Insects and Monsters

Hosta Leaf Veins

The Flying Critter!

Hungry Butterfly!

The Monster....!

Today was a good day for pictures.

Hoverflies and Hellebores

If I may quote my infants school 'News Book'

"No news today!"

Hoverfly,   Eupeodes  corollae   and buttercup

Euphorbia   griffithii

Where have all, the children gone?

The children have all gone to Nice!  The Children's Mother and me have been abandoned to our own devices for a week.

It's very quiet.  Too quiet!  You don't half miss them when they are gone.....

Into our void the rain has fallen to add to our misery. 

The Hawthorn,  Crategus  monogyna  blossom has just burst this week and most of the trees are laden with flower but today the blossom is doing it's best to cope with the wet.

Beside the burn at the cottage there are large and increasing clumps of  Bugle,  Ajuga reptans 

Cheescake!

The Children's Mother and I went to a friend's wedding reception last night at Alnwick Castle.

The wedding and reception were held in the castle garden in front of the magnificent water feature and fountains. Unfortunately it was almost dark when we arrived so no pictures of the fountains but I did grab a shot of the Tree House Restaurant.  Yes there is a wonderful restaurant in this brand new, multi million pound rickety old tree house!

The surprise of the evening was the wedding cake!

Yes, it was cheese ( and delicious!)

My camera ran out of battery after this shot so you will have to trust me that the bride looked radiant and wore the most beautiful, simple but elegant dress I have seen!

Congratulations to Elizabeth and Chris, have a wonderful life together.

Day Trip to Newcastle

I had to take my car into the big city this morning to have it's Mot test, so I delivered it at 9.30 and spent most of the day wandering round Newcastle, filling in time and taking some pictures.  As a result you are all spared more photos of flowers today!   (But tomorrow is another day!)

I thought it would be nice to just use architectural shots for this post and have used some pictures of iconic buildings in the city.  They are in order of construction.

The old Co-operative Society bonded warehouse on the Quayside, now a Malmaison hotel.  date unknown

The Tyne Bridge   date 1928

"River God Tyne"  by David Wynne,  Newcastle Civic Centre   date 1967

The Sage Arts Centre, Gateshead   date 2004

The car passed with flying colours, I am exhausted!!

Rain Drops on Noses!

The forecast rain arrived in moderation but enough to soak everything, including my nose!  One of the girls was off school ill today but I popped out into the garden to snatch a few pictures during one of the breaks in the rain.  The rain on the plants has freshened them up a little after the dry weather of late.

Geranium

Welsh Poppy

All This, and Grass Cutting Too...!

In order to preserve my sanity I spent the morning watching all the current series of "Outnumbered" on I-Player, I feel much better now!

I dashed up to the cottage to check the donkeys and hens and get the lawns cut before the forecast rain tomorrow.   It was a fairly dreary day with not too many opportunities for pictures so when I saw these two plants I took my chance.

 Cornflower   Centaurea montana

Orange Welsh Poppy   Meconopsis cambrica