Monday 14 September 2015

THE PLEASURE OF AUTUMN FLOWERS

Autumn colours are in the garden these days. After a good spell of weather it rained heavily yesterday.  Nothing for it but to gather in the gladioli that were bent over and getting muddy.


They filled a Wedgewood vase (Iain's mother's from many years ago) and are giving us much pleasure on the sideboard.



Our orchestra practice is in Cairns Church every Sunday afternoon for 10 weeks.  We derive great pleasure from the flower arrangements on the pillars.

Thursday 10 September 2015

CONSIDER THE LILIES


Autumn flowers are for enjoying. 


Two lilies and a rose which have emerged in a sunny corner of the garden this week.



Wednesday 9 September 2015

A 63 MILESTONE - EVERYTHING STOPS FOR TEA

Today marks the day that the Queen has been on the throne for 63 years which is longer than any other British monarch, including her great-grandmother Queen Victoria.
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Although it was Business As Usual today for The Queen and Prince Philip, who were opening the new Edinburgh to Berwick Railway service, my neighbour and I decided to mark the day in the only fitting way possible ... go out for afternoon tea!  



So we downed our garden tools and headed to Ross Priory on Loch Lomond for the afternoon.



Tea for two in the lounge.


Roses in the courtyard.
 
I REMEMBER WHEN
The only time I have ever seen the Queen was in October 1951 when she (as Princess Elizabeth) was visiting Canada.  She was traveling on the CPR train and made a whistle top at our little town, Salmon Arm, British Columbia, which is was (is!) on the CPR railway line.

Looking up on Google about the Canadian visit I see it was a few months before her father died.  Apparently she was due to leave by boat a month earlier. but "tragedy struck at Balmoral Castle in Scotland. King George VI's health took a visible turn for the worse.

He returned to London to see lung specialists. Later ... the King had to have lung surgery. Elizabeth delayed her visit by one week."


He died February 6, 1952.  Princess Elizabeth, who was in Kenya, immediately became Queen at the age of 25, 63 years ago.

Monday 7 September 2015

IN THE GARDEN WITH ELLIE

Ellie is 7 months old and is now using the high chair.  She is also eating pureed food so is growing fast!



 Out in the park



In the garden.  Every gardener needs a teething ring and face cloth to hand!

Sunday 6 September 2015

THE DAYS ARE GETTING SHORTER

The sun is setting sooner each day now.


This is the sun going down out of my west window.



I  just caught the last of the light on these pansies today.



Tuesday 1 September 2015

TWO TEEF TOMATO

We had a laugh at Alastair's expense on Sunday when they were all over for a meal in the back garden sit-ootery.


Alastair, 7 and and a half years old, is now missing his 2 front teeth.


 
At the back door I have 3 tomato plants given to me by my lovely neighbour, Jack.  Alastair loves raw vegetables so I showed him the tomatoes growing on the vine and that the idea was to pick and eat the ripe, red ones, not the green ones (which he had done last week and brought it in the house to show me).
 
There was only one problem - he couldn't bite into it 'cause he was missing his front teeth!  John and I told him that we should find a plant scientist and get him/her to produce a new variety of tomato ...one that comes with 2 front teeth to enable 7 year olds to eat them!