This Is Getting Ridiculous Now

Hello Friends!

First, I must apologise for how photo heavy my last entry was. I hadn't realised until after I had posted it just how many photos of the garden flowers I had put in. It's a good job I didn't enlarge them which I normally do.  Mind I have a feeling this one's going to be fairly photo heavy too.

This is getting ridiculous. In a good way, though.  They've got only gone and picked another photo of mine to put in the local paper. I'm losing count now. This must be number five, or possibly even 6?  Only difference is this time, I'm getting a slot as photo of the day next Wednesday. So I've stepped up a notch LoL If they stop putting me in print, I'm sure I'll get withdrawal symptoms. More LoL.
Here's the selected photo of a female Common Blue, but it's such a pretty blue I don't think there's anything common about it, do you? The male, which I've yet to see, is a very pretty blue all over.  Stunning!  It's on mint flowers.

Here's a little montage I made of different shots.

Female under wing

I recently found thousands of photos stored on old laptops, old. USB sticks, and CD's, you name it, probably. around 8000 photos.  So it took me a couple of days to do it all but I slowly managed to upload them all onto one computer. Since then, I've been sorting them out. It's a long task. I've probably done just a couple of thousand so there's a long way to go with them. and I know I've got a few thousand more stored on some other old laptops. I've been having to store these laptops while I make the time to get the photos off them.  So as we're on a theme of butterflies, here's a few more different butterfly photos that I've uploaded recently.

Large White

Meadow Brown

Plume Moth

Orange Tip Butterfly Male

underside 

Brown Plume Moth

Cabbage White

Ermine Moth

Tortoiseshell Butterfly

Red Admiral

Brown Angle Shades Moth

Not sure of this one

Comma Butterfly

Is it any wonder they call the Buddleia the butterfly tree?

I have done my best to identify the butterflies and moths correctly. However, if you can see anything that I have given the incorrect information, please don't. please don't hesitate to correct it in the comments.

Continuing my theme of flavoured breakfast oats. I've added a few more to my repertoire.. One is Peanut butter and raisin oatmeal cookies, which I do enjoy served warm because that's the best way to eat a cookie fresh out of the oven. I'm still wrestling with how to do a lemon drizzle cake. I think the natural addition would be lemon curd, but I don't want to have to buy a whole jar to keep in the fridge just for the occasional bowl of. bowl of porridge.  On the other hand. putting real lemon juice in it's going to make everything pucker up. Why you're probably puckering now with a watering mouth, just thinking. about lemon juice aren't you?  Blueberry Pecan Muffin is another, with frozen blueberries, toasted pecans and a drizzle of maple syrup.  Hungry yet?

Until next time

Stay safe stay well

Debbie xx 

A Foraging Charm

Hello, friends!

There are somethings that I never tidy up, or dead head, in the garden until spring, simply because the birds love the seed heads and it's actually good for them to keep foraging naturally. Although if you regularly feed the birds on a table and from feeders, don't stop! I do both.  It's important that the birds keep foraging because it stops them from becoming lazy and relying on us feeding them their supplementary seeds and meal worms etc. 

Most afternoons now, between three and four, I can almost set my watch by them as they come in to feed.

We have a neighbourhood charm of goldfinches that swoops in most afternoons around 3:30. They settle on the verbena bonariensis and tuck in. They're not the best of pictures but in my defence I was taking them through the window.

I took these the following afternoon, taking advantage of the fine weather, while it still holds.  Given the lack of definition in the markings and the lack of red with minimal gold markings on the head, I'm wondering if this is a fledgling from this year? It is feeding on what is left of the Evening Primrose.

Thank you for stopping by

Until next time

Stay safe, stay well

Debbie xo

Meanwhile, A Trip to the Tip!

Hello Friends!

Goodness, it's been three weeks, most of which have been utterly glorious Summery weather, since I last wrote. If we have had the odd rainy day then it's gone mostly unnoticed, blanketed by blue skies and warm sunshine, and lazy ocean breezes billowing gently across sun baked hay meadows and ripening corn fields.

Welcome to my new followers! Thank you, and I am thrilled you now follow my ramblings.

I have a little news to share!  I started a new job on July 1st, and this is the reason why I haven't written an entry here for a short while.  I applied and interviewed in June, and shortly after was told I was the successful candidate! Yay Me!!!  It's part time, and that suits me well right now. It's taking a little getting used to, but I do love it.  My official title is Retail Assistant, but it also involves giving out a lot of information on the area to tourists and visitors who are looking for things to do, places to visit, and general things that all tourists need help with. I love helping people, and I simply love it!  Oh, it's with the National Trust, by the way. Many of you will know I am a huge fan of the National Trust, and I know many of you share my passion, so I am doubly happy to have got this job.  I am so grateful to them for giving me the opportunity to work for them.

So, today is a day off and when my lovely neighbour asked if I would like to go to the "tip" with her, I jumped at the chance.  Those of you who know me well know that I can get a little excited over a trip to the tip {officially, it's the Civic Amenity and Recycling Centre} as it brings back such happy memories of going there with my Dad when we had rubbish to take for recycling, and we would always route around to see if there was someone else's unwanted treasure that we could use. I've always been a recycler long before it was fashionable, you see.  Off we went to take away her garden waste, and I could not resist taking photos of all the flowers growing around the centre, they are such a haven for wildlife!  Here are a few.

There was a huge bank of Convolvulus and the pristine white flowers were simply gigantic! It has many names, including bindweed and morning glory, but is generally considered the bane of gardeners and farmers alike as it chokes out everything in its creeping path.  Did you know there are over 1,650 species of Convolvulus?  Neither did I.  I think it is a very beautiful plant.

A hedge full of all sorts of wild flowers, and some that may have seeded from the nearby composting centre

I love umbelliferous plants of any kind. Their flower and seed heads make my heart go pitter patter and the birds will feed happily for many weeks to come.

Teasels in a tiny patch by some giant concrete monoliths. Loved by goldfinches particularly, and also by me to put in dried arrangements for Autumn decorating.

I think this one is having a 1980's style aerobic workout!

Another umbel gone to seed

Such a pretty colour on the sorrel plant. As a child, I would pull all the seeds off in my hand and scatter them like confetti as I walked the country byways with my Nanna. Little did I know my sweet game was spreading the seeds far and wide!

Buddleias abounded everywhere! Butterflies will be in abundance when the sun comes out, for sure.

One of the fun things is finding new treasures from the discarded items others have brought to recycle, and today I found these two, tiny cut glass bowls. I think they may be salt cellars, but whatever they are, they are pretty, vintage pieces that I am happy to give a new home.

Uh oh! As we approach the junction back on to the main road, we suddenly discover we will be stuck behind a tractor pulling a trailer full of hay bales. The joys of Summer in the country!

Soon enough, though, he turns into the farm lane and once again we are on our way!

So, I hope you enjoyed your little trip to the tip!  I am gathering material for more gardening entries, but you will have to bear with me as I adjust to working and I settle down into my new routine.

Until next time
Deborah xo