View From My Window

Over these past few months during the lockdown, I have been very thankful to have a garden to enjoy. Of course Working From Home means that a lot of the time the garden is only experienced from the inside looking out.  

Something that Evie indulges in, when it is just not warm enough for her to venture outdoors

and she can frequently be found surveying this view of the garden from her perch in the back bedroom.

Even though I am not outside, the scents of the garden filter through indoors, bringing the essence of the garden inside.

Gertrude Jekyll roses bloom prolifically 

outside the kitchen windows

and at the French Doors,

where they are entwined with honeysuckle and under-planted with lavender.

A view of the little courtyard, outside the backdoor - a suntrap and perfect for my morning cup of coffee at the table surrounded by roses.

Birds have flocked to the hanging bird-table under the rose clad pergola, feasting on the sunflower seeds and bringing their young fledglings when they leave the nest,

completely unperturbed by Evie as she lies beneath in the shade on a hot day.

The restrictions on travel have meant that there has been no possibility of trips to the coast, but I can stitch the scenes of my favourite places and imagine the salty tang of the coastal air as I stitch. This scene is the view across the lough of Cribb Island from Delamont Park.

The garden is calling though, so stay with me as I get ready to take you on a little tour outside.......

xxx

Spring 2020 - Trials and Tribulations

It is incredible how much the world has changed since I wrote my last post. It seems very surreal. I had been told several years ago to expect a change in the way we live – especially that air travel would not remain easily accessible for all, so that it was important to be based where you needed to be. 

To be honest, I have been practically self-isolating for years and live a fairly simple life – between home, the garden and the allotment, with only the occasional jaunt away and a close-knit circle of friends. Therefore, the lockdown has not been as difficult for me as I can imagine it is for those with no outside space to enjoy and who are separated from loved ones. I do miss my little trips out and about, but of course, the reason behind the lockdown is a constant concern and anxiety, especially when loved ones are classified as high risk and so every cough or headache is treated with suspicion.

Whilst a trip to the shops has become a traumatic experience, I cannot help be glad though that there are benefits to the shutting down of the way of life as we knew it. The skies are clear; there is a sound of silence (apart from Ron - the new neighbours diminutive but vociferous Jack Russell), and birds singing and the hum of bees, instead of the distant drone of traffic on the motorway.  With less traffic the pollution levels have dropped. Nature is quick to recover from the abuse that humans have been increasingly inflicting upon her.

Although the days and weeks are passing with stitching projects and planned activities cancelled; including a long anticipated workshop to learn how to make a willow wigwam (for my plants – not for me to live in!), the timing of which fell on the exact weekend that the lockdown began; lots of little events have still happened that differentiate the days.

As the welcome arrival of Spring has brought the sunshine, the garden has been tended and is flourishing. The absence of a tedious commute means that there is more time to stitch and the opportunity to be outside close to Nature, rather than cooped up in a dusty, stuffy office inspires my creativity and so several stitching pieces - some with a Spring theme have now been completed.

"White Narcissi" is a design by Caroline Zoob, with a few personalised additions to cover a mistake!

"Bunny in the Daffodils" is another Caroline Zoob design

"Hello Spring"

is a little lavender cushion of my own design, inspired by both Caroline Zoob and Nicki Franklin.

There has also been the uncalled for excitement of a new addition to my household. Not a particularly welcome one I hasten to add. The sunshine and arrival of Spring has breathed new life into Evie and she has discovered a joie-de-vivre more suited to a young kitten than a seventeen year old cat! 

Yesterday she arrived home – jumping through the open window, with a new playmate, which she was thrilled to show me as she placed him at my feet.

At first glance, I thought he was dead, then his nose twitched and the next thing Evie and her new friend – Jerry, embarked upon a game of chase around the kitchen. I had the presence of mind to shut the kitchen door into the main house, before ascending hurriedly onto a chair, and shrieking loudly as Jerry headed in my direction. I tried commanding Evie to catch him and continue the game outside, but to no avail. Jerry wasn’t hanging about and dived under the sofa. Evie was disappointed in his poor sportsmanship and lie down to wait for him, before getting bored and wandering off outside to see if she could find a relative of Jerry’s who did want to play with her.

However, this was only round one and after my frantic calls for help were answered, Evie remembered her new playmate and with the sofa now relocated to the centre of the room, another game of chase took place with Evie in gleeful pursuit. I had managed to hurriedly block up any other potential hidey-holes that Jerry might think of exploring, but unfortunately for Evie – and definitely Me, luck favoured Jerry as Evie dislodged the breadboard that I had placed to block off the gap alongside the range cooker. Jerry saw his advantage and took it at speed, with Evie trying her best to squeeze in after him.

