Miles and miles of empty beach, heavenly!
Daughter and her partner have now found a house and shall be moving out soon…..but first it needs to be decorated and as they have no time to take off work hubs and I have taken two weeks off to get the place sorted. For the first five days things went well and the hideous lime green and bright orange walls and ceilings began to disappear, but then, yesterday, the sun came out and so we downed tools and decided to play out for a few days…what skivers eh?
We are really lucky as we have the beach and the pinewoods on our doorstep so we headed straight down there with the dogs, Sam absolutely loves it as he can be let off his lead on the beach.
Yesterday hubs and I were rather miffed. There we were enjoying a simply heavenly walk when we suddenly stumbled across an aging hippy in the woods….as you do….and he decided to get off his bike and walk along with us.
Honestly, he nearly drove the pair of us mad; he droned on and on in an expressionless voice for hours, talking at us non-stop he described how he’d been cycling around for two months…I swear he talked us through EVERY darn road he’d pedaled, then he moved onto the hippy house where he lives, his spliffs and how whisky should be drunk with a tiny drop of water!!!! In the end I had to put Annie on the lead as I couldn’t concentrate on where she was and it seemed rude constantly interrupting hippy man by hollering, “Back, Come, Wait” etc….Ruined our walk he did! RUINED it!
We took a different route through the woods today, once bitten and all that!
The sudden heat has seen an influx of bees and butterflies so I’ve had to keep topping the bird bath up with water. This statue is called Mother Nature and her companions are the all-knowing owls, they are there, hidden in the foliage!
While cycling, it struck me how autumnal everything suddenly looked. Fallen leaves and berries are absolutely everywhere which is good news as they will provide lots of food for all the endless doves and wood pigeons I’ve released, I always worry that they won’t find enough to eat.
I am now inundated with tomatoes, after taking a veritable AGE to ripen, now I have a good thirty a day, they are in the veggie patch and the greenhouse and I’ve now removed most of the leaves and am just letting the remaining fruit ripen. I also have far too many taters and carrots…somehow I need to find time to start cooking and freezing…but not while the sun is shining!
We had a windfall this week too, a neighbour cut a tree down and sent all the nicely sized logs over, how smashin’ is that eh? That will keep our chiminea burning for years and hopefully we’ll have a log burner installed before winter kicks in.
Now….here’s a mystery for you, I was a MOST puzzled to find that four animals are missing from my ancient screen, see those spaces? Empty! Where’s me critters gone? I thought maybe they had snapped and fallen but no….they’ve vanished!
I was at the Southport flower show recently and bought myself another wind whirlygig, can you see it in that blue pot, a wrought iron crow with a little hat on, lets hope that doesn’t go awol too….
I’m really amazed at how the passion vine and the clematis montana have clambered up the felled tree in such a short time, hopefully small birds can nest in there next year, well that’s the plan anyway!
For some strange reason, Annie has decided that my table in the courtyard is a good place to sit, Sam is having a terrible influence on that collie! It’s proving rather difficult attempting to paint out there now….
Curly cat is simply LOVING the catmint I planted for him….but is simply HATING
Comfrey, the three legged cat that has moved into the garden. It’s an out and out turf war and keeping the peace aint easy!. Don’t the wars come easy…and don’t the peace come hard….not my words, came from a song…
And finally….
Skull Doug in the stocks there and his ghost Dawg have a new pal….Denzil, he moved in recently and they are all getting along beautifully, unlike the cats…….
Do you still get red squirrels in the pinewoods in Formby? What a shame having your walk spoilt, you are just too nice, that’s your trouble. And what lovely parents doing your daughter’s decorating.
Fabulous to get so much garden bounty.
One year I shall come up for Southport Flower Show, did you enjoy it?
We sure would! Anytime is good for me!xxx
Ha, ha. I always seem to get people trying to latch onto me too. However, I don’t tolerate them as easily as I used to. I value my solitude and peace. Glad to hear that you mixed a little pleasure with your work. Having the beach nearby is wonderful for you. I’m envious ! 😀
And that screen – are you sure that no animals could have dislodged them and carried them off ? I ask because I heard a strange story from the carpenter who was doing some work on my front door last week. He told me that he was repairing some windows at an old stately home-type place and when he came back the following morning, the putty was missing from the windows nearest the ground. It was a bit of a mystery, but he put some more putty in and went home. They next day the same thing had happened. He discovered that it was the chickens pecking the fresh putty out because of the linseed oil in it !!
