Today’s guest picture is another from our son Tony’s holiday in Wales. He visited a lily pond at Bosherston today with a very fine bridge across it.
The day started with a trip to the newspaper shop to return a newspaper delivered in error, and so I was able to enjoy some warm and sunny weather. Townsfolk were to be seen wandering about gazing at the sky with some disbelief. I looked at the church as I came back across the suspension bridge . . .
. . . and, hearing some noise, I looked more closely at the gravel bank which you can see on the right of the picture. An oystercatcher has made a nest there . . .
. . . and we can only hope that it will survive the possibility of floods, small children throwing stones into the river, and people walking their dogs.
I had time when I got home to have a walk round the garden before Sandy arrived for coffee. There was a definite buzz about the place today., metaphorical and literal.
Among the newcomers were another peony, loosestrife, the Special Grandma rose, and a fine philadelphus.
Sandy and I were drinking our coffee when a tap on the kitchen window heralded the arrival of Scott, our former minister. I complimented him on the excellent functioning of his coffee radar, but it turned out that he was in no need of coffee on this occasion, having already consumed three cups. Sandy went off after a while, and Mrs Tootlepedal joined Scott and me as we caught up on all the news.
When Scott went on his way, Mrs Tootlepedal and I got busy in the garden. I trimmed the wavy hedge, while Mrs Tootlepedal straightened one by the pond to the path. Then I mowed the middle lawn and the weed lawn . . .
. . . and while Mrs Tootlepedal continued to provide enormous amounts of material for compost bin A, I had another brief photographic tour.
Then we knocked it off, and went in for a late lunch.
After lunch, I hesitated for a while, studying possibilities of showers and even thunder on the forecasts before finally setting off on my push bike. I got about 100 metres down the road before it started to rain with the sort of big drops that make an elderly cyclist nervous. I turned and fled back home. The rain instantly stopped, so I went out again. This time, I was lucky, and it stayed dry for the rest of my ride. This was just a dash round my usual Canonbie ride, as I didn’t want to tempt the weather gods by being out for too long.
I didn’t stop for many photo-ops but I liked the daisies on the main road, and I was pleased to see that the water dropwort was attracting plenty of insects. The cattle at Tarcoon were pleased to see me. The sight of what looked like another rain shower developing lent wings to my heels, and I sped home at a very satisfactory speed.
As it happened, I didn’t need to rush, as it stayed dry after I got back, and I took a final look round the garden.
I didn’t spend a lot of time during the day looking at the birds but the feeder became empty and this lead to quarrels, so I refilled it and the seed soon started going down again.
A goldfinch waited patiently in the wings before flying in for a chance to get a perch . . .
In the early evening, we had the regular Zoom with my brother and sisters.
It was really good to have a summer day at last, with warm sunshine and light winds, and it does look as though the warmer weather may stay with us for a while.
The flying bird of the day is a goldfinch
Footnote: WP tells me that this is the anniversary of my first post in 2010. I have tried to keep a daily diary since then and have written over 5000 posts. Some people have read all or nearly all of them. They deserve a medal. I would like to thank all the patient readers of these somewhat repetitive posts, and especially those who take the time to comment and those who send me pictures. I feel that I have made a lot of friends through blogging.
Tootlepedal's Blog 
Congratulations on an impressive blogging success. It’s always a joy to see your photos of flowers & wildlife.
Thank you. I have learned a lot about photography from doing the blog.
So much beauty today! I often read your posts sitting at my desk at work, and they always inject a little light and joy into the day.
I am naturally rather a gloomy and pessimistic person, always expecting the worst to happen, so writing the blog with so many beautiful things to look at keeps me cheerful too.
Thank you for always providing an interesting post, I enjoy reading them every day. Congratulations!
Thank you. I should try to organize a role of honour for those dedicated and patient readers who put up with my ramblings every day.
Congratulations. It’s an impressive amount of work and in 100 years from now, when some latter day TP is indexing your posts for the Local History Society, they will be grateful for the insight you provide into life in the borders, before The Great Failure, when it was possible to step outside the plastic dome, look at real flowers and eat cheese.
Thank you. I still have a faint hope the newspaper owners, oil company executives, and politicians will come to their senses before it is too late. I rather unkindly wish that they all suffer some painful climate catastrophe in their personal life which makes them see the light.
Yes, hooking a large chunk of something noxious on their favourite trout stream perhaps, or finding bunkers choked with sewage at the golf course.
Or getting boiled to death in their holiday villa.
