night time flowers

I've been busy, I've been working (yes it is a shock to me too!) on contract at hubby's office, doing readability checks. Basically reading lots of technical engineering documents and going through them with the red pen! So it's good for the bank balance, not so good for the house work, or for getting the house packed (2 weeks to go!), or gardening. Now when I say gardening I'm not trying to leave the garden in perfect shape for the new owners, that would be impossible. But I am trying to take wee pieces of some of my favourite perennials, especially as the new garden is lacking a bit on the perennial/cottage garden front.

The other evening, I wandered around with my flash going, and took some night time shots (well it was actually dusk). 

Primula - Wanda

Hellebores

Trilliums

  
The primula and trillium are definitely on the "dig up" list. However, not keen on the basket fungi - it just looked spectacular!. Also definitely can't take the large weeping cheery tree, know as the "fairy tree" around here. We will miss it, the kids have a rope swing in it, and used to have a tree house - yes it's that big!

Well it is last day of term 3 here, our terms have all been messed up by the Rugby World Cup, as we should have had holidays in September! So I'd better go and prepare the kids for their last day at Brightwater School.

Weekend delights

We had a great weekend, due to the following sign:

So no more open homes, no more running around frantically tidying and cleaning the house from top to toe. Instead, I can hang out washing on the line on a Sunday for the first time in five months! And I can finally start packing boxes.... Here's some other nice things I saw this weekend.

Sunday also happened to be Father's Day, so we went for a family bike ride around the local river. Another thing I don't think I've done for about five months!

We stopped at a nice stoney part of the river, the boys skimmed stones, and the girls hunted for lovely purple stones. Two of which I brought home for crocheting! There was a stone stacking competition and a the best love-heart-stone competition. Miss L said to me "this is so much fun mum, and it doesn't cost anything!". So wise for her nine years.

June, here we come ready or not .......

It's hard to believe May is gone and June is with us. According to the statistics May was the warmest on record, not that I really noticed, as it was quite wet. So now we must prepare for shorter days and colder nights.

Miss L had a private dance lesson at the local church hall tonight, and while we were waiting I wandered around the graveyard. It was a lovely low light, that made everything appear golden.

St Paul's Church, Brightwater built in 1857

 

such a sweet wee gravestone, now lying down

the kidlets letting off some steam

I have to admit to having a lot of "blog envy" at the moment. I read a few lovely blogs from the UK, most have a vintage/illustration theme, and have to admit to feeling a bit green about all the loveliness I see, and wonder how on earth I can compete!  My finds from the op shops and recycling centre seem to pale into insignificance, there's no way I can post photos of 15th Century castles, or cottage gardens (well not in this month, wait until October!) and I doubt my artistic abilities. The last one is probably because I'm not in the creative groove at the moment. Having the house on the market has dried that well up!

But then I think of all the lovely things I am surrounded by, and I am grateful. I think the fact that my sister and her family, plus my uncle and aunt are all enjoying a 6 week holiday in the UK is just adding to it all. I have a vague plan of a similar trip for us in 3 years time. In the meantime we just need to focus on selling the house, as we get the keys for the new one in 9 days time! Whoppeee!

This clematis was growing over an arch, I have the same one flowering in my garden except it's cream with speckles, I'd never seen this colour before

Walking into sunshine

These photos weren't taken today - it was raining. I took the camera with me last week while walking the kids to school. The sun was very low and shining into our eyes all the way. I love how with a digital camera you can take photos looking at the sun, breaking all the rules!

If you look hard there are some red oak leaves amongst the rays of sunshine, autumn is approaching fast.

Those aren't real seagulls on the roof of the Beach Club, we are about 15 minute away from the beach! When we first moved here I though the Beach Club was a naturalist's club or something similar - well it is behind a very high fence and you can't see in. It's also next door to the kindergarten! Actually its where they play beach volleyball, so nothing interesting going on behind the fence after all.