Visitors

Abbi was here for the weekend with Oscar and Summer and Abbi's friend Magda, from Poland. I didnt remeber to take any photos of them as the weather was mot good but she has sent me some from Barry Island where the went when they left here. 

Magda and Oscar

Summer

After clearing up i did some work on the layout, making the shape of the hills at the other end of the layout. 

Oh what a beautiful morning....

But what a terrible day it turned in to. 

What you can't see are the hailstones! In August.  So back to the polytunnel

I also put the bath under the gutter so that we can float boats with the grandchildren. 

Fruit cage

This morning, dodging the rain clouds, i managed to get the membrane down in the fruit cage. It looks much tidier now. 

This afternoon, when the rain clouds declined to be dodged, i finished the houses on the harbour, with gutters etc. and weathered them. 

Today is Summer's birthday, so this is instead of a card - Happy Birthday Summer. 

No work!

Yesterday was a Pales day so this morning was a paperwork mornig. This afternoon i walked down to the village to help the Vicar with her computer so no work at all.  And we have visitors too. 

Treasure island.

With so many youngsters coming over the next few weeks I thought it might be fun to open up the path to the tunnel and also put a bridge across the stream. 

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3 Some work in the fruit cage, pruning and weeding. 

Fruit cage

And some more work on the harbour buildings. 

Harbour

 

An unexpected visitor

It is rather wonderful to have your evening meal interrupted by a hedgehog looking for food just two feet from the table. He/she chased a moth while we watched, then, having dined, moved off to explore the rest of the garden.

Visitor

After several wet days i managed to cut the grass on Sunday. Today was a shed day!  

More work around the harbour

 

More minor additions to the garden.

 

Still in the shed. Mainly.

I did manage to cut some flowers for the house today. 

Flowers

And i had not noticed that all the figs were ripening. So lots of over ripe figs. Fig jam! With some rhubarb and rosemary. 

Jam

 

In the shed. Mainly.

Weather has not been good. I did get a chance to do some deadheading and to take some close up photos. 

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New granddaughter.

We had visitors last week - hello Roger and Judith. The weather was mot good after they left but a little gardening got done. 

Flower border

Flower border

And some modelling got done over the weekend. 

Harbour

And today we went to Gloucester to visit Steph and Sean and their new daughter, Ella.

Proud Grandad.

 

Home again

Back home to a very wet garden, and no let up at all today.  A week away in the Lake District visiting Arthur. But an opportunity to do some modelling too. 

Houses for the harbour

Houses for the harbour

 

Not a day for outdoor gardening...

But a good day for gardening in the garage. More work done on the river banks and also on the walled garden.

Walled garden, with very wet glue

Work on the riverbanks and more water

 

Sheds and a greenhouse

Also created the blanks for the rest of the houses on the harbour - these will get covered in brickwork or render and roofed. 

Polystyrene blanks

 

Weeding

Maintaining the staus quo in the garden takes up a lot of time. Kate and i worked hard today just keeping on top of the weeds! But sometimes it seems worth it. 

Nice bit.

The walled garden is coming along too. 

Walled garden allotments

   

Feeling smug!

There is a self-satisfied grin on my face today.  On Tuesday the wheeled strimmer died. It had been playing up lately but finally gave up and would not start again. Today was the first opportunity that i had to take it apart and try to fix it. To cut a long story short i found that the exhaust valve sleeve had risen in the cylinder block and was preventing the valve seating propery, therefore no compression. After persuading the sleeve back into postion everything returned to mormal and we now have a functioning strimmer.

The valve sleeve is the ring behind the valve and should be flush with the head.

All fixed

The path through the wilderness if brimming with wild flowers.

Path

 

Green, green grass of home

Yesterday was aPales day so today i was back on the lawn mower. 

Cutting the grass

And spotting flowers as i go.

Flowering shrub

The summer house is disappearing now. 

Creeper

 

Back to work

After two weeks of "holiday" in Scotland it is time to do some work in the garden. Kate has kept on top of the weeds but there are always more. 

Blossoms are blooming

All around

Even the wildflowers are looking good

Yellow toadflax

And some serious work on the strimmer engine