Colour and picnic



Today is overcast and cooler than yesterday. Yesterday the dogs and I spent all afternoon in the front garden in glorious sunshine.
Our front garden faces South and absorbs the warmth in seconds of the sun coming out.
Winnie, William and George slept as I weeded the beds and Mary watched an exhausted pair of blackbirds scoot back and forth from their almost completed nest in the Holly.
Slowly the colour is edging back into the garden. The mock orange is starting to blossom , the white bells, aubrietia, tulips and grape hyacinth are all flowering as is the delicate blue clematis on its frame by the wall.
The cottage in spring looks rather pretty I've always thought.

I've made a picnic lunch. Cheese and pickle sandwiches robust in silver foil, tuna mayonnaise sandwiches ( with a squirt of lemon), - slightly more refined with the crusts cut off. Asparagus cooked in butter with garlic and sea salt with tiny cherry tomatoes and fresh fruit salad.
I would have prepared coffee but the thermos is broken.

What are you doing today?

80 comments:

  1. I can't believe that your mock orange is about to flower ....... ours is weeks away but that’s probably because our garden is North facing and everything is always behind. Your garden always looks so pretty ... the perfect cottage garden .... should help on the selling front !!! We are pretty much doing bugger all today ..... the weather is awful ..... rainy and very cold . Enjoy your lunch, it sounds delicious. XXXX

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    1. Only a dozen flowers on it but the smell is adoptable x

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    2. Automatic spell check! Adorable

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  2. Well, right now I'm sitting here shivering - with the heating on. Tomorrow is forecast to be even colder with mid-Winter temps - though not quite so cold for North Wales, I've just checked. Never mind, nights start drawing in again in just seven weeks!
    In spite of from all that, do have a fine Sunday.

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    1. You too Raymondo but AL ABOUT EVE on the DVD x

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    2. Maybe I'm missing something re your comment, but 'ta' for the X!

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  3. The picnic sounds fabulous and your garden looks painstakingly well maintained. Enjoy your first days of spring and drink in the sights and sounds of the village

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  4. It is too cold and miserable here to think of doing anything. I have the heating on. It was 6 degrees C when I went out just now, cold north wind and clinging rain. Sounds like you kept yourself busy yesterday. Here is was the same as today so yesterday was a do nothing day too and my brother couldn't do gardening so he came to see me, which was nice.

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  5. house chores on the agenda here (laundry, groceries, etc.)

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  6. Anonymous11:57 am

    Since you asked, a Sunday drive and I made enough curry puffs to last six months for snacks. You will miss such a day as you had today.

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    1. Curry puffs? Please tell this Yank what they are
      Thanks
      Ruth in Oxnard, Calif USA

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    2. Me too! Curry poofs! Wonderfully camp

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  7. Anonymous11:59 am

    In momentary absence of a beloved garden of my own I enjoy looking at photos of yours and others'.

    I don't wish to make you teary as you recently seem to have been given to, but it must be hard to leave such an "idyll" behind. Unless, of course, and hope so with all my heart, that you exchange it for an equal or even more alluring one.

    Your picnic most civilized.

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  8. What a nice garden. I always enjoy your pictures of it. I am taking my youngest granddaughter to breakfast, I always enjoy the conversation. Later today, I will go the memorial service for those killed in the Toronto van attack.

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    1. Say a small prayer for them from me x

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  9. What am I doing today? I am reading another "Going Gently" blogpost and commenting on it.

    Shame you won't be seeing your lovely cottage garden a year from now but maybe the next garden will be equally joyous.

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  10. Love the picnic, sounds lovely. Raining here, so hanging pictures in the newly decorated bathroom and bedroom, made 2 sourdough loaves and cleaning for my parents visit on Tuesday.

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    1. Sourdough! I only really had it in Seattle filled with clan chowder ! Bliss

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  11. I can only imagine having a picnic. The weather here is icy cold and overcast and I feel miserable. Thank you for showing colourful pictures. I never thought of having a squeeze of lemon in a tuna mayo sandwich. I am going to do that from now on.

