HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LYNN!!!

 Hope this day is as fun as birthdays past! Wish I could be there to celebrate with you!

 

Love, The Daughter Who Got NONE Of The Parents' Good Looks!

My Day in Flowers

If these photos are looking blurry or pixelated on your screen (they certainly are on mine), it might help to click on them... (Update: fixed the problem!)

Sunbathing

As I approached the garden pond the other day to see if I could spy the turtle in the water, I was shocked to come upon this sight:

It just didn't look right! Fortunately, though, Turtle was just sunbathing in the most awkward, uncomfortable-looking manner on top of some random rocks I had lying around to anchor landscape fabric.

The scene improved when Turtle retracted his/her neck a bit at my approach, casting a wary eye my direction.

Poor thing is blanketed by the floating plants that seem to have entirely taken over the water garden.

I'm just glad all is well and Turtle is enjoying his/her stay in our little pond! (Not that you can tell from that expression…!)

Bye for Now

Mom and I are off to Edinburgh, and I won't be able to post again until next Tuesday evening.  I'll leave you with a few snaps of my garden -- happy weekend!

Duns Churchyard

Felipe Returns

Dear Amy,

I have excelled as a (somewhat caffeinated) tour guide today, warming Mom up with a stroll around the garden followed by a walk on the path behind the houses, and then taking in the Northumberland countryside with stops in Etal (including lunch at the Lavender Tea Rooms), Ford, and Ancroft (to see the 11th century; or at least that's what the pointy sign said...in fact, it was a church built in the 11th century.  A bit disappointing when you were hoping to see the whole century, but it was some consolation to learn that the church -- St. Anne's -- was named "for Jesus' granny").  We motored to Berwick for a converter (Mom) and waterproof trousers (small boy, for a field trip tomorrow), making a detour so I could show off Cocklawburn Beach.  And on the way home, we drove past Norham Castle and visited the church and the enchanted circle of ancient yew trees.

Then we fed her some grilled-veg pizza and salad, and eventually two teens and a small fella walked her (and her clean laundry) across the green to her lovely lodgings.

What -- photos, you ask?  No, I say.  I forgot to take my camera (I know, right?!), and Mom's phone was charging here at the house.  I did manage a rather lame snap of my lunch, taken with my cheap emergency phone, but then couldn't work out how to import it to the laptop.

But just as I was sitting here about to succumb to despair about my lack of blog-post material, I glanced out the conservatory window and saw this.

Here's hoping that a blurry nervous pheasant is better than nothing at all...

Love, Lynn

Another Hastily Composed Floral Still Life

I challenged myself to post at least one photo every day in May, but that gets tricky on days like today.  I spent the first part prowling charity shops with a friend (result: these books, this twirly skirt), and the second part driving to and from the Edinburgh airport with my lads -- to pick up my mother!  She is fresh from two weeks in France, and none the worse for wear (in spite of a fast-paced château-bagging schedule).  No doubt we will have some bloggable adventures in the coming weeks...

Favorite Things

Flowers, and books about flowers.

Much-Needed Rain

Mother's Day

Iris

These iris grew from bulbs I dug up at Grandma's house before we turned it over to new owners. I planted them under a tree that was a memorial to our kitty Barbaloot, so I think of the area as a little memorial garden. The flowers looked so lovely at sunset the other day, so this seemed a fitting photo for today.

Aunt Jean

Jean Marie Haag

1922-2015

I like to think she waited around until after all of her little brothers had been safely launched to the other side.

Water Avens

Today I made a new friend.

Camouflage

"I'm pretty sure no one can see me with my expertly placed camouflage elements."

Alnwick

One of the loveliest things about living a stone's throw from Northumberland is being in close proximity to my dear friend Tess, "met" via blogging some seven years ago.  Since I moved to Scotland, we have met monthly to eat, chat, drink a cuppa or two, and engage in activities ranging from gallery browsing to beach walking to searching out the perfect used teapot.

Today we had a wander around the spectacular Alnwick Garden, where tulips reigned and apple blossom was just coming on.

We admired that extra little celestial touch on the delphinium supports.

And although the cherry orchard was slightly past the billowing white cloud phase, it impressed nonetheless.

The veg garden featured some spectacular scarecrows (not shown: a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle)...

 ...and some excellent planters.


Next visit:  the castle, perhaps?

Flowers in an Oil Can

Gathered from the garden during the tiniest gap between rains this afternoon.

(And yes, a couple of the plants are "weeds," but that never stops me!)