Friday 23 March 2012

Progress


Just a quick update on the garden, which has gone well with the paving, hubby has done well, being fuelled of course with endless cups of tea and eccentric daughter filling the buckets up with sand and stone, anything to keep him sweet and going in the right direction, now he wants to build a pond, but did point out that some feathered friends want to come and stay, and that they desparately need a little house to stay in, so he agreed that hen house would be next (phew, thought we would have to wait another few months for them, but I think the time is getting nearer for them arriving!


Paving layed across the garden and steps going up...

These last two steps now paved, but too slow to take a pic!

So this side looking better, but this side looking like a builders yard!



Lungwort trying desparately to get planted, found this at the health shop, so bought 3 for a pound, just right to fill up nooks and crannies, had seen it at the WI plant sale for 2 pound each, a bargain I think.




Little Miss Fairy waking up from her winter sleep in the lavender, ready for spring


and of course good old Mr 'T' having a jolly good time (on some plastic, that covered the paving up while drying) playing with his 'dolly'



Tomorrow I celebrate my birthday, so who nows what treats will be waiting for me, hopefully!

Bye for now

Tuesday 13 March 2012

Garden Part 1



Today I thought you might like to have a bit of a peek in the garden, its still work in progress, as last year was spent working on the house and the garden was left to its own, apart from some veg growing, but this year hubby has decided that it needs a bit life putting into it, so he's done all the veggie beds, put fruit trees in (these went in last year) and now onto a bit of landscaping.

The garden is very, very, very long and narrow and it goes up hill, so coming out of the back door he has built this shed to put all sorts of not so nice to look at things in, as before it was horrible and smelly, with a blue plastic sheet covering everything up, so now that its all tidy I've added a wire shelf which I used to have in a conservatory, but havent got one here, and a green man which is eccentric daughter's


Umed and arghed about where to put Green Man, but decided on here so he can be seen and spoken to easily!



To the wire shelf added some cones and a pretty viola, the bird has been hanging around for years, hubby even tried to take it to the tip, as he said it had gone rusty, but I explained that that is the look I was after, (stared blankly at me, thinking, what is this woman going on about)




from here we go up steps onto a decking, which was here before we came, wish it was still in its original form of stone steps and walls, but have to make do and mend

from the decking up more steps, eccentric daughter studying the ground work to be done

these will be going...
here

which is at the moment lawn, sort of, really like a field, so hubby wants to get rid of as much grass as he can!

signs of Spring...



Up we go again into the growing area, with fruit trees, rhubarb, and rows of veggies, this pergola has also been built, there was a plastic arch here before but you had to stoop to get through it,  has clematis Montanna growing over it and I am also looking for a climbing rose to put through, which is proving rather hard as I want a really dark red one


through a little blue gate to where stawberries and onions grow, excuse the white window frames, this is hubbys make do and mend, making a green house out of old window frames!



up steps again onto more decking, believe me by the time you get here you need oxygen


but if you turn round you get this view over Bridport



now when you get round the back of the shed you have to be very careful as this is where the goblins and fairies live and soon to be the home of some lovely girly hens (names already chosen) hope they can all live together...



This is what it used to look like, actually this is next doors, hope they don't see this, hubby wants to comendeer this bit as well, as if he hasn't got enough


and of course every garden needs a bit of wildlife...



Hope you have enjoyed the garden, bet you can't wait for Part 2, when hopefully it will be finished or though I think it will be work in progress for a while yet.

Bye





Thursday 8 March 2012

Donkey Days



Last week when we had the lovely day out in Sidmouth, on the way home we called here


the lovely Donkey Santuary this place has a very special air about it, a place of love and calmness creeps over you as your walking round, we have been many times and its always the same, a lady remarked as we were in one of the sheds where the donkeys were feeding and resting, "gosh its like being in church" and it was, a lovely hush filled the air, just the quiet sound of donkeys eating and dozing. 

Its a great day out, there's a lovely cafe serving coffee and cakes and light meals, although we didn't indulge as just eaten the huge pasty Sidmouth.  Lots of seats to have a rest, it was a bit misty so didn't do that, but in the summer or a sunny day its lovely, you can walk down to the beach at Branscombe, it only says its a mile but its a good walk!  A shop selling the usual donkey related things, but they do have some nice Christmas cards later in the year.  If your really lucky and there in the late afternoon and its been raining, you can help to take the donkeys inside, ready for bed.  And best of all its all free, which always pleases hubby and I think he loves it too, although he always says he's not as enthusiastic as me and eccentric daughter!  but never complains if we say we want to go.

So here are some of the furry friends... 


So there we have it, oh just another pic, a new shed is always interesting!



Bye till next time


Friday 2 March 2012

Day Tripping

Today saw us going on a little day trip to...


Sidmouth, a lovely genteel town on the East Devon Coast, with lovely red cliffs and  Regency buildings, it takes you back to days gone by, and lies at the mouth of the River Sid.
I first went to Sidmouth when I was about 15/16, we had gone to visit my Aunty J and Uncle H who lived in Taunton, Uncle H was my Grandmas brother, so Grandma and Grandad came too.  We went to Sidmouth on a coach trip, all of us and we sat on the prom eating sandwiches even taking deckchairs with us! 
So it holds a special place of memories as sadly non of these lovely people are with us anymore.

Lots of shops theres something for everyone...


Vintage Style


This shop has been open about 2 years, but her lovely shop is spoilt by all the scarves hung outside across the window stopping you seeing the lovely things in the window, surely there must be a better place to display scarves!

Like pretty teasets and lace cloths



Also copycats of Cath Kidston bags



Pretty bedding, even if there is SALE signs enhancing the window!


Antiques

Libra Court

Pretty Church gateway

No day trip out would be complete without a rummage in a charity shop would it, one or two in Sidmouth, nothing special except for the Cats Protection, where these lovelys popped up...



Pretty Doors

Interesting meat selection
 
We had a pasty from here for lunch, but forgot to take a pic as that desparate to eat it, and it was delicious.  We had it in here...

Miss Marples shelter, Agatha Christie's, Sleeping Murder filmed in Sidmouth, with the lovely Joan Hickson playing Miss Marple.

Misty beach

Anyone fancy a dip!  What a brave trio.

Posh hotels, wonder how many people have revolved around these doors

and of course ever hopeful, waiting for a bit of pasty!


Hope you enjoyed the day trip to Sidmouth, we certainly did, we also called at the Donkey Sanctury, but our furry friends will have to wait until next time.

Bye