Those pesky creatures eh ? :))
Your garden is still producing for you, so long may it continue. I am still picking leaves from my lettuces grown in a container. I bought a pack of ‘living lettuces’ from the supermarket a couple of months ago. The pack said to put them on the window ledge and pick from them at little at a time. They were only supposed to last for a few weeks. I planted them out with more space between them and they have come on so well they they are not showing any signs of dying off. They haven’t gone to seed yet either. I am chuffed with that 😀
Thanks for sharing all the things you get up to. You will never know how may ideas you have given me for my own garden. :yes:
Gosh, now it never occurred to me that an animal may have taken the animals, we have lots of magpies and red squirrels, maybe they took a shine to them! The chickens in the rescue will peck at anything too, I have sequins on my shoes, and week after week they pecked them off, they do love all things shiny!!!
Now that is interesting to hear about the lettuce, I’ve seen them but as I always grow my own I’ve never bothered, but shall now as you have done so well with them….there you go you see…..we all get ideas from each other. If you are ever up/down my way you must call in…..a good chinwag we would have for sure! Thanks Keggs.xxx
I would love to pop in for a chinwag. We would certainly have LOTS to talk about.
Enjoyed your Enjoyed your post and all those images. I’ve added my Peters Place link, because I’m phasing out my Blogger blogs. I have a couple of new posts at the Green Planet http://worldofcae.blogspot.com
Thanks Peter. I shall pop over.xxx
Aren’t you and your hubby nice to do all that work on your daughter’s new place. Too bad the hippy ruined your walk along the beach. How odd about the missing animals in the screen! Hope the waring cats kiss and make up. Cats can be even more territorial than dogs.
Thanks Jennifer, she is a lovely daughter so it’s our pleasure! We often get people latching onto us, and it’s always when you want to enjoy the peace and quiet. It is a mystery as to what happened to the animals and such a shame to ruin such an old piece…..oh those cats….keeping the peace is time consuming! Thanks Jennifer.xxx
Wow I love the huge expanse of beach! I remember going on a school trip to Formby when I was a child living in Cheshire…:) and one of the little boys threw a rotting starfish at me… 🙁
What a shame about the missing animals off the screen 🙁 Kids? Must be… but odd if they didn’t break the plants and pots at the same time. what a mystery!
I would love to give Annie a big kiss – she looks lovely sitting up on the table!
How lovely that the taters and toms etc as so plentiful. I am dealing with cooking apples bit by bit but so many are bitten it isn’t a problem….
Lovely post. Oh the wretched pain in the ear hole hippy bod…. hmmmm… what rotten luck 🙁 Hope he has bored himself to oblivion elsewhere!! xxx
He threw a rotting starfish at you????? Yikes, what a little horror!!!I was a bit miffed about my screen, it’s ancient and has been made by hand in Iraq……ah well, at least they left a few on and a rather neat arrangement!
It’s often the way when you want to enjoy a walk in silence that a chatterbox comes along…..sighs…
I shall give Annie several big kisses from you!!! Thanks Arose.xxx
Not skivers at all! You must play while the sun shines. Or perhaps I’ve got that quote wrong… Anyway, the beach looks wonderful, all open and free.
I started to comment earlier, but got distracted by your mention of the Montana clem. I’ve killed three (or is it four) of their variety and went haring off to see if anybody was selling ‘Snowdrift’. But sanity returned and I have decided to be content with my lot. And admire your Montana 😉
Ah, the cat conflicts. I do hope they can come to an agreeable co-existence.
Lol….I like that quote just the way it is! And yes, it’s one’s duty to try and enjoy a little sunshine.
I hate to rub it in, but I have two montanas growing away like their is no tomorrow….now what is their problem with your climate? Go for it…..treat yourself to a snowdrift…..bury it’s roots double deep and stick it’s head in the sun! Foolproof?????
Cats…..you wouldn’t believe the STRESS they’ve caused me this week!xxx
🙂 With the patience you’ve exercised… you’ve earned many merits!
And that poor hippy could converse with someone, instead of going for a monologue with himself 😉
Are you getting ready for the fall season jet?
Hugs :-)c
Lol….yes, a two-sided conversation would have been much better!!!
Autumn has come swiftly, falling leaves are now everywhere and a chill is noticeable in the evenings, having said that we’ve had two weeks of simply lovely weather, but there is talk of change and more unpredictable weather coming our way. Thanks Claudine.xxx
What a busy week! How wonderful to be able to help your daughter out that way, Dina! Happy for her and her partner and their new adventure.
It’s strange how people, like your hippy pal, latch on to us and pour out their stories; as hard as it was for you, it may have offered him such great peace…
Wow: love your gardens and all the very cool statues and whirlygigs you have! Everything looks grand. I’ve just finished–I think–with all the tomatoes. Roasted most of them this year with the onions, peppers, garlic, and tomatoes, basil, and rosemary, then added olives and froze in batches for pizzas and pasta…also made LOTS of tomato soup. I think we got a bit carried away with tomato plants this year, but there you go. 🙂
Annie looks so regal: I think she’s found her throne! 🙂
Peace and joy to your week. May it be hippy-less.