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  12. Staring at the sky in a Paddington sort of way, hoping it will stop raining. I have fences to paint and it's rained for days x

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    1. I haven't cloud watched for an age...

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  13. I have a grass lawn then a forest behind my home. It is a wonderful view, day and night .. although it is too dark to see much at night. But having that forest means the evening visitors come to my door .. raccoons, a little opossum and we are still trying to forget the wolf ... I mistook him at first for a German Shepherd .. a big one .. I would love to have a civilized garden again :)

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  14. A little cooler here today, thinking about a nice walk, maybe do a little shopping.

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  15. What am I doing you ask? Going with YOU on this picnic!!
    Actually I am at the shop all day. Enjoy your picnic!!

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    1. I would like to have a picnic with you both and Sophie

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  16. We went to visit a pretty little town called Comacchio, also known as "little Venice" this morning and, I had my first Asparagus of the season for lunch today.
    Your garden is looking lovely John!
    Greetings Maria x

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  17. That sound idyllic... I am mixing cement while Tony is in Manchester for the footie match,

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  18. I like the sound of your day...can I join you dear?

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  19. Your garden will sell your cottage - it's lovely. Our weather in Suffolk is just like Rachel's in Norfolk - Wet and cold and windy and worse tomorrow

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  20. It will be a warm day today... Hubby is off fishing with the neighbor most of the day.. I will make sure we have something to eat later and then this afternoon i have a painting class on YouTube i'd like to catch LIVE and then spend some time with my art and crafts... all in all a good day. You day sounds wonderful.. Hugs! deb

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    Replies
    1. Doing your own thing is sometimes very therapeutic

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  21. Taking Rick for a walk in the rain and enjoying the cosiness of a log fire. Your picnic sounds good.

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  22. Book reading is on the agenda today. Yesterday was spent out in the yard sorting things out after a long winter. Are you hoping to have a garden area in your next place?

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  23. Staying indoors; it's pissing down outside.

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  24. Spring clean up finished . . . I slept eleven hours . . . a first for me.
    Few wake up moments but all in all a “good great sleep!”
    Very cool here, yesterday and today.
    Now that the non stop clean up is in the past, creating in my gardens comes next. Beginning today . . . some new plantings.
    I am sure you enjoyed being in your garden . . . looking lovely.

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  25. I have just made my husband a lovely egg and cheese and bacon sandwich and we are on the back porch where we can hear the chickens asking to be let out of the coop and the sun is dappling through the magnolia tree which is blooming. I don't know what I'm going to do today but I hope it's not much!

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  26. Recovering from yesterday spent with the littles. I hope when you move you are still able to have a garden.

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  27. Anonymous2:01 pm

    We are currently sitting and groaning a little as we recover from yesterday's sunny day. Spring has resurrected projects put on hold for the winter. One of these is finishing a brick patio. That couldn't start until the stack of more than three hundred paving bricks was moved out of the way. That was done yesterday but we were knackered by the end. A dose of hay fever hasn't helped.

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  28. Husbands upstairs fitting a new floor, I've just made a Yorkshire tea loaf. Your picnic choices tick all my boxes and your garden is so lovely, I'd be happy to eat a picnic there.

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  29. I'm so jealous right now, we still have snow in the forests and everything else is brown, brown, brown.

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  30. It's one of those days when the sun is shining but there's also a chilly wind blowing so sitting in the garden is out. I'm indoors in the warm eating lemon drizzle cake and wading through the Saturday papers.

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  31. I'm taking an 83 year old lady to the Neil Simon play, "Last of the Red-Hot Lovers" at our little community theatre. Such a treat watching live performances and she could use a Sunday outing, and laughter. I also baked a cake for theatre management to sell by the slice during the two intermissions. I might even treat her to a delicious slice of chocolate cake. I met Margie several months ago when she decided to join our exercise class at the Senior Center. I was charmed immediately. She has an elegant style, slender, one of those ladies who wears clothes with a certain panache. She has since enrolled at Mendocino College for a creative writing class, and continues to write about her early life in Oklahoma during the dreadful Dust Bowl and Depression. She wants to leave these stories for her grandchildren so they will know they come from sturdy stock.

