Sunday 20 July 2014

Cornucopia.

Here are some June & July happenings that didn't make it onto my blog at the time. Just sorting through the photos to prepare them for posting has already triggered lots of happy memories - blogging for me is an on-line diary of the best bits of everyday life.

All photos are in the order they were taken, so a little jumping about in subject matter is involved... 

Back to June, a poppy is unfurling. May and June are my favourite months in the garden in terms of the variety and number of flower in bloom. Now, in mid July, there are fewer flowers but the butterflies are starting to appear, which I like very much too.

 Clematis.

 June was quite a wet month. Sports day was rather damp.

Bunting for the village parade...

...it was very wet...

...I don't think it could have rained any more than it did! Such a shame as new organisers had taken over and lots of new events were arranged. Still, there's always next year. 

Snail hunting in the garden. It took about 5 minutes to collect this lot. 

 Skeleton leaf placed on an old slate.

A's birthday cake.

 Cover quickly replaced incase the cat goes for it!

It turned out quite pretty.
 
For A's birthday tea we went out in Glasgow. You can see A & N at the bottom of the G on the Commonwealth Games sculpture. It's all going to be happening very soon - the Commonwealth Games opening ceremony is on Wednesday.

Pimms! From a night out with some friends from Uni. I went by bike so that I could enjoy the Pimms and not worry about having to get a taxi home. I cycled home along the cycle path at about 1am - it was magical! An owl swooped overhead at one point and there were lots of baby bunnies scooting across the path.

A gorgeous summer evening. I'm heading to the school where I did my first teaching placement to see my class in their end of year show. They were amazing and it was lovely to see them again. It boosted my confidence too as I'd had an excellent experience at that school in contrast to the issues with the school where I did my last placement. It was good to go back.

Fifteen eggs. To be made into batter for waffles to sell at the school BBQ. For a change the weather for the BBQ was excellent. However, you don't get much of a break on the waffle stall, until the batter runs out...

First rose of summer.

The cat, taken about 10:15pm, close to the summer solstice so still quite light. It's already getting dark at that time now, eek!
 
Loch Ard. We visited on a little family cycling trip...

 The eagle mosaic, needs some TLC.

 I think this is a male common blue damselfly. There were many of them darting about. Unfortunately, there were also quite a few clegs too.

Picnic spot. Hurriedly consumed due to presence of pesky clegs.

 On the road again.

Pretty corrugated hut.

Through the village of Kinlochard.

 Looking out across Loch Ard from the opposite side to where we began our cycle.

A shawl begins.

Part of the teacher's presents for end of term. A had two teachers this year (job share) and I kept one for myself (hopefully not too presumptious!). 

 Osteospermum. Always good.

This isn't my photo, but the cocktail second from the left is mine! From a night out in Glasgow to celebrate me finishing my Uni course. Yummy.

 Photographing washing shadows.

Pretty colours. Not destined to be a crumble...

... we all prefer Eve's pudding - ie with a sponge type topping,

 Now to another little day trip. This is a detail from the tram at Summerlee Industrial Heritage Park. Entry is free and it's well worth a visit.

 
 Inside the 1810 cottage.

 Now inside the 1940 house.

 Loom and wool.

 Shuttles.

 Now round the back of the 1940 house and peeking in the kitchen.

 View from one of the train engines. We also went down a mine and had a shot on the tram. There's lots to do and apart from the tram ride it's all free.

Some garden produce.

Love the peas.

 Now it's N's birthday. I like the owl on the wrapping paper.

 Before making his cake I make jam with the backcurrants and raspberries from the garden. At this stage I wasn't sure how it would turn out, much of the fruit seemed to just disappear,

 Anyway, I finish making the jam and get on with the birthday cake.

 Chocolate, as requested.

And actually, the jam is fine. I much prefer it to the backcurrant jelly I made last year. In addition to the raspberries, I also added a bag of frozen summer fruit I had in the freezer (I was emptying the freezer to defrost it) and I think that has helped mellow the flavour - blackcurrant on it's own has rather a strong taste.

 Brambles beside the shed.

Bramble flower and hoverfly.I struggle to keep the brambles out of the garden. This year we have even more than normal, I'm going to let them fruit then prune them back. I think there my even be enough berries from the garden for a batch of bramble jelly, we have that many.

