Today’s guest picture is another from Venetia’s African trip. She met a number of alarming animals as she went along.
My day started with a visit to the doctor to inquire about the possibility of a miracle cure and consult about the blood test results following my mild anaemia. The blood results could not have been better as all my levels were just about as good as they could be. The doctor declared that I was in perfect health and I was almost embarrassed to mention my foot trouble and show her my swollen foot.
Her diagnosis was osteoarthritis due to wear and tear and the miracle cure was thus not available. She has sent me off for an x-ray though in case I have got some other damage in my foot. As that will probably take two weeks to happen, I shall continue to hobble around muttering balefully meanwhile.
It was a lovely day though so that cheered me up when I got back into the garden, especially when I found out that Mrs Tootlepedal had been busy putting a neat edge on the middle lawn.
Nothing makes a lawn look better than a neat edge.
I did the edges of the front lawn and then took a look round. In the pond, the tadpoles are still in a heap but they are looking quite healthy and should start swimming around soon.
It was such a perfect day that I thought that I might test out the idea that had been put into my head by Stan at our last camera club meeting and try what a mirror could do.
The dog tooth violet seemed like a good subject as it hangs its head down so I stuck the mirror underneath it and had a go with my little Lumix.
The result was very satisfactory in that I got a shot which I don’t think that I could have got by any other method without picking the flower.
I got my Nikon out, put the macro lens on and tried a few other flowers with the mirror technique.
A hellebore…
…a scylla…
…and back to the violet again.
I am grateful to Stan as it is obviously a really promising idea….though if I am seen walking through the woods with a shaving mirror in my hand, I may get some odd looks.
While I had the macro lens on, I peered at the euphorbia…
…the doronicum…
…and the nameless little white flowers.
I noticed the very first dicentra of the year…
…and Mrs Tootlepedal noticed that there were several ladybirds about too.
Mrs Tootlepedal went in to cook some sticky toffee pudding and I stayed out in the garden and was very pleased to get a visit from a man from the power company who had come to inspect our wobbly electricity pole, He gave the bottom of the pole some savage whacks with a hammer and decided that the telephone men had been wise not to climb up it. It has to go and after some consideration of the possibility of digging trenches through three gardens (as the pole serves three houses), he decided that putting up a new pole would be the way to go. To avoid wrecking Mrs Tootlepedal’s garden, the hole for the pole will be hand dug. This will make for interesting work for the apprentices whose job it will be to dig the hole.
In the end, as we were going to Edinburgh as usual to visit Matilda, I had to leave the garden reluctantly and make a little lunch. I watched the birds as the soup heated.
In spite of a free perch on the other side of the feeder, a lady chaffinch thought that it was quite all right to trample on an innocent goldfinch.
To try to tempt some different birds to come to the feeders, I have put out some peanuts. Mrs Tootlepedal saw a blue tit visit but the only bird I saw nibbling on the nuts was this siskin.
On the whole, the sunflower hearts seem much more attractive than the peanuts and the birds were jumping at the chance to get a seed.
The trip to Edinburgh was delightful, with the train on time and the countryside looking at its best in the sun.
When we got there, Matilda was away from home practising a dance routine for a forthcoming competition so I had a moment to take a very short stroll through the nearby Botanic gardens.
It was a good place to be.
Matilda returned and we had time for a chat before a meal of asparagus and lemon linguine cooked by Al and Mrs Tootlepedal’s sticky toffee pudding. Al and Clare are in the middle of moving to their new house and we hope to be able to see it with the furniture and floors in soon.
The journey home went well so apart from still having a sore foot, it was a very satisfactory day.
The flying bird of the day is a chaffinch.
Tootlepedal's Blog 
Can’t wait to hear the next installment of the pole saga – apprentices hand-digging holes? Sounds like fun.
I was very intrigued to hear of the mirror technique – can’t wait to try it.
I do hope you foot improves soon.
I hope to get a good set of exercises if there is no damage in the foot itself.
Eyecatching beautiful view of rare flowers. There are a lot of variations in “Wear & Tear”. Keep bringing new changes! Thanks!!!
I will do my best.
Your photos are wonderful. I really loved how you captured the tadpoles…I had never seen that before.
They are just a wriggling mass at the moment.
Your ‘mirror’ pictures are excellent. I too am enjoying the pole saga 🙂
It promises to run and run.
Like the others I enjoyed the ‘mirror’ photographs, the telephone saga update and send sympathy for that poor sore foot.
Glad to hear that you have a referral for your foot.
Splendid pictures using the mirror.
The diagnosis makes sense to me. I hope some relief can be offered. Great use of the mirror. I might borrow the idea.
Feel free. I borrowed it.
Ah, the sun! Lighting up everything beautifully.
You are right. Hearts were lifted.
Those mirror pictures are fantastic. The X-rays will reveal whether you broke a small bone in your foot. I have been wondering about that. Boy oh boy, Al sounds as though he is wonderful cook.
He cooks well and I always look forward to his meals.
Really like the idea of the use of a mirror resulting in those lovely flower photos. I think you’ll start a trend! Hope you’ve been given exercises to help relieve the pain in your feet. The Botanic gardens look interesting and very well cared for.
I haven’t got any exercises yet as I am waiting for the X-ray.
The mirror does a good job. You’ll have to remember it when mushrooms start to appear.
That bush in the botanic garden is a strange one. It has the cones (strobiles) of an alder but the catkins look like hazel. Since it’s in a botanic garden I guess it could be anything from anywhere.
I’m sorry to hear about the foot. Arthritis is hard to deal with but at least it isn’t rheumatoid arthritis and at least now you’ll know how best to care for it.
I will try to remember about the mirror when the fungus arrives. The bush was an alder. I had an attack of rheumatoid arthritis and recovered completely from it thanks to excellent treatment. I hope that this arthritics is no worse.
Sounds like a bit of progress on the wire situation…interesting work for the apprentices indeed! What a great idea the shaving mirror is. Such a great solution to those flowers that seem to want to stare at the earth.
I am too old to lie down on damp ground to get a shot.
Lying down is the easy part. Getting back up is the challenge. At least in my experience.
Absolutely.
Thank you for the tadpole update. I am quite fond of them.
I love the mirror photos. That was an excellent idea!
I am glad to hear the power company will dig the utility pole by hand instead of tearing up the gardens. It sounds like the hole diggers could use some scones and coffee when they are all done. 🙂
I will consider that idea.
The mirror photos are wonderful.
Sorry there was not a quick solution for your foot.
I saw those botanical gardens on Gardeners’ World and was hoping you’d visit them on occasion.
I hope to go again.
I like the idea of using the mirror with the flowers! Thanks for sharing that, Tom!