Summer Time
Yes, well, by dint of keeping the curtains mostly drawn and not moving much, I managed to stay comfortable yesterday. H also remained comfortable - apart from when he was out in the direct sunlight. There are advantages to having had a heart attack within the previous twelve months. You feel the cold, not the heat! He should survive this summer with a minimum of discomfort. w00t!
Today is Main Warm-er, as forecast. Last night I made a list of Hot Weather Dinners - salads of one variety or another which I could rustle up from things we already have in the house. Seems to be ok for three or four days, by which time the weather might have relented somewhat.
There was a full moon last night. When I looked out I'm sure it was reflecting the sun's heat as well as its light!
Garsp!
I mentioned that a few weeks ago, before Llandudno, a group of women from the Church spent an evening at a local pottery decorating studio. The pots came back the other day and, yes, the glazes did look different when fired, but not as different as I thought they might. The various 'pots' looked really good.
Here are my two
The jug works ok for frothing up milk for fancy coffees, but it might have been better if it was straight sided apparently. I'm not quite sure what I shall do with the bowl yet. Cache pot maybe?
Meanwhile S visited an arboretum at the weekend and sent us pictures to prove it. Have a few gratuitous shots of trees. I like trees.
Oh dear, sorry about that. It's the trunk of a Gum Tree (some kind of Eucatlyptus). I like the colours and patchwork effect.
Acers. Fortunately the leaf shapes and colours work either way!
Another acer. I noticed a lot of sycamores had such red-winged fruit while on holiday. Should I have space for such a tree (not really bonsai even) I'd want one with really red-winged fruit. Then, maybe, I could see the things where they fell and clear them away before they germinated! You don't have one sycamore tree for very long. You soon have a thicket of seedlings.
Pity there aren't any trees really near here - although the owners of the house next door have been putting in a lot of work recently. They had to after the previous tenant rather mucked the place up. It's occasionally been a bit noisy as they've sanded/sawed and drilled things, but on the whole none too bad.
Aaaarrrggh! They've started up again!
They very kindly removed the pile of fence/shed panels from the roof of our shed. Finding it was missing a patch of roofing felt they also very kindly replaced that. Now when we look that way we can see the enormous buddliea bush growing in their garden. It is in riotous bloom. At this time of year and in this weather it should be covered in bees and butterflies.
Only it isn't. Which says something about what this year has done for the bee/butterfly population so far. I've hardly seen any in our yard either, and we currently have lavender and the most gorgeous roses. We usually manage a few bumble bees, hoverflies, even the occasional Hummingbird Hawk Moth.
It also says much about the level of insect pollinators in this part of central Portsmouth. Mind you, there are some insects here - the swifts were screaming past between the houses the other day and I have to keep checking the roses for aphids. We stilll have a few bewildered black and ginger hairy caterpillars wandering around the yard looking for the honeysuckle. I suppose the next thing will be flying ants.
We did have an ants nest out front of our house, under the pavement/in the brickwork. I put paid to that, I think, because they were coming into the house. I don't mind insects in their proper place, which isn't in the house!
And Finally, should you be looking for a Good Day Out - the Mary Rose, Henry VIII's flagship which sank in the Solent off Southsea Castle, is now fully preserved (they hope) and open for viewing as from today. This is a not-to-be-missed opportunity. Previously the view of the remaining hull had been somewhat obscured by the various treatment proceedures being taken to preserve it. Now you can see the timbers in all their preserved glory. Plus the entry ticket to the dockyard also includes visiting the Mary Rose Museum (containing the preserved artifacts found on the ship,) HMS Victory, HMS Warrior, the Naval Museum and Many Other attractions - far more than you can adequately view in one day. Fortunately the ticket, once purchased, allows you to return throughout the year.
The good news is that it's really near Portsmouth Harbour station, so you don't have to contend with the snarling traffic jams this kind of weather always generates in our island city. Why not slap on some sunscreen and visit?
If you're playing Pokemon Go, remember to look up from you phone screen as you move around. I daresay there are some hiding in the Historic Dockyard*, why not come and look?
For that matter, it's the America's Cup Race leg in Portsmouth this weekend too (Thursday - Sunday). Should you decide to visit most definitely leave your car and come by train, or leave it at the park and ride in Cosham.