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  32. The fotos are spectacular. Thank you for sharing your gorgeous garden with us. Enjoy your charming and scrumptious picnic. It sounds like a wonderful day.

    I am recovering from last night's fun. In a few hours, I'm headed for work. Have a great day!

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  33. North East Scotland warm, sunny. Down the Prom for a crawl, then got involved in a Vintage Tractor run...then painting, pictures, not walls.

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  34. I went to a totally delightful garden with little fairy doors hiding in old tree trunks. It was cold but pretty in the garden. A hot coffee in the cafe helped a lot x

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  35. You picnic sounds like everything a picnic should be except for the thermos of coffee. We visited a local garden open day, comparing the progress of their planting and blossom against ours just a few miles down the road. Well you have to support a garden open for charity, and force yourself to partake of coffee and cake ... all in a good cause ;-)

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  36. All of the blooming plants in our garden are nearly finished. The wisteria blooms are gone, the jasmine is fading, the roses are in full bloom. This week it is a bit cool, but next week we will be back to warm temps.(I live in northern California, so spring comes early, lasts a few weeks and then it is full blown summer for months on end. Usually hot until November. Rain is a thrilling event around here.)
    It sounds as though you had a lovely day. How nice.

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  37. You have such a great eye for plantings; your gardens are beautiful.

    I haven't had a picnic in years! Your description made my mouth water :)

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    1. We had it in colwyn bay beach. It's a favourite spot of ours

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  38. I may not visit and comment as regularly as I would like but I do read all your posts. Your gardens look lovely. It’s been cold here today and I haven’t been feeling very well so it’s been a sofa day for me.

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    1. Get well soon polly...and thank you for reading this tripe x

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  39. Your garden looks delightful. When it is light today I hope to get into ours to prepare it (and do some planting) for our spring. If it looks as good as yours when the season arrives I will be very grateful.

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  40. Beautiful garden, you must have put in many work hours there, John. And a delightful picnic. I will remember the asparagus, so delicious sounding. This is your last spring at the cottage, enjoy every moment. btw Has Irene the sheep been rehomed?

    lizzy

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    1. Not yet ..but it's on the cards Lizzy , sue from blogging who lives 20 miles away will have her, if she can be caught

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  41. a lovely garden.
    we've been out on the bikes for a couple of hours in the sun, then mundane things like housework, washing, shed sorting....

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  42. Your garden is so pretty and the picnic sounds perfect. Since we finally have some nice weather here I am working in the yard.

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  43. Your garden is looking good. Your sandwiches sound perfect. Try lettuce, smoked ham, cheese and a few slices of mango in a sandwich - bliss.
    My Sunday is always the same = out to the same place for a leisurely lunch and an hour's sit over a pot of tea in the bar afterwards.

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  44. Spent the day in Prescott,Az. Drank a nice beer with a pulled pork sandwich. Froze my ass off 70 degrees and windy. Back home on the couch preparing some bbq chicken thighs for the grill and some nice strawberries, and an arugula salad with lemon dressing.

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  45. My husband is spoiled

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  46. Watching gentle snowflakes fall on Hare River Québec. It was 1C. Sigh. Spring must be around the corner - just can not figure out which corner !

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  47. What am I doing today..... I just iced a wedding fruit cake. My Mum is 83 and she is coming to my home for the Harry & Markle wedding that will be beemed live on TV in Australia 19th May. I have made my little Pekingese in icing complete with tiara and wedding dress - it will be a surprise for my Mum who loves the Royals .We are going to have a special tea while watching it too .

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  48. Reading all the lovely comments at some ungodly hour because Lucy (pretty cocker spaniel) believes that I should be up with the dawn chorus. She now snores gently on the sofa behind, duty done!

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  49. Weekend is over now, but we've just come back on the train from spending a night at my parents' place. Chilly where they live so Mum did pea & ham soup for lunch (first for the season), an afternoon of yakkity yak, then we had takeaway Country Chinese for dinner, some telly then early to bed as we're all old!!

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  50. I took a walk on the beach in the warm sun but the gusting winds finally made me run for cover. Microdermabrasion.

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  51. Vomiting I’m afraid......

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