The range cooker is one of those large Smeg appliances, so it was no easy feat to drag it out, but regardless of the horrendous damage we were doing to the floor, we succeeded and Jerry took another dash around the cooker; (more shrieks from me and mayhem from Evie) before he ran below the cooker again…… and then disappeared!! Honestly – he completely vanished! Gone!

A major operation took place to tilt the cooker forward – more damage to the floor ensued. It was a mystery as to Jerry’s whereabouts, but Evie remained beside the cooker with her gaze riveted to the underneath, which was now at a 45 degree angle. With little regard to Health and Safety, I peered at the underside of the cooker, and noticed to my horror – a tiny gap in the metal casing on the front, bottom right side – just the perfect size for a mouse called Jerry.

That is unfortunately where the story pauses, as from his escape into the innards of the cooker, Jerry has not been seen again. Evie strolled off in disgust while I digested the carnage in the kitchen. The repercussions of Jerry’s bolt-hole are significant as I am not enamoured at the prospect of a mouse in my cooker – dead or alive. Traps are now positioned around the kitchen in the hope that Jerry will be tempted with some Green and Black chocolate – however if he doesn’t materialise soon, the chocolate will have melted and there is an even greater concern that Jerry’s corpse may need to be extricated before it starts to decompose. How we can even begin to dismantle the cooker is another problem that I do not want to contemplate at present. So, as Evie spends another few hours frolicking in the flowerbeds trying to find a replacement / companion for Jerry, I considered moving into the summer-house and the baking of another batch of Sunflower and Fennel bread was put on hold!

Another fine mess!

The saga developed further this evening when after hearing some information from Oracle Ann at the allotment - that a mouse will die soon after coming into contact with a cats saliva, the cooker had to be dismantled right away. After a lot of mess, stress and a bit of huffing and puffing, a very stone dead Jerry was indeed retrieved from the darkest crevice of the cooker casing. 

Evie was a bit put out by all the commotion and has skulked off into the night to console herself with another hunt for a friend.

xxx

PS; I had already written this post and was about to publish it when I heard the sad news that one of my dear fellow allotmenteers has suddenly left us this morning. I hesitated as to whether to publish this today, but I know Bobby would find it amusing - so I will dedicate this little story to him. He was a Character, who really loved Nature and had more lives than a cat (but sadly today they eventually ran out). His knowledge of gardening and sense of humour will be sorely missed in our little allotment community. 

Bobby's plot

X

Tales from the Garden

Hello again World! The second month in a new decade! It is a quite some time since I posted on the blog. To be honest, I rather lost the enthusiasm for blogging, and indeed anything involving technology, preferring instead to spend my time doing things and not sitting in front of a screen.

I have also been feeling somewhat jaded with modern day life and the temptation to escape to a hobbit hole in the woods is very tempting (check out Dan Price who really does live in a hobbit hole in Oregon). However I discovered that even Dan Price has a smart phone and records his thoughts and activities on-line! 

Therefore, I have decided that with a few changes I shall pick up again and continue blogging and capturing pictures and thoughts of my simple life at La Petite Maison, (including tales of Evie and the other wildlife); the good life at the allotment and my stitching journey.

To start this year off, even though it is rather belated,  I must show you some of the images of the garden in its summer glory last year. 

The garden has become a haven of wildlife; in the warmer weather, butterflies fluttered by and a hedgehog caused a trip hazard as he went about his nocturnal meanderings. The hedge is full of little songbirds that flit all around the plants and trees, singing cheerily. Last year, two young blackbirds that we named Laura and Hardy clowned around the half coconut on the feeder 

and a large family of long-tailed tits swooped and fluttered amongst the roses 

and around the garden, undaunted by my presence in their midst.

The ponds became home to several frogs 

and I kept a close eye on them, noting how interested Evie became suddenly as she uttered several high-pitched little cries of excitement when her sharp gaze discerned the form of frog, 

even though the ferns and crevices 

camouflaged their presence to all but the most eagle-eyed predator.

During a day trip out to Glenarm walled garden with Tara and Tineke, we discovered a water feature full of the tiniest little frogs. 

They were so adorable I was tempted to bring a couple home with me to live in the trough where once Freddie the frog resided happily under the miniature waterlily… before he mysteriously disappeared……!!! Naturally, I left the tiny creatures behind to enjoy their lives in the magnificent walled garden, safe from a cat with a penchant for catching frogs.

The garden frogs kept Evie occupied, until her attention was drawn to the corner where the half-coconut is located. Sometime previously, I had been watching the birds feeding upon the coconut when between their visits I spotted the nose and whiskers of a mouse peeping through the top of the willow screening before running down the feeder and nibbling the coconut.

I named him “Tarzan the Treemouse”. With the coconut located high off the ground, he had no need to risk his life in descending from the hedge and trees where he lives.

(No doubt he lives in a little mouse house similar to one between the covers of the Brambly Hedge books!)

Until of course, the coconut was eaten, by which time he had become rather a rather rotund mouse with a large appetite to satisfy. 

