The days are long and warm and are passing by far too quickly for my liking. There is so much to do and so little time to do it. The garden is growing madly now and I could quite easily spend my entire days gardening.
The greenhouse is full of tomatoes along with peppers, chilies, courgettes, squash and melons. To my horror the first melons fell off, but they have been replaced by new fruits, I simply MUST grow melons this year….or I shall give up!
The water lily has taken over the small front pond so I will need to pull it out in the autumn and split it, I have never done that before so shall have to research how to go about it. Isn’t the internet fantastic for such fact finding searches? You can find out almost anything!
I was face-painting yet again last Sunday, this time for the rescue open day. Hundreds flooded through the doors so it looks like a tidy sum was raised, and the sun shone the entire day. This little girl was very specific re her butterfly, it simply HAD to match her dress…. I have no doubt she will be a model when she grows up! Such fashion sense!
Hubs brought the dogs over, they simply loved seeing all the other dogs and were so happy to find me face painting! And of course bandannas are worn for such special occasions. Sams’ has lots of holes in his were Annie has ragged him around.
Afterwards daughter and I enjoyed a few glasses of wine in the courtyard ….my reward you see!
The rescue wanted paintings of horses and border collies for the remaining Christmas cards…out of this batch they chose the white horses in the snowstorm and the painting of my little Annie which I painted from a photograph of her last Christmas.
My lovely little Annie……ah bless!
Now, do you remember the four great tit chicks that I hand reared at home a while ago? Well, here they are, all grown up and self feeding. Soon they will go into an aviary and then will be released into the rescue gardens where food is left out for them. It was so funny watching them learn to feed, one caught on fast and then spent weeks feeding the other three!
This starling chick came in when it was tiny and bald, and now it too is beginning to learn to feed itself.
Yesterday this beautiful swallow came in, I hate to see these birds in captivity, they are so much wilder than garden birds and watch you like a hawk! This one had been found stuck to flypaper, and now has sticky feathers so is unable to fly. Hopefully once the feathers are cleaned it can go immediately.
Please ignore the little black fence, AND the long grass. The fence is protecting the tiny box hedge that I have extended either side of the circle. It’s so funny seeing the dogs leaping over it!
After the dodgy release of the wood pigeon last week I was a little nervous about releasing these three pigeons….thankfully they all went off beautifully. I’ve lost count of how many birds I’ve released here now. It must be in the hundreds.
Now the rescue is being flooded by tiny hedgehogs as well as chicks, some of them weigh less than 100 grams. At least they are breeding at the correct time so the autumn litter should be on schedule.
My little peach tree had leaf curl earlier in the year, I pulled all the curly leaves off and it seems to be doing all right, BUT, just look at the strange looking fruit…..now I wonder if these sad specimens will develop into peaches or drop off…
And finally…..
I picked the first potatoes yesterday, all these came from one plant and I have about sixty so it looks like it’s going to be a good year for the spuds. It was so nice to be able to gather some peas, broad beans and kale and make a lovely home grown meal. You just can’t beat it can you….sighs…
A lovely post. I am in awe of your amazing painting. I love the one of Annie curled up on a chair- very Matisse.
Your work with the baby birds is fantastic. My son and daughter in law have raised two tiny bald babies, a starling and a blue tit, so I know what hard work it is.
I have given up on peach and nectarine trees, they always get totally disfigured by peach leaf curl and if you don’ t like spraying there doesn’ t seem much to be done.
Lots of lovely potatoes. There’ s nothing quite like digging up your own home grown ones.
Why thank you! I am rather thrilled to have my little Annie on the Christmas cards….
Oh bless son and DIL…..what sweeties they are, oh yes, it sure is a lot of work, I do pity the poor parents.
Leaf curl is a real pain isn’t it, I’m wondering what is going to happen to those peaches. I find hosing the tree daily helps a little.
It is marvelous digging spuds…..thanks Chloris.xxx
Summer is flying by isn’t it? Can we really be heading into the middle of July?
I am a great softy because I found it touching that one of the baby tits taught the others in the cage to feed themselves. It’s nice to think that even animals can be kind.
What a haul of spuds you have! I couldn’t live without potatoes. It would be marvellous to have home grown ones and vegetables to eat.
Summer seems to flash by and yet how the winter drags! Awwww…..you would have loved watching them, the way one became mommy was very touching. Animals can have such a sensitivity towards each other can’t they….bless them. You’ll have to grow some spuds next year, you just can’t beat them. Thanks Jennifer.xxx
I loved the girl with the butterfly on her face. You have a wonderful talent. I hope you photograph all of your work of that kind!
Ahhh, thanks Shimon, sadly , because the face painting queue is always so long I have to hurry painting each face and feel the painting could be better. And I only get chance to get the odd pic or two. I love it when the kids look at their painted face in the mirror, Always priceless!xxx
I especially loved the painting of the smiling dog in the chair. Love!
Thanks Jayne, that was my little Annie last Christmas day. Thanks for visiting.xxx
As always a most enjoyable post and terrific pictures. It sure is flying by far too quickly.
