Hiding

Spot the giant cucumber. There's always one that I fail to see when picking.

The smaller ones are the best to eat. These giant ones don't taste the same. He's gone in the compost bin.

Lots of little grapes hide behind the larger ones and make the grapes to tight together that some go bad. Ideally I have to thin them out in order for the outside grapes to ripen properly.

It's a long process with over 50 bunches on the vine.

The vine also needed another haircut and the tomatoes needed pruning a little as they tend to get leggy.

My fingernails are now a lovely greeny yellow colour.

xx

Guess who

Who's this? Yes, yes, it's me of course, but who else?

Will this help? 

Maybe this. A-ha, a third person.

You'll guess now.

Yes, it was Meanqueen but she was being very nice today when we met up and went for a walk in Cleveleys. Not only did DD and I welcome her but a little puss cat joined in for a fuss. Good job we all three like moggies.

The sun shone ...

the wind blew ...

and the sea sparkled.

not just the sea sparkling!

Plenty of flowers to look at ...

and people to watch.

A very pleasant walk with very pleasant company. 

Thank you for the walking invite, Meanqueen and I hope you enjoyed our little part of the country.

Please check ...

I've just spent the last hour cleaning the back of the radiators in the back room. I thought I was on top of the cleaning but this area seems to be the bit that got away. No, a lot of areas that are dusty and dirty show up once furniture has been taken away. The skirting boards were not that bad but behind the radiators leaved a lot to be desired. The radiators are off and a feather duster from the CS is a very handy tool for cleaning between double radiators. I must make a note to clean a bit more thoroughly once we've decorated. Dare you check behind your radiators? :)

Next step is sanding the parquet floor. Make way for more dust. 

xx

Tops

The hollyhocks have done well and have flowered all the way up their stems almost to the top.

Some have reached the top.

Alas quite a few have become so tall and top heavy that gravity has taken over and the plants have been lowered to the ground.

Time for a tidy up but we're keeping the still upright ones until the very last moment so that we can collect the seed for next year.

This year they've been a complete success as well as a complete surprise.

xx

The time has come ...

... to decorate as it's not been 'done' inside for an awfully long time. The carpets need replacing and every room needs decorating so it's blitz time. Carpets have been rolled up and taken to the tip, furniture moved, sideboard emptied and consequently every room is now a tip. 

Empty sideboard now in the front room

Dining room ready for decorating

Bathroom cupboard emptied

More bathroom stuff

Dining chairs in the hall

Sideboard contents scattered about the bedroom

Oh dear!

One room is now empty and DH has been sanding, filling and painting. Ah - paint. Isn't it hard to find the right colour. We've been backwards and forwards to Bee and Queue trying out colour samples and looking at them in different corners of rooms. Colours have got to 'go' with the colour of the furniture and also with one ceiling which we're not painting.

It took a week to paint the ceiling last time.

Ah - paint. Isn't it expensive! Wow.

The bathroom's makeover involves changing a radiator and changing taps. Ah - taps. Isn't it hard to find taps that will fit existing baths etc.  Ah - taps. When looking for taps in the bathroom store we found it very difficult not to look at other items too so we came away with a new basin unit as well as the taps. Oh, and a new mirror too. We are going to be kept busy for quite a while, methinks.

xx

It's a walk in the park*

A very pleasant walk today in the local park. There's a line of trees at the entrance that commemorate  conflicts from 1945 to the present day.

About 20 trees in all. So sad to think of the people who have died throughout all those years.

Along the walkways and on the grass was this fluffy stuff, obviously seeds of some sort. It looked as though it had just snowed.

The gardens were perfect with flower borders in full bloom and the yews newly clipped.

Oh there's the fluffy stuff again.

People in the park were doing what people in parks should be doing - enjoying themselves in all sorts of ways - listening to the band,

walking - oh there's that fluffy stuff again!

Boating,

feeding the swans and ducks,

eating ice-cream,

feeding the pigeons aswell.

No one was playing crazy golf.

There were families picnicking and playing cricket,

others sitting or enjoying a snack at the cafe.

Some intrepid souls were 'going ape' high up in the air.

For me it was just 'a walk in the park'.

* It's a walk in the park.

xx