As I sat stitching in the sun, Evie lay close by, motionless, her ears pointing forwards and eyes fixated upon the daring Tarzan who gazed boldly back at her at as he foraged around, confident that his escape routes were Evie proof. Poor Evie spent hours staring at him waiting hopefully for one wrong move and the opportunity to pounce.

Unfortunately, for Evie, she has recently become the vulnerable one, and no longer feels secure on her own in the garden. As I drank my breakfast coffee and gazed out upon the misty morning, the bristly grey muzzle of a dog fox suddenly loomed up close on the path outside the window. 

The fox now known as Reynaud has only been visible on a couple of occasions, but Evie is well aware of his presence. The added terror of the neighbours trespassing Jack Russell has not helped matters either and so Evie has adapted from being Hedge Cat to House Cat.

Today although it is cold and despite the tumultuous weather we have had recently, there is a hint of Spring in the air. Fresh leaves have formed on the roses and there is the promise of new beginnings. Perhaps this is why I have been moved to begin writing again.

There is a lot to catch up on – the latest developments from the allotment and of course lots of creativity with my stitching and soaps.

As the season begins to change, I shall finish this post with a more appropriate seasonal photo of the last of Caroline Zoobs 2019 subscriptions designs, “The First Skate” that I stitched last December.

xxx

A Glimpse of Paradise

Whilst the rest of the UK has been basking in long hot sunshine, the weather here has been less predictable. Unlike last year, we have not had the cloudless blue skies and balmy sun-drenched days.

(Cephalaria Gigantea in the garden)

However, this week the temperature on the barometer rose and the sun shone in a sky free of clouds. The heat was intense, making energetic activities and even stitching impossible. A trip to the coast was called for.

We drove through the County Down countryside, the sunshine intensifying the vibrant colours of the scenery. It really was a beautiful afternoon.

Topping the brow of a hill, I felt a vague unease, as I noticed a thin grey line on the horizon. My heart began to sink as we got closer to the coast and the grey line of sea mist grew darker, spreading thickly inland and blotting out the lovely sunshine. I tried not to let my frustration show and suppressed thoughts of the other alternative way of spending the late afternoon, sitting relaxing in the garden with a cool G&T, 

enjoying the scent of the roses and the warmth of the sun on my skin. 

Trying to look on the positive, I thought of breathing in the sea air and the change of scenery, even though the dark cloud cast a gloomy shadowy across the surrounding fields and hedgerows.

Parking at the verge above the little bay, my attention was instantly drawn to the wildflowers scattering the verge around the fence-line

and I momentarily forgot the chill in the air as I captured the images for potential stitching projects. Thoughts of picking the flowers did not enter my head - they belong outside with the bees and butterflies.

We descended down to the bay and strolled slowly along the sand. I watched a heron standing close by in the shallow water’s edge and suddenly became aware of the light glinting off the sea. Looking up, I saw sunbeams filtering through the clouds and to my joy; the clouds began swiftly dispersing and fading away to nothing. 

The beach lit up in the delicious sunshine 

and the world was transformed again.

The bay was deserted apart from a woman walking her dog, although in the distance the sound of children playing amongst the rocks, mingled with the cries of sea birds and the thrum of a boats engine far out at sea. At the far end of the beach, we passed through the wooden kissing gate and along the narrow path leading up towards the wildflower meadows.

Near the top of the path, the shady scrub and small trees that bordered each side ended 

and we emerged into the bright sunlight. 

I gasped as I beheld the most glorious sight 

that made me feel as though I had walked straight into paradise.

An abundance of jewel coloured wildflowers scattered profusely across the meadows surrounded us as far as our eyes could see, 

stopping only where the horizon met the blue of the sea 

and the sky. 

It was truly one of the most beautiful sights

 I have ever had the privilege of seeing.

Swallows and swifts flew low overhead 

and feathery grasses brushed our legs

 as we made our way through the wildflowers, 

treading carefully for fear of trampling on precious orchids

 or the huge bumblebees that feasted on the clover at our feet.

There were wildflowers everywhere we turned

framing the horizons

from every aspect.

Birds Foot Trefoil, wild carrot, orchids, 

wild thyme, clover, 

scabious and poppies were just a few of the myriads of flowers in the meadows. 

As the sun sank lower in the sky, 

and we made our way reluctantly back to the car, a herd of bullocks moved towards us curiously,

 the swallows swooping low all around catching the flies

that rose from the disturbed grasses.
  

We left the meadows and walked back down the path through the scrub.

Walking back across the beach, a hawk flew up from the sand in front of us.

It was an enchanting place, that I was sorry to have to leave, but the meadows as they looked that evening will remain etched on my memory,

and of course, with lots of images to inspire several stitching pieces, I know I will be re-living my happy time amongst the wildflowers.

xxx