Today's Flowers - Magnolia

Magnolia Stellata is blooming beautifully in our garden just now.  A treat for the eyes as the daffodils fade and the early summer flowers are yet to show.

Share in this worldwide bouquet at Today's Flowers.  Thank you to the team who bring us this beauty each week.

Quick trip

Sometimes, there is no getting away from it- we have to make a trip into our capital city.  Fortunately it is only 20 minutes away, and it is a nice town. James is ready and is taking one or two friends with him.

 

As son as the car is parked, we have to stand under this tunnel and listen to out echoed calls.

Now our errand is done, we can have a walk around. James runs on ahead, but stops to wait while we catch up.

In we go to the gardens.  I always think of the fact that we are walking along the bottom of a loch basin.

 Looking up at the castle on the rock.

Noticing things we had never noticed before - like that thistle detail on the very top of the window corbels.

Looking for Mr Squirrel's house, but we thought he was still deeply asleep in his cosy nest.

The Ross Banstand, which less than a month ago saw the likes of Madness and The Noisettes strutting across it's stage, while a spectacular firework display welcomed in the New Year, lies empty and forlorn.  Ah well, spring and summer are on their way and festivals will once again brighten it's space.

James tries to find some wind to blow his new windmill.  And it does blow!

But running down those steep banks are just the best fun.

An extra hour!

It was five o'clock when we came in from the garden this afternoon.  Still light enough to finish planting the raspberries  that had been imprisioned in the greenhouse since their Christmas Eve delivery. (More on this and other growing type things on the gardening blog). Today there is a whole extra hour of daylight here.  What are you dong with yours?

...and yet....

Catching the rays

A Red Admiral butterfly soaking up some Autumn sunshine in our garden today.

So much going on.

This has been such a busy week, that I have not had time to update the blog. So - here is a whistle stop tour. This week has been all about...

Kenneth packing. Heading off to University.

A last snuggle up together.

Room for independence - middle window, blind half down - the place to be. Mum left her camera in the car, so no interior shots.

Lots of plums

and more plums. Lots of jam - more jam - bottling and 2 more trees to go!

Gorgeous grandson,

Picking up Mum and Dad from Edinburgh airport after 6 weeks in Canada.

Happy Birthday Kristine - 20!!!!

Comparing sun tans - Kristine and Dad!

James makes another birthday cake.

Have we forgotten anything Mum?

Oh yes - Kenneth came home for the weekend. Fresher's week is hard work!

Hope you have had a good week.

Summertime...

...and the living is easy.

Sunny things for a summer's day.

Wonderful Word Wednesday

My lovely blog friend The Tired Mummy has come up with a fun meme - Wonderful Word Wednesday. This is a chance to share words or phrases that we love, or funny things our children say. My phrase of the week is "Of course!" This was said to me today by my 2 and a half year old when I asked him if he wanted to have his snack outside - "Of course Mummy!"delivered in a tone that implied I had just asked him a really stupid question :D
Well - the sun was shining - it was warm - he was playing - why on earth would he want to come inside? Duh!

Shadow Shot Sunday - Birds in the garden

Hens and sparrows enjoying an evening drink in our garden.

I love how the sparrows cling on to the kniphofia and sip from the flowers. They could almost be Scottish Hummingbirds.

See more great shadows at Shadow Shot Sunday on Hey Harriet.

I love dirt!

And I love little dirty feet too :)

Playing

James has been loving these warm days and spends most of his time getting down and dirty, running about in the garden. I love to watch him and it is great to see him so active - especially after his accident in the winter, when he fractured his femur. There is not much sign of the injury now - a wee bit unsteady on occasion, usually when he is tired, but on the whole it is a distant memory.So - he rolls about in his tent...



...fixes my car with a yellow playsilk...



...fends off hidden dragons with a skytail ball...

...and brings a whole new meaning to co-sleeping!

Exactly what a 2 year old should be doing, really:)

Shadow Shot Sunday

Inspired by some of the beautiful blogs I follow, I have decided to improve my photography skills. I have been trying to adopt a different way of seeing things, rather than just mindlessly point and shoot,usually cutting heads off or including overflowing rubbish bins and passers by in my picture. I saw this meme on Sunnymama's blog and liked the idea of shadows. So here is my first offering. These are pictures of our ancient garage. We inherited it when we moved into the house and my husband reckons it dates from the 1930s, just after the house was built. It is constructed from - shock - horror - corrugated asbestos! We have been assured by asbestos experts that it is perfectly safe, so it is still here in it's red oxide glory.










Check out Shadow Shot Sunday for more shadow play.