I had a feeling people like that would latch onto you too, I’m convinced they sense something, homeless people and beggars will even tap me on the shoulder from behind and ask for help! I often wonder, why me…I do think the man was lonely and just needed to be around people for a while, he did spoil a rather lovely walk though.
Now that is a marvelous use of your toms….I wouldn’t have thought of adding olives but I certainly will now! Thanks for that. I have lots of toms this year too but you can NEVER have too many! They are such a good basic ingredient.
Lol….yes, I think she has found her throne too! Thanks Kitty.xxx
What a beautiful beach. I’m afraid I would have been much more unfriendly to your hippy companion, I do have a talent for scowling at people until they wander away.
Lol….I always end up feeling sorry for people. I must say that man was a pest, I’ve never known anyone talk so long and hard at us!!! Thanks Jason.xxx
What a lovely beach. You are too kindhearted for your own good letting the old hippy spoil your walk.
Your daughter is lucky to have parents paint her house for her. But lovely for you if they are going to stay living close by.
I suppose having a dog that sits on tables, a three legged cat and a skeleton in the garden is quite normal in Snowbird world.Never a dull moment; I love reading what you have been doing.
Lol, we didn’t really have a choice re the old hippy, he attached himself to us and that was that, a done deal!!! Maybe we were the only people he had a chance to talk at whilst cycling around the country….poor us eh!
Yes, it will be lovely to have them living nearby, just a fifteen minute drive away.
Now when you put it like that I suppose skeletons, three legged cats and dogs on tables are a little….erm…….erm…..odd! Lol, thanks Chloris!xxx
Hello Snowbird, I bet your daughter is relieved to have help with the house. I’m afraid I’d have told the hippie to go away after five minutes of droning – you are kinder than I would have been!
The garden’s lookin’ good :o) I have catmint too, but I’ve pinned an upturned wire hanging basket over the plant to stop the cats totally crushing it. The first plant didn’t last a season, but these have been happy and healthy for around 4 years now despite Sid’s best efforts! The plant grows through the gaps and there’s still plenty of plant to lie on! (She doesn’t like intruders visiting either.)
Rose H
xx
Hi Rose, lovely to hear from you, I do hope all is well with you and yours. Decorating is such a chore isn’t it, but how nice it is when it’s all done and looking pristine, I need to sort my house out too!
What a good idea re the catmint! So far mine is thriving and Curly is always chewing it and rolling on it, I wonder why they like it so…it’s odd how some cats don’t get along ….thanks Rose.xxx
Time for a whiskey with a little water:):) Oh the old hippie story did make me laugh, and Annie on the table is priceless…what a little angel. I love the screen and can’t believe that someone might have taken some of the animals……You need to set up a booby trap….or why didn’t Sam and Annie bark like crazy……???
As for Curly…bless cotton sox…obviously loves the cat mint and maybe that’s what’s attracting the three legged visitor!
I wish I lived closer to you…I would take on some of your veggies,, and a walk on the beach would be fab.
Have a lovely rest of the weekend. xxxx
I don’t drink whisky but that man would have driven me to it….honestly, he just wouldn’t stop talking!
Annie seems to be adopting far too many of Sam’s goofy ways, at least she has great dignity on the table!!! What a shame about the screen, why would anyone want to ruin such a lovely little piece, still it looks good to me….Sam always barks lol….most of the time we take no notice!
The three legged cat sits outside the front door and yowls no-stop, and now Curly cat has to find a spot away from it too yowl too….what gets me about these cats is how trusting they are of me and the dogs, they both behave more like dogs than cats. I think Gandalf must have been along a put an invisible sign on the door telling all cats to come and hang out here!!!
Ah yes, you would love this beach. Thanks Janet, I hope you had a good weekend.xxx
I cannot help feeling that you should have kept calling the dog, the hippie would have carried on mumbling, regardless, I think. If you are so blessed again, go chasing after the dog in the opposite direction ( this, you will see, is not my sweetest side:) ).
Your metal bits must have had attractions for someone’s bravado, it is sort of gnomic movement. Pity you have such nuisances to tolerate.
You’ll have a good harvest in the near future. It means setting to in your own ‘country kitchen’.
Ye pets have ye rounde theyre wee paweses. 😉
Xxx
Hahahahaha….now WHY didn’t I think of that….chasing after the dog would have had Annie running faster and then hubs and Sam would have chased us…..sighs…..the flaw though was the fact he had a bike, I have a horrible feeling that the man would have pedaled furiously after us, maybe he hadn’t spoken to anyone in the two months he had been cycling!!! I tell you what, he wasn’t bringing my sweet side out either!
