IN AT THE DEEP END

I think the seasons have got mixed up in our garden. The Cannas and Brugmansias aren't showing a hint of a bud, yet the Pieris are already making their buds for next year!!!

The warmer weather seems to have brought the dreaded Lily Beetle out of hiding again as on these.....................I found this.............
I've allowed him his moment of blog-glory but I can assure you that measures have been taken to ensure he won't be back again!!!!

Something I was pleased to see was this Brimstone Butterfly.....................not the greatest photo but the first one I've managed to take of this particular beauty this year.........I'm sure I'll be seeing a few more bees as the Agastache is starting to flower......this is one of the self seedlings I found in the gravel ages ago and replanted................
you have to get up pretty early in the morning to get a photo "sans bee"............This penstemon has started to flower...its one I've grown from the seed of my blue Penstemon and seems quite a strong plant.....................
Now I bet my neighbours thought I'd rented an allotment when they saw me walking down the road with these yesterday afternoon.......................In fact I was on my way to the school; the Memorial Garden, (in memory of a much loved teacher who died last year) which is a job in progress, needed to be dug over before the slabs can be laid.........................so volunteers had been asked for......as you can see they came in their droves......NOT!!!!
Despite the rain we've had the ground was like concrete and the few of us who did turn up dug solidly for 2 hours.....................I think I won't be the only one with an aching back and blisters today..........
the bonus was that we all jumped in the school pool to cool off afterwards..................
I think the last time I went for a swim was in 2004 when Mick and I went for a day out to Southwold....................(sweet memories)....................

As you can see from the photo below of Manda's dripping trousers....we actually jumped in fully clothed!!!!!!...........................


except Nicole who had her costume with her as she'd had swimming at school...............
the water was lovely and warm but the walk home in our dripping clothes was quite chilly......it was FUN though!!!!! I was glad there was some of the Apricot Almond cake left that I'd made in the morning as all the digging and swimming had given me a heck of an appetite.............

If you want the recipe just click on the photo above...........................
I know some of you keep chickens; well I heard on the news that at The Pensthorpe Nature Reserve, near Fakenham a bantam hen has incubated and hatched a Sandhill Crane...

isn't that a lovely fostering story...............the chick's now bigger than it's foster mum!

Those of you who have followed my/our lives on There Are A Million Stories will know that I've another appointment with the Citizen's Advice Bureau today in my attempt to resolve some of the financial problems I've had since Mick's passing. Finger crossed that all goes well......