Flowers, apples, berries, birds and bees.

More random things from the week gone by...

Blue sky - a mirror reflecting a sunny day. Both gone now...

...finally, this mirror has been finished and posted. I'd forgotten how much work was involved in making this one - it's really two mirrors in one with both a border and flower features.

I took some shots while I was making it...
My templates for the three mirrors I've been working on, the other two are still in progress.

Prior to applying the lead.

Completed flowery detail.

While the warm sunny weather lasted...
... I picked the crab apples.

N seemed to be enjoying them so I tried one, yeuch! Very tart, definitely needs cooked with lots of sugar. I've 2lbs of them, will have a look at crab apple jelly recipes I think.

After my harvesting I checked on some of the other plants in the garden...

Holly berries ripening nicely, note interesting beetle on the leaf.

Busy bee.

Roses thriving despite almost complete neglect of the front garden.

We have lots of house sparrows living in our hedge.
They're generally considered a little brown and ordinary but I like them. They are much more polite than the many jackdaws (who fight a little) and starlings (who fight a lot!) who also visit our garden in quite large numbers.

I photographed tea one evening...
Tomato and butterbean soup - very easy:
Fry a chopped onion in some butter till soft, add 2 tins chopped tomatoes and 1 tin butterbeans (drained), and a little water/stock. Simmer gently for about 15 mins, whizz with a blender than serve, cream swirl optional.

Strawberry and plum crumble with Mackies ice cream. I basically chuck any fruit that's lying around into my crumbles (except bananas or citric fruit!) this combo was rather tasty, mmm, wish there was some left now!