That would be cosmic justice. 🙂
From the header to your last shot and all in between everything looked gorgeous! As a gardener I know how hard you worked to make your place beautiful. Loved all the sky phots we had the most amazing sky dark blue not a cloud to be found for 2 days in a row now the heat will arrive over 100F then storms to bubble up, I am sure. Have a wonderful week!
100F would almost do for me. I am glad that we live in a temperate spot even if it does mean quite a lot of rain.
We have had our fair share of rain and floods and we never used to get these temps until late July into mid Aug. some places broke a 40-year record with this spring heat.
It is rather worrying to say the least. Things are not going to get any better as far as I can see.
I fear that as well 😦
Congratulations on ten years of writing a blog, I enjoy reading your posts, and I feel as if I know a bit of the landscape, the climate, and the people in your community…
Like you I feel I have made many friends all over the world, through blogging.
I still miss Susan’s informative blog about London, she always found the most interesting places to visit.
Two interesting bloggers in the family!
I miss Susan and her blog. She was an outstanding person.
I have read and enjoyed all except that I did get behind right around the time Matilda was born. And I think that year might also have been the lead up to your new knee. I hope someday to go back to it! I don’t remember why but that summer onward was extra busy and then I came back into the blog when your new knee was installed (in the winter, as I recall) and haven’t missed a post since!
You get a medal. You are right, my knee was done in winter! It is still going very well.
It’s impressive that you have been so dedicated to continuing your blog. It’s well written, interesting, educational, and loaded with beautiful photos. You say that you feel that you have made friends via the blog but that goes both ways: I feel that I’ve gotten to know you and your family, friends, and community through your writing. Thank you.
People often speak disparagingly about social media, but I always feel the corner that we inhabit is a very good place to meet and to chant
I don’t know how I came to be subscribed to your blog posts recently, but now I couldn’t do without them. I enjoy the lovely nature-laden snippets of your day! Thanks
There are many mysteries about WordPress which I don’t understand either. Thank you for your comment.
Well done on your blogaversary (?) You have done well to post daily, whatever the circumstances. I enjoy reading every one of them and love your photographs.
There have been odd days when it seemed like a chore, but by and large it has been a most enjoyable experience
Congratulations on reaching this milestone with your blog. I very much enjoy seeing photos and reading about the beautiful nature around Langholm.
Thank you. I feel it is a privilege to live here.
Congratulations! That’s an impressive achievement. I started in 2011 and have yet to hit 1000 posts, though that’s not too far off – sometime this year, maybe, at the current rate of posting. I have tried daily posting from time to time and found it very exacting so I take my hat off to you. I too have made many friendships and it’s even lovelier when they spill over into “real life”.
I second your final thought.
Lovely picture of your church.
Hope the oystercatcher nest survives that precarious position.
That is such an important footnote, my friend
It is certainly encouraged me to learn a bit about photography, about which I knew nothing when I started
P S Congratulations on all those interesting and informative blogs -always a pleasure to read!
Thank you. I (almost) always enjoy writing them and taking the pictures to go in them.
I can’t say that I’ve been here since the beginning but I can say that I’ve enjoyed many happy years of reading about life in Scotland, so thank you for that.
I liked the cloudscapes and of course all the flowers you’ve shown today.
We have a bird called the killdeer that builds nests in stones like that. They say it works because at a glance its eggs look like stones, so maybe that’s what the oyster catcher nesting site is about.
The oyster catches eggs are very well disguised among the gravel but she has chosen quite a popular place to settle
Thank you for providing me with everything I need to know about Langholm and the gorgeous landscape around. Reading your blog is a daily joy. Also to see your beautiful garden makes me happy. –Just about cutting hedges: – It is forbidden here between May and end of September in order to protect nesting birds. .
You have told me that before and I think it is a very good regulation. I can promise you that there were no birds nesting in that little bit of hedge that I trimmed.
Congratulations from me, too! Your turn of phrase never fails to make me chuckle – the mental picture of you turning and fleeing back home and riding with wings at your heels did it today. Hooray for a summer’s day!
It was very welcome.
The wild roses are very pretty and the garden is blooming.
The wild roses really cheer a cycle ride up.
It is a pleasure to read about your life in Scotland! I loved your photo selections, and was especially intrigued by the nesting oystercatcher. I hope she is successful nesting there. As you said, “and we can only hope that it will survive the possibility of floods, small children throwing stones into the river, and people walking their dogs.”
I am not entirely hopeful for the nest.