With the ongoing, maliciously fine, largely rainless, weather my mornings tend to start at 4am when the eye of Sauron inexorably finds a chink in the curtains and blasts me on the forehead. I then shuffle all around the bed looking to recover some shade. With the weary repetition of “are we there yet” fromContinue reading “Thoughts from the patio chair”
Tag Archives: birds
And as for the rest….
After a manic fortnight, with much appreciated help from mum and a posse of others who beavered away in atrocious heat, we made it to the garden open day in reasonable shape. The weather gods smiled and at 8a.m, when I got into the pond for a last minute blanket weed clear, it was almostContinue reading “And as for the rest….”
Public Service Announcement
I’ve been out to check and it’s still horrible. Shelter in place until further notice. We had a tantalisingly sunny day earlier in the week. It had started overcast but by the time Lyra and I hit the trail patches of blue were visible so a skip around the riverside was in order. As weContinue reading “Public Service Announcement”
New Habits
The same, but different is the new Ruthven House motto. We finally unpacked enough boxes to enable Mum to move into her new house in the middle of the month. There remain a number of cardboard hold outs, squirrelled away in corners where Mum thinks I don’t know about them, and a vast realm ofContinue reading “New Habits”
Apologies to my Druidical followers
Yesterday was, in the greater part, spent lugging boxes around and by the end of the day, after a brief segue into Christmas granola making, I was absolutely whacked. I was, as they say, neither use nor ornament. I spent the evening in bed with a cooking sherry, a bar of chocolate and an improvingContinue reading “Apologies to my Druidical followers”
And lo – the cakes were iceth
Normal service has partially resumed. Mum and I have both been too mired in the great unpacking for the sake of our sanity, so we headed out to walk the dog first thing to get a bit of air and, possibly, a touch of perspective. It was a lovely bright morning, with just a touchContinue reading “And lo – the cakes were iceth”
Day five distractions
A need to forage for something to cook with on Saturday took us to Norham this morning. The butcher’s window was festooned with fairy lights and festive papier maché pigs were standing guard over jolly painted cakes. Inside there was much chat of spousal gifting talents (Wendy’s Iain is clearly head and shoulders above theContinue reading “Day five distractions”
Slip sliding away
We are in welly season. We celebrated Lyra’s 6th birthday with a sunny walk along the river in Norham only to find that the “low road” had been converted into a foot deep duck superhighway. Choosing the better part of valour, for once, Mum and I took the high road rather than wade through. EvenContinue reading “Slip sliding away”
from dreaming spires to forest pyres
The beginning of the month brought a spectacular downpour. Lyra was all for waiting it out and retreated to the spot under the table that is just out of easy reach for a woman with a lead. However, when faced with the smell of a venison twisty bar found herself unable to resist. We thenContinue reading “from dreaming spires to forest pyres”
A conflagration of leaves
My tale commences on a wet and windy trip to Norham a couple of weeks ago for essential bacon supplies. Lyra expressed the view that she was happy just to stay in the car and listen to the radio whilst I stocked up, with a view to heading straight back to the fire and theContinue reading “A conflagration of leaves”