would think I like chocolate! Jim did have one of my 6 cream eggs today. Generous, aren't I?

I felt a bit down this afternoon and had an attack of the weepies. Not sure why, I just did. Still, I got back outside and carried on clearing the area for the new path. It's amazing how much of it we got done. Jim was cutting the willows and I was de-brambling and stinging nettling as usual! I have quite a few thorns in my hand tonight. We have uncovered a little group of the old fashioned 'pussy willow' trees and started tidying them up as lots of the old parts had died. I'll take a photo tomorrow if it's fine. It does look amazingly different already. Now we have an enormous pile of rubbish to clear.

I'm quite tired tonight so am going to head off to bed now, at 2.45am, an early night for me.

Oh, I did receive a wonderful award from Ces, which really put a smile on my face. Can you see it on the right hand side? ~sighs~. Brilliant, isn't it? I'm not sure I deserve it - oh, of course I do!

I hope everyone's having a great Easter Holiday.

More Weeding, More Scaffolding Thursday, 5th March

It's been on and off again today, sometimes sunny then a wind would whip up, the sun disappear and it was freezing. Luckily for the most part it was fine. Martin the builder carried on alone with the scaffolding. It seems like an endless job.

I did manage to finish weeding the bed above the grotto and the grotto bed itself, so it all looks quite smart now, if rather bare.







In the Summer there isn't usually a space to plant anything!




















This is the right hand side of the above bed and it drops down to the grotto, see below.








The grotto. All the new ferns I planted last Autumn seem to be doing well. The Pieris Forrestii, centre of the left half, has white flowers out already, although the new red leaf bracts have not yet appeared.










The Grotto again. This little path goes round the corner, right round the barn.









It may seem like not much of a job but it was all covered in nasty weeds, dandelions, stinging nettles, grass, blackberries and ivy. I have previously cleared all these when I first made the bed, but they keep popping up again. I'll beat them though.
I also took a photo of the sleeping shed from the front, looking smart for a change.



Our little collection of old farm implements is on the right. The green thing is an old milk churn, planted with everlasting sweet peas.







My sign for the fairy garden had fallen from its place, hanging from the hawthorn branch. The chain has rusted and broken, so I have propped it in front of an old tree stump. I quite like it there. I also took a photo from the fairy hill, looking over this part of the garden.





Perhaps I should trim that bit of grass!












It's all coming along.









These lovely double daffodils are in the bank at the side of the sleeping shed. At last a photo with some colour in it.












This pretty deutzia is just starting to bloom







As I was out a bit past the cats' tea time, they hung about round me, another photo opportunity. They were also fascinated by Martin walking up and down.
Sandy looking rather fine in the late afternoon sunshine. He is the cleanest cat I've known. BlackJack can't be bothered to wash much, so in the evening, Sandy washes him too.











Sandy slightly out of focus as it picked out BlackJack and the light was fading.













This is when Martin walked past!








They are very handsome cats I think, but then I would.

Buster made me laugh this evening. I noticed he was licking the underside of my ironing basket (which is much too full). The side of it was hanging over the edge of the chair. I went to investigate and a bag of gold Christmas coins had somehow fallen in there and was dangling out the bottom! He was having a fine time munching them, complete with gold paper. I did remove them as they're not good for him, but he still managed about four. They were some I bought for Jim but I reckon they'll be off by now.

It's Jim's birthday today (Friday the 6th March) and he is still in the UK until at least Monday. So I have ordered something for him to be delivered there. I hope it arrives. He has waited in all day today for a delivery of polythene and bits for our poly tunnel and they didn't arrive. It's so annoying, especially when you arrange deliveries on a certain day because you only have a small window to receive them. The best laid plans and all that.

This evening I've managed to keep Stanley going all the time so it's not quite as cold in here as usual. I still have 2 jumpers on though. I also watched an excellent new 3 part series on Channel 4 called The Yorkshire Riding Hood I think! Set in the 1970s, it had some famous actors in it including Sean Bean as the bad property tycoon who had all the police in his pocket, Warren Clarke and David Morrissey. It was really quite gripping all the way through and I can't wait for next week's episode. I'll probably forget and miss it. Sadly the luscious Sean Bean won't be in it as he was killed this week.

A little sewing now then it's off to bed. Do you like my new blog layout? I've been 'updated'. It's supposed to be easier to manage. I'm all for that.