Blown away

Today’s guest picture comes from my younger son and shows Matilda wondering whether she is always going to need a coat on in the middle of summer.

Mrs Tootlepedal went to visit Matilda in Edinburgh today and I was hoping to get in a little cycling while she was away.  Unfortunately the constant strong wind, gusting to well over thirty miles an hour was sufficient disincentive to keep me off the bicycle and in my armchair doing the crossword instead.

My morning was brightened up by the appearance of Sandy for a cup of coffee but otherwise it was remarkable only for the almost complete lack of any discernible activity on my part.

I did take a picture of a goldfinch which joined us at coffee time….

…the first that I have seen for several days.

After lunch I stirred myself up enough to look out of the kitchen window.

A chaffinch demonstrating a ‘look no hands’ approach to getting seed.

And another trying to wave an interloper of a perch.

A very badly dressed sparrow

I saw that the weather looked as though it was going to be rain free and set out for a short walk.  I phoned Sandy up and he agreed to meet me at the Kilngreen.  While I was waiting for him, the sun came out for a moment and  I watched a herring gull twisting and turning in the stiff breeze.

We tried to choose a sheltered path for our walk but the wind found its way through the trees and this, combined with some soggy conditions underfoot for the first half of our route, made the going quite hard.

We did stop for the occasional snap on our way though.

The thistles have certainly enjoyed the weather this year.

And even on a grey day, the views are good.

The Pyrenean valerian have gone to seed but they are wonderfully constructed and still fun to look at.

There were umbelliferae on every side and the seed heads made pretty patterns.

Our route took past a spot where the pheasant feeders were set out.  The pheasants have been put out into the woods ready for the shooting season and we had to wade through great throngs of the birds as we went along.

Later on, we saw a partridge lurking in the grass.

If it is wise, it will keep lurking and never take to the air.

The wild raspberries do not look as though they are going to come to much this year but we did find a few tasty ones….

…alongside a lot of potential brambles which look as though they are going to do very well if they get enough sunshine to fruit and ripen.

We did get a little sun as we walked round….

Light at the end of the tunnel

And everything looked wonderfully green when the sun shone.

Sandy gave me a lift home from the Kilngreen in his smart new (but pre-loved) car and then he went home to continue defrosting his fridge and I sank back into my armchair.

I woke up just in time to greet Mike Tinker who had come to see how I was doing and we enjoyed a cup of tea and a dainty biscuit (or two).  When he left, I walked round the garden.

Mrs Tootlepedal was looking rather sadly at the devastation wreaked by wind and rain the other day and remarked that in these conditions, the best thing was to plant plenty of Sweet William.  I could see what she meant.

The Sweet William have not only flowered richly but they have lasted really well too.

The phlox has arrived to lend a colourful hand.

Even in the strong winds, there were some bees about, the ornamental clover being a big attraction.

The flying bee of the day

I must have done a bit more than sit around all morning because there was a slow cooked lamb stew ready for tea when Mrs Tootlepedal got home from Edinburgh.  It went down well.

The flying bird if the day is a chaffinch battling the breeze.