Busy doing nothing

Today’s guest picture was taken by my brother Andrew who was visiting Uttoxeter.  He is working his way back to fitness after a health setback and instead of climbing big hills, he is lurking in the lowlands at present…..and not visiting hostelries, however attractive.

We had a day with no engagements in the diary at all and I was helped in a scheme of utter idleness by a wet and gloomy morning.  I did manage to summon up the energy to get up to the High Street to order more bird food and I returned by the monthly Producers’ Market in the Buccleuch Centre.  I returned home laden with fish,  good cheese and the first honey of the new season from a bee-keeper in Eskdalemuir.  She told me that it was mostly based on hawthorn blossom.  It tastes delicious.

As I had been out cycling at coffee time yesterday, Dropscone kindly arranged to make some Friday treacle scones although it was Saturday and we enjoyed them with some Peruvian coffee when he brought them round.

Apart from a little gardening activity from time to time as the weather improved,  I did nothing that took me more than forty yards from my easy chair for the rest of the day.  I would have gone for a relaxing pedal in the afternoon sunshine if it hadn’t been accompanied by a 25 mph wind.

I picked up my camera often enough to catch a bird or two.

A pigeon looking strangely out of place in the plum tree

A very fluffy looking greenfinch thinking about things

I read in the paper that blue tits have had a disastrous breeding year in Scotland this year so I was pleased to see a couple on the feeder even if I haven’t seen any young.

The sun drew me out of my chair and into the garden from time to time and there was lots to enjoy.  There had been heavy rain overnight but the flowers by and large had taken no hurt.  Even the tall delphiniums were still standing up proudly.

In spite of its demure appearance, each delicate blue flower has a snarling tiger at its heart.

I missed out the roses today and instead looked closely at some other flowers.

A clematis gradually unfurling

Several campanulas are out

The ornamental white clover conceals an interesting interior

A poppy seed head with additional sparkle

As we are getting nearer to the Common Riding, the sound of horses hooves can often be heard on our street.

Jock gave us a cheerful wave as he passed.

I did a little compost sieving and almost as soon as I had finished, Mrs Tootlepedal had dug it in to a flower bed where she had removed some surplus daisies and planted some cosmos.

The day got better (apart from the wind) as it went on and it was very pleasant watching Mrs Tootlepedal toiling away.  A new Philadelphus has come out with flowers as big as roses on it.

I had to ask Mrs Tootlepedal what this decorative plant is called.

She tells me that it is a Heuchera.

The tiny flowers on a spirea reveal considerable co0mplexity in a close up.

A lone knapweed has come out, far ahead of the rest of the flowers in the clump.

I am hoping to get some good insect shots when the others arrive as insects love knapweed.

Nearby a stachys puts in a claim as hairiest plant in the garden.

The peonies have survived the rain very well….

…but since I learned on a TV programme tonight that they are from the Himalaya regon, I suppose that this should not be surprising.  The coral peonies have gone over leaving a stand of seed heads looking for all the world like a small flock of baffled chickens.

During the day, two more photographers brought round pictures for our exhibition and I will take them all up to Eskdalemuir tomorrow and see how many I can fit into the exhibition space.  I think that a system of rotation will have to be devised.

It was good to have a relaxing day.  I couldn’t choose between these two flying siskins so they are jointly the flying bird of the day today.