Y'all have a good day now!
*This blog is not paid to advertise the Dockyard, or anywhere else. I write what I like! Mind you . . .
Today is Main Warm-er, as forecast. Last night I made a list of Hot Weather Dinners - salads of one variety or another which I could rustle up from things we already have in the house. Seems to be ok for three or four days, by which time the weather might have relented somewhat.
There was a full moon last night. When I looked out I'm sure it was reflecting the sun's heat as well as its light!
Garsp!
I mentioned that a few weeks ago, before Llandudno, a group of women from the Church spent an evening at a local pottery decorating studio. The pots came back the other day and, yes, the glazes did look different when fired, but not as different as I thought they might. The various 'pots' looked really good.
Here are my two
The jug works ok for frothing up milk for fancy coffees, but it might have been better if it was straight sided apparently. I'm not quite sure what I shall do with the bowl yet. Cache pot maybe?
Meanwhile S visited an arboretum at the weekend and sent us pictures to prove it. Have a few gratuitous shots of trees. I like trees.
Oh dear, sorry about that. It's the trunk of a Gum Tree (some kind of Eucatlyptus). I like the colours and patchwork effect.
Acers. Fortunately the leaf shapes and colours work either way!
Another acer. I noticed a lot of sycamores had such red-winged fruit while on holiday. Should I have space for such a tree (not really bonsai even) I'd want one with really red-winged fruit. Then, maybe, I could see the things where they fell and clear them away before they germinated! You don't have one sycamore tree for very long. You soon have a thicket of seedlings.
Pity there aren't any trees really near here - although the owners of the house next door have been putting in a lot of work recently. They had to after the previous tenant rather mucked the place up. It's occasionally been a bit noisy as they've sanded/sawed and drilled things, but on the whole none too bad.
Aaaarrrggh! They've started up again!
They very kindly removed the pile of fence/shed panels from the roof of our shed. Finding it was missing a patch of roofing felt they also very kindly replaced that. Now when we look that way we can see the enormous buddliea bush growing in their garden. It is in riotous bloom. At this time of year and in this weather it should be covered in bees and butterflies.
Only it isn't. Which says something about what this year has done for the bee/butterfly population so far. I've hardly seen any in our yard either, and we currently have lavender and the most gorgeous roses. We usually manage a few bumble bees, hoverflies, even the occasional Hummingbird Hawk Moth.
It also says much about the level of insect pollinators in this part of central Portsmouth. Mind you, there are some insects here - the swifts were screaming past between the houses the other day and I have to keep checking the roses for aphids. We stilll have a few bewildered black and ginger hairy caterpillars wandering around the yard looking for the honeysuckle. I suppose the next thing will be flying ants.
We did have an ants nest out front of our house, under the pavement/in the brickwork. I put paid to that, I think, because they were coming into the house. I don't mind insects in their proper place, which isn't in the house!
And Finally, should you be looking for a Good Day Out - the Mary Rose, Henry VIII's flagship which sank in the Solent off Southsea Castle, is now fully preserved (they hope) and open for viewing as from today. This is a not-to-be-missed opportunity. Previously the view of the remaining hull had been somewhat obscured by the various treatment proceedures being taken to preserve it. Now you can see the timbers in all their preserved glory. Plus the entry ticket to the dockyard also includes visiting the Mary Rose Museum (containing the preserved artifacts found on the ship,) HMS Victory, HMS Warrior, the Naval Museum and Many Other attractions - far more than you can adequately view in one day. Fortunately the ticket, once purchased, allows you to return throughout the year.
The good news is that it's really near Portsmouth Harbour station, so you don't have to contend with the snarling traffic jams this kind of weather always generates in our island city. Why not slap on some sunscreen and visit?
If you're playing Pokemon Go, remember to look up from you phone screen as you move around. I daresay there are some hiding in the Historic Dockyard*, why not come and look?
For that matter, it's the America's Cup Race leg in Portsmouth this weekend too (Thursday - Sunday). Should you decide to visit most definitely leave your car and come by train, or leave it at the park and ride in Cosham.
Y'all have a good day now!
*This blog is not paid to advertise the Dockyard, or anywhere else. I write what I like! Mind you . . .