You’ve certainly been busy one way and another.
I hope you enjoyed the potatoes. xx
I did enjoy the potatoes, and it’s great to see how many more there are to come. I hope the summer stays fair…..thanks Flighty.xxx
Bro-in-law called up earlier in the week with a couple of lettuces and a pile of new potatoes, both from his garden. You’re right you can’t beat it, when the lettuce is without holes in leaves and you can cook a whole potato without having to prepare them by working round bore holes. (Hubs is trying to grow potatoes again in the slug-ridden potato patch we have, this time taking measures).
You’ve a lot going on in your garden and at the centre. You talk of summer flitting by, we are still waiting for it to arrive!
Oh dear…..holey lettuce and bore holes do not sound fun. Sounds like brother is having a hard time with pests!
I do hope hubs gets some decent potatoes, I shall send him luck!
Oh no…..really, it’s still cold there??? That is NOT fair, not at all! Thanks Menhir.xxx
The sterling chick is so cute! Good load of potatoes. Does this mean my christmas dinner roasties are going to be home grown this year? x
Lol….yes, I think spuds may be on the menu! Thanks Scarlett.xxx
I always enjoy looking around your garden, Dina. Lots of home grown veg with more to follow. Wishing you success with the melon growing! Poor swallow! The flypaper incident must have been distressing for it. I can’t imagine how that happened and hope you can clean its feathers and then release it a.s.a.p. You’ve had many good moments this week and I hope you have a good weekend!
I love homegrown veg, it just seems so much healthier, and it’s certainly fresher isn’t it….
The swallow must have been terrified poor thing, I’m confident it will be released really soon, they are such stunning little birds aren’t they. Thanks Linda, you have a wonderful weekend too.xxx
Wow – your greenhouse is looking so productive – are they courgettes in those small pots – I can’t believe they have flowers on – mine in the soil have no flowers on yet – what’s going on! A great haul of potatoes too – there’s nothing like the taste of homegrown is there. What a selection of birdies you have at the moment – it does make you wonder if they all actually survive when they are released with no mom to show them what to do, or maybe they just use their instinct – I do hope so. Love the picture of your daughter and the dog smiling, delightful.
Yes those are courgettes, and squash and melons. Funnily enough, the courgettes etc are further on in the veggie patch, I’ve had a few courgettes from there….you can’t second guess what will grow can you?
I just adore home grown spuds, you really can tell the difference…..so yummy.
I used to worry about the youngsters coping when released, we leave them in avairys where they will be released so they watch the other birds on all the feeders….then the doors are opened and they flit in and out until they are confident to eventually go. It’s lovely to see them around. The only birds we can’t release there are the pigeons as they get shot by farmers. Lol….I like the smiling pic too. Thanks Elaine.xxx
I was just reveling in the long languid evening and thinking of writing an ode to summer days. But then I remembered that I couldn’t write an ode if my life depended on it. Don’t you wish these days would last several months at least?
Your diligent work is paying dividends, my friend. Look at all that luscious green growth! And those spuds look mighty fine. I’m so glad you share glimpses of your artistry. That Annie looks positively beatific 🙂
Hahahahaha….oh go for it and write an ode to summer, I’m quite sure it would be fab!
I certainly DO wish these days would last a few more months, I can’t abide dark evenings!
Now I wish you could have done something marvelous with those spuds….maybe something with chili flakes….they were delicious, I boiled them with the kale, peas and spring onions, all home grown, then popped a few fried eggs on top. Lovely it was. Thanks Anne.xxx
Your potatoes, kale, peas, and onions sound terrific, esp with the eggs on top. Don’t eggs make everything complete?
I think I will spare the world my odes. I do love evenings of quiet reading while the sunshine brightens every window. We’ll savor each one and try not to rush.
I couldn’t agree more re the eggs….they do enhance so many dishes.
Yes, we really have to make the most of each and every summers day, such a gift!xxx
I remember that picture of Annie! She looked so blissed out on the chair, sound asleep. 🙂 That’s interesting that one chick took on the parenting role for the other two. What intelligent, adaptable birds. 🙂 I love your face painting!! So beautiful!
How lovely that you remember the Annie pic from last Christmas, she was sooooooo tired, it’s rather nice that she will adorn the Christmas cards. How true re the chicks, they are such wonderful little birds to watch, they have us fascinated.Thanks Casa.xxx
I love your paintings and the little girl’s amazing painted butterfly face and all the burgeoning vegetables and so look lovely in your green house.
Those peaches look very strange and unexpected – I await their final manifestation with great interest….
The garden looks very dignified with those big leafy trees somehow… all looks good! It is a wonderful time of year isn’t it- and so nice to have all the greenery and flowers and everything.
Glad the release of the birds was successful – and I can’t believe all these baby hedgehogs being brought in… I wonder what has happened to the parents etc. xxxx
Thanks Arose, I love to go into the greenhouse each day, seeing the fruits form is always lovely. I must say I have some strange looking tomatoes though, it looks like three have grown together!