It was a shame somebody damaged that lovely little screen, hopefully it still looks good….at least whoever it was left a few critters for me!
Aye…..well and truly arounde theyre wee paweses! Thanks Menhir.xxx
Busy as usual and as always some of your encounters. Nowt as strange as folk with regards to who we meet! Great picture of Annie..no table manners there then, bless. Love your posts as always even if I don’t always reply to them. Thank for you.
You have it in a nutshell Karen, there are nowt as strange of folk and this guy was mighty peculiar!!!
Lol….no, table manners seem to have gone out of the window with my dogs! Thanks for commenting, it’s always lovely to hear from you.xxx
Another delightful post …. we must do lunch again before I move. ~x~
We certainly will!xxx
Ha ha ha! Another lovely post. Your garden is so beautiful, full of lovely plants but all done with such love and care for the wildlife! My grandkids would love to run around in it and discover all your hidden treasures … 😉 well you did say you would borrow one …! Whereabouts do you live, so near the beach? It looks East Anglian to me … ???
And it does seem like someone’s nicked your metal animals. What a shame 🙁
Thanks Gilly, the garden is something of a wilderness at the moment, it needs a good sorting out. I accept, send your whole pack of grand kids to my place they’ll love it, when friend’s kids come I set them to finding all the different animal ornaments and create treasure hunts, such fun it is!
We live in Formby, about five minutes from the beach and pinewoods, and yes a pox on who DARED to nick me critters!!!xxx
Busy week…all that work…and still time for leisurely walks in the woods – along the sea etc…..:roll: My! That’s the ideal life style….AND…such a delightful post….Looks like you can start ‘market gardenng’ – all those toms etc…..Thanks for sharing D! Always enjoy your posts…..;) Hugs! xx
Thanks Bushka, it has been a madly busy week, well, apart from the playing out! I am delighted with my toms and have lots of carrots and spuds too….must get cooking and roasting.xxx
A most enjoyable post and terrific pictures, with the one of Annie on the table making me smile.
I think that you were entitled to a skive.
Good to see that your tomatoes have ripened at long last. xx
Thanks Flighty, glad to have been given the thumbs up on skiving, trouble is, once you start it’s hard to stop, we need a day of rain to get back on track. Annie has surprised me with the sudden table perching! She is a cutie though.
It seems to be all or nothing on the tomato front. Thanks Flighty.xxx
Ha ha, I wonder if Annie will now be joining Sam on the table in the beer garden when you visit. Archie loves it on the beach, we’ve had a few trips just recently but I wish we lived close enough so that he could walk there more often. It’s taken a while for the tomatoes to ripen this year, you’re getting a great harvest there.
That’s my guess to Jo….no doubt the two of them will be on the table in the pub now….why are my dogs such characters???? What a shame you don’t have a beach close by, I would miss ours terribly. My toms are so tasty, I need to start cooking them now. Thanks Jo.xxx
I love the look on Annie’s face as she sits on the table. By the way there are times when rude is OK
Annie has the knack of looking incredibly grave and as she is such a sensitive soul I leave her be. It’s also a good height for sneaking more strokes! Oh my, hippy guy had us losing the will to live, and he wouldn’t let either of us get a word in…..xxx
The next person that old bum blabbers to will have to hear all about you and your dogs as he now has one more thing to drone on about. It looks like someone cut away the animals. Maybe cats aren’t the only critter that’s been slinking around the garden.
Hahahaha…I do hope the old guy doesn’t add any more stories, people will be jumping off buildings!
I think you may be right..I think there has been foul play!! Thanks Casa.xxx
I hope all the berries around this year don’t mean a hard winter to come, me and cold get on about as well as your two cats!
I always thought berries predicted a harsh winter but we had lots last year too and I think the winter was reasonable….oh those cats! You wouldn’t believe what I go through just to feed them at different ends of the garden.xxx
Sounds like you have had a busy week. Your daughter is lucky that you were able to help out – you are a softie. That hippy would have driven me mad too he must have been lonely maybe. That was good of your neighbour to give you all that wood – we have a wood burning stove and we don’t half get through so e logs over winter. I love that picture of Annie on the table she has a look that says ‘this is my spot now’ bless her she’s a lovely looking dog. Enjoy the weekend – we’re if on our hols next week – see you when I get back. Take care.
Thanks Elaine, there simply don’t seem to be enough hours in the day at the moment, the poor garden is wilting away and here’s me playing out. How lovely that you have a wood burning stove, I can’t wait for ours to be installed, you just can’t beat them for coziness.I don’t know what Annie is playing at but I don’t have the heart to move her. Have a lovely time!xxx