 Bubbles.

 The Queen's baton relay came down our street. All very exciting.

 Now we've almost caught up. Yesterday we had my folks over for lunch. I used it as an incentive to try and get the house back to some sort of normality after all the DIY work from decorting the living room, and the general neglect it's had while I've been doing my course. I'm not quite there yet but it's a whole lot better than it was. Anyway, I made a baked lemon and vanilla cheescake for pudding...

...for main course we had chicken breasts stuffed with herby cream cheese and wrapped in serrano ham, new potatoes with butter and chives, chickpea salad, baby leaf salad, carrot sticks, podded peas, and garlic bread with coriander and lemon. 

 I was supposed to chuck the strawberries on top, but I couldn't help arranging them in a neat circle. It did make the cheesecake a little difficult to slice.

But it was scumdiddlyumptious, as the BFG would say.


16 comments:

Julie said...

Looks like you have been having lots of busy, and happy, times. I used to make eve's pudding, and we all loved it, but somehow had forgotten about it for the last couple of years. Off to hunt out my recipe! Juliex

Mac n' Janet said...

What lovely photos you take, particularly liked the bubbles. Congratulations on finishing your uni courses. I gather you're going to be a teacher, best of luck, I'm a retired teacher and enjoyed my years of teaching very much.

RedSetter said...

What wonderful pictures and memories. I think you definitely deserve one of the teacher gifts after all your hard work. The meal and cakes all look delicious. Your little cat is very cute and the solstice pic made me laugh as I thought 'what are you doing with my cat....'!

Good you had the baton down your street. Feeling very grumped in advance as my work journey is going to be hell as it seems to include all major venues along the route! Thank goodness it only lasts a short time.

Have you also seen the sign by the squinty bridge? I laughed my head off when I saw it http://gonebeading.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/a-message-from-sponsor.html esp as Irn-Bru are sponsoring the event.

driftwood said...

looks like a really beautiful and delicious couple of months!

Mereknits said...

What amazing pictures of so many wonderful experiences, sights and yummy things to eat. It looks like you have been happy and busy.
Hugs,
Meredith

CJ said...

Scrumdiddlyumptious indeed, I could happily eat a slice or two of that right now. Such beautiful photos, especially the first one of the loch, it's stunning. You've been having some lovely adventures I think. Well done on finishing your uni course. I'm thinking about doing a little course soon, so hearing about your success in finishing one is quite inspirational. I hope you have a good week, CJ xx

Louise said...

What a lovely collection of photos and memories :)

Lyn said...

Lovely catch up post....I'm still doing posts from our holiday in Wales at the end of May!
Xxx
Ps what is a cleg?

Jacquie said...

Fabulous photos Anne, a lovely catch up.
Jacquie x

Mrs. Micawber said...

Those cakes are lovely! The cat certainly had a rather diabolical gleam in her eye as she gazed upon A's cake. Happy birthday(s) to A and N. A looks awfully tall....

That first photo of Loch Ard is a stunner. And you are so right about the happy memories triggered by sorting through photos - I've been happily re-living our Colorado trip for days now. :)

Mimi said...

What a lovely and inspiring post!

Chris said...

Lovely post full of simple pleasures and extra special days, lots of good times and happy memories!

Anonymous said...

What a super post, chock full of lovely images. Those cakes look delish.

The picture of Loch Ard is gorgeous, thank you.

Christina said...

So many wonderful memories! I use my blog as a diary of sorts, too. Congratulations on finishing your Umi course (I have an extension for my own dissertation, phew). Have you got tickets for the games? My children were allocated some through school and Scout. You are a master baker and your jam making photos make me itch for my own kitchen. Cx

Laura S. said...

Oh, I would have loved to have seen pics from your 1am ride! I'll bet they would have been hauntingly lovely. Also, what is a cleg? I'm in the US and haven't heard that word before. I do have the damsel flies although, not as pretty as your common blue. Every fall I have to dig their nests out of my windchimes or all I get is a clunking sound when the wind picks up. They love the tubes.

Laura S. said...

Stupid me. I looked up cleg and it says Horsefly. Hate those.

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