The poor peaches….sighs….I doubt I’ll be eating them!
I love the huge beech trees, I always have my lunch out there and listen to them rustling, there is a huge colony of jackdaws there too that dance about in the trees.
I always wonder what has happened to the hog parents…..they are so small and sweet. Thanks Arose.xxx
Our peach tree hasn’t recovered from peach leaf curl yet but the nectarine is doing a little better.
Loved how the young great tit fed its siblings!
I hope your peach recovers, it’s horrible to see the spotty leaves isn’t it, I hope mine sorts itself.
Those chicks have provided endless hours of entertainment! Thanks Sue.xxx
Wow, Dina! I would never wash again if you painted a butterfly like that on my face! 🙂 How beautiful… And how well Sam and Annie (and your sweet husband) are looking, too! Your daughter is such a beauty; I always love to see her smile. They are clearly so very proud of your mighty gifts. 🙂
I’m glad to hear the releases are going more positively, after all the hard work and love that goes into nursing these precious bundles back to health and readiness for their wild lives.
Your gardens look smashing: I LOVE potatoes and did not plant any this year…I miss them! Unearthing them is like digging for treasure.
You’re not kidding about summer flying by. Ever since we returned home, I’ve been cooking and baking and freezing up a storm for our anniversary party, in-between gardening and seeing all the friends who “emerge” when winter finally ends. 🙂 Yikes! Embarrassed not to be writing much, but enjoying the fullness of it all. 🙂
Thank you for taking time from all you do to write, photograph, and share your golden spirit. So blessed to enjoy your lovely slices of life.
I was so relieved when the birds went off well, sometimes a poor release affects your confidence.
Oh dear….no taters again???? Lol, you MUST plant some next year, as you say there is nothing better than foraging around amongst the soil and coming up with lots of jewels….and cooked with a little salt and pepper with butter….YUM!
It must be so exciting preparing for your party, an event like that certainly gets the house and garden sorted, I shall look forward to hearing all about it, but glad you are enjoying life.Thanks so much Kitty.xxx
Seems like a nice summer is going along. Humdity is really bad here except for the last few days. Love the pictures
Thanks Free, here’s hoping you have some better weather.xxx
That’s very sweet that one of the chicks was feeding the others. Good job on the butterfly face painting!
It was lovely to see one chick feeding the others, we haven’t seen that happen before, every time it got a mealworm the other three were all over it! Thanks Jason.xxx
Home grown spuds, nothing nicer. It makes all the hard work so worthwhile when the harvests start appearing. Bless little Annie modelling for you, I’m sure those cards will sell very well for the rescue. Such sweet little birds, fancy that great tit chick catching on about feeding and then helping the others out, bless it.
How true, you forget about all the gardening in the cold, wind and rain when the first produce begins to appear, I do love home grown spuds, unbeatable.
I really hope the cards sell well…..I’m rather pleased to have Annie on one of them.
We were really surprised to see the chick playing mummy, I haven’t seen that before. Thanks Jo.xxx
Wonderful Summer…. Yes! A Season to bear much fruit…and veg…as your post reflects…not to mention all those little ‘offspring’ of Mother Nature! You are having a fabulous time…to be sure.
May all go well for you…for the rest of Summer. Hugs! xx
You just can’t beat a good summer can you, we are having some lovely sunny days and it tends to rain at night which suits me fine. Thanks Bushka.xxx
Ahhh, that’s what I need, a nice cool glass of wine! Great to see the garden and veggies coming on so well. Melons eh, I’ve always thought they would be a lot of hard work, perhaps I should try them next year. Maybe see how you get on first.. !
You just can’t beat a nice chilled glass of wine or two on a warm summer evening can you.
I have tried to grow melons for years now and this was to be my last attempt, usually the slugs get them despite my best efforts. To see fruit appearing has raised my hopes….I do hope the new fruits stay on! Thanks Jess.xxx
Ah yes the long, hazy, lazy days of summer..,,nothing quite like them especially when you have a beautiful garden like yours.
Love the paintings and the face painting. What a perfect little model, and I always love to see the dogs, and your beautiful daughter.
Continue to enjoy and may the melons flourish. Oh I love that fresh veg….wish I was your next door neighbour:) xxxxx
I do love summer Janet, the light evenings are just gorgeous aren’t they and you always seem to have more time to do things.
I am keeping a SHARP eye on my melons, to be honest I’ll be astonished if I finally manage to grow any. Thanks Janet, have a lovely weekend.xxx
Such a lovely, lively and life-affirming post – you’ve done it again, Snowbird! Nicest meal in the world – very new potatoes with some proper butter. Bliss … enjoy!
Thanks so much Gilly….I completely agree about the new potatoes, utterly delicious with a nob of butter! It’s so good to know they are organic too.xxx
Lovely post thank you for sharing awesome photo ‘s have a blessed weekend
Thanks Linda, you have a great weekend too.xxx