Today we do not have a guest picture of the day but a whole gallery of guest pictures from a guest photographer instead. Matilda borrowed my camera and took a few shots of flowers that took her fancy. I have cropped one or two of her shots but otherwise this is just how she took them. She was particularly pleased by the butterfly.
Mrs Tootlepedal and Matilda were up early and played Ludo and made a birthday card for Mrs Tootlepedal’s mother (105 this month!), and a thank you card for my stepmother (who had sent Matilda a very good book).
After breakfast Matilda and I went out into the garden where we dug up quite a lot of potatoes and laid them out to dry. This is just part of our haul coming from two plants.
I took a few pictures of my own as I wandered round enjoying the wealth of colour in the flower beds while the cards were being finished off.
I have added one taken from an upstairs window to this gallery as Matilda liked the phlox a lot and it shows them off well.
Mrs Tootlepedal was given a helianthus ‘Lemon Queen’ which grew to be much taller than she expected so she has had to transplant it. It has been so dry that she worried about its future, but it seems to have settled down and it definitely has one flower on it.
When they had been finished, I took the cards round to the post box and then accompanied Matilda, who was on her bicycle, to the park. Matilda zoomed round the paths and swept over the grass with great confidence.
Did I mention that it was a perfect morning for pedalling in the park?
We dug more potatoes when we got back and I looked around for more flowers. A St John’s Wort near the potatoes caught my eye.
I had filled the feeder so I kept an eye on the birds too. Two sparrows met on the feeder pole . . .
. . . and then dived down to the feeder to join a siskin.
In the afternoon, when Matilda’s father had finished working, we drove up to the White Yett and went for a walk. Matilda, Mrs Tootlepedal and I headed up the hill to the monument, while Matilda’s parents took a walk along the road to look at the moor.
I took a few pictures as we went up. The weather was still perfect, with a cooling breeze and clear condition. We enjoyed the purple heather and picking the very soft seeds from prickly thistles and letting them blow off in the wind.
We met our friend Nancy with two of her grandchildren at the top of the hill. They had walked all the way up from the town.
A busy day was rounded off by an excellent meal cooked by Mrs Tootlepedal, and we are looking forward to some more fine weather tomorrow.
The flying bird of the day is a siskin.
Footnote: While our visitors are here, I am going to try to keep my posts brief, and I may not have time to read other posts as I usually do. It seems only polite to talk to family when they come to visit.
Tootlepedal's Blog 
Well, Matilda is obviously taking after her grandfather with an excellent display of photographs.
Matilda is a chop of the old block,as us northerners say.
Some very creditable pictures indeed 👍
Here in Borrowdale today the weather was beyond expections,a fantastic day for walking,and unexpectedly quiet to,what more could you ask.
I’ll try and get a few shots of Cat bells on Wednesday.
That would be good.
A budding photographer added to the family talent pool! Matilda is quite the talented youngster. Glad you had such a delightful visit.
You bet! Focus on the family. Matilda has quite the eye.
A perfect first day of the holidays!
Family definitely comes first after such a long separation.
Matilda is learning from both her grandparents
Well done, Matilda, with some excellent pictures, especially the one with the butterfly.
Glad you had blue skies for your climb to the monument.
Enjoy their visit!
I assume you have a lot to catch up on. And you will need to practice your photography if you are to keep up! m 🙂
You are right on both counts.
🙂
Wonderful photos Matilda. Hope you all have a fantastic fortnight of fun.
Thank you.
Well done, Matilda! Looks like Grandpa has some competition now. 😉
That is a good haul of potatoes from two plants. Most of ours were done in by voles this year.
Luckily, voles are not a problem for us. Slugs can be a nuisance but the dry weather seems to have discouraged them this year. (So far)
Matilda has an excellent eye for colour, they are lovely photos. Of course you need to cherish family moments as much as possible
I am in full cherishing mode at the moment.