Blackberries and Apples

For the first time in five years, I have apples growing in my back garden.  I didn't even realise I had an apple tree!   I've had pears pretty much every year since I've been here, but now I have apples.  I also have plums - so many that they have bent the branches out of shape, although I won't be eating them this year as I have sacrificed them to the wasps so that they leave everything else alone - and also I have blackberries, tonnes of them.  

Each year, weather permitting, I try and make blackberry brandy, which I bottle into pretty bottles and give away for Christmas.   And, then, when I decant the brandy from the boozy blackberries, I put the blackberries in the freezer to make boozy berry meringue puddings.  Yum!   This year, though, I think I might be making boozy berry and apple puddings instead!  

Buddleia

My garden is currently full of bees and butterflies, the latter especially being attracted by the buddleia.  This tree isn't actually mine - it belongs to the people whose garden backs onto mine and they've let it go a bit wild.  I don't mind at all when it's in flower as it's beautiful, I just don't like it so much when it has stopped flowering and has stopped me getting in my shed!   Geoffrey next door (eighty-four years old with very strict views on tidiness and gardens!) cuts it down as soon as it shows the slightest inclination to sully his very neat plot, and constantly exhorts me to do so too.   I hate cutting anything down before it's even flowered, even if it doesn't actually belong to me.

I live a couple of doors away from the corner of our road, and the road adjoining us is on a slight incline so the gardens get higher and higher, which means, from my sofa, I get to see other people's gardens too and have a snoop!   What is really pleasing is that a number of the gardens in the next road have buddleia trees too and they are all different colours from mine - it's gorgeous!  So from my living room, I can see lilac, bright pink, pale pink and a very dark purple - almost black - buddleia.  No wonder we have so many butterflies around - in fact, Finn was chasing one around my living room earlier on today.

The sad news though is that the flowers on mine/ back garden neighbour's buddleia have died and gone brown now - the above photos were taken a couple of weeks ago - which means only one thing.  Today I'm on lopper patrol and will hopefully be able to access my shed later this afternoon!

Early Morning Swim

We are well and truly experiencing a great summer - we're in the middle of a heatwave which has been going on for weeks now.   I love the summer, but am not very good in the heat - so I'm conscious that it must be so much worse for Finn.   And, because of that, we have changed a lot of our routines - we are going for walks either very early in the morning or much later in the evening when it's cooled right down and isn't so draining.  

I've never been able to keep Finn out of the water when we're out and about - although sometimes I've diverted our route slightly so we're nowhere near temptation for him.  However, I'm positively encouraging him in for a swim now to cool him down - not just the odd paddle, but a proper old swim.   I don't even mind when he comes and shakes himself down near me - I quite like keeping cool that way too now!

We've also started walking much nearer home - the thought of getting into a sweltering car, driving to the beach and then having to drive back again fills me with dread.   And, besides, the schools have broken up for the summer holidays now, so we're giving beaches a wide berth for the next six weeks!  

Finn has quite a varied collection of sticks in the outhouse at the moment.  He very conscientiously carries his stick of the day back home from our walks, but, because I invariably forget to take it back with us the next day, I then have to find another one for him.  Hence they are multiplying!  

Hydrangeas

I love hydrangeas - I know they can be considered a bit old fashioned, but I'm an old fashioned girl, so we're well suited!   I have two huge shrubs in the back garden - one a really bright pink variety and the other a lacy pale pink version.  I'm surprised that the pale pink one does as well as it does - especially given that Finn has taken to digging it up.  I've been wondering whether the people who lived here before buried anything under there - as Finn has dug a considerably sized hole.   Do old bones smell?   I will add it to my "research" list!

I think the brighter pink hydrangea is my favourite - it's a real pop of colour, gorgeous.   And provides a really zingy backdrop to all the other colours in the garden.

I have two climbing hydrangeas in my front garden too, but they don't often flower which is a shame.  They are a creamy white colour - much more muted - and the shoots are beginning to climb and cover the walls which is wonderful, but I just wish they'd flower more.

As for the back garden, it's looking quite pink at the moment - it's all looking a bit coordinated which is probably more pleasing on the eye, but I do love clashes of colour.  I'm waiting for the courgettes and tomatoes to burst into flower, so we have flashes of yellow around to shake it up a bit!

Hevingham Lakes

At the end of June, Andy, Finn and I set off the seven or so miles from Norwich to Hevingham Lakes for a few days camping.   We had been told to expect "unsettled" weather - and that's exactly what we got!  We set off in bright sunshine, but by the time we'd found our pitch on the campsite, the heavens had opened, so we opted to sit in the car for half an hour or so and read, before venturing out to put the bivvy up.   We eventually set up in our favourite spot on the site - the campsite is divided essentially into three areas.  The area nearest to the entrance (although still a drive down a gravel track through a field) is where all the electric hook ups are situated.   Once you drive past this area and around the lake, you either have a choice of heading round to the left to a wooded area (no hook ups) where you can set up camp under the trees and get some shelter.  Or you can head on up and to the right to a large open field - again with no hook ups - but with no shade whatsoever.  A lot of long stayers use this area - on walking around, we could see that a lot of the caravans had generators, so are providing their own power.   Our favourite spot is under the trees in the wooded area - and we were lucky that our usual pitch was available.  

Very soon, the sun came out and It wasn't long before Andy started fishing once the bivvy was up, so we trooped round to the lake with essentials - fishing gear, beer and chair for Andy;  Finn, knitting, custard tarts and chair for me!   Not forgetting Finn's long lead - he is forbidden (only by Andy!) from entering the lake - spoilsport - so Finn is generally tied to my chair.

Once the heavens opened again though, we decided to head back to camp and fire up the barbecue.   We have done this so many times now and have got our little set up just right - bivvy to the back of the pitch, with our windbreak (which looks like a hedge!) a few yards in front, and Finn's cage between the two.  We also have the stove set up by the cage and, this time, we had the fishing umbrella covering as much of the area as we could.   All finished off by the citronella tealights in little glass dishes on top of the cage to try and stop the beasties biting us.

Another bonus of this site is Buxton Heath out the back of the campsite, so, while Andy started fishing the next morning, Finn and I went and did a hike over the footpaths to try and wear him out before we went and sat with Andy for the afternoon.   The theory is that, the more worn out Finn is, the less likely he is to jump in the lake and disturb the fish!

Back to Andy's then for some more fishing and chilling in the sunshine.  This was pretty much the routine for the entire four days!

A lovely lovely few days - as usual - but sad to have to pack up and head back to the real world.  The beauty of this site is that there is no mobile 'phone signal and, of course, we choose not to have an electric hook up too, so it really does feel very remote.   Of course it isn't, the little market town of Aylsham is only four miles away with its market square, nice foody shops and tea rooms, a couple of very good pubs for food, and a small Tescos too for stocking up on barbecue stuff and beer.  

So, the deal is on the last day, when I'm sulking and don't want to go home, Andy gets to take the tent down by himself so I can sit and knit for just a little while longer!