Yesterday...

Peace Rose

Was shattered after the meeting with Mum's consultant and the journey there and back on Monday. We had a number of family (and one friend) phone calls to make after it. I spent most of yesterday in bed, just going out with the camera to get some photos of the plants and flowers in our garden.



Fern fronds uncoiling

Mum's consultant was very helpful and informative, and didn't pull any punches. He said that the physiotherapists might get in touch with us, either when we visit (unlikely as we're only going at weekends or evenings) or maybe by phone. Mum has been refusing to walk with the Physios, will only walk with the nurses.

We have a lot to think about, but Mum will be observed for another couple of weeks. So we have a little calm before the (possible) storm. So I am making the effort to go out into the yard every day (unless it's really chucking it down of course!) to take photos of the flowers.



Lilies - this pot full is doing better than the other pest wise for some reason. Suspect it gets a bit more sun. John picked a load of snails off the lilies this morning, brought out by the thundery rain yesterday evening I expect.

Haven't managed to catch any photos of the insects yet! We've been getting loads of bees in the campanula, if we get a day warm enough to sit out for a while I hope I can catch a few pictures.



Campanula growing amidst the variegated ivy

John's caught two mouses in the kitchen, but clear 2 nights now I think. So we'll set the trap in the yard again just in case there's still a nest out there. Then I suppose we should set in the shed (just in case). I think we're in the market for half a dozen mousetraps!



Pink strawberry flowers

Come the evening I leaned out of the bathroom window and took yard photos from the first floor (think that will be second floor for any US readers? cos our Ground Floor is your first floor? confused in Liverpool!)



You can see the width of the end of the yard, and that shiny crinkly stuff in the extreme lower left corner is the corrugated plastic roof on the corner of our (lean to) shed.



This one shows from the kitchen steps down into the yard and to the back wall looking almost straight down from the bathroom window. Every time I write that I think of the Beatles - "She came in through the bathroom window..." The purple monstrosity is our wheelie bin. At least it gives us a high up surface to keep my day lily seedlings on!



These are the lilies seen from the bathroom window.



And here's my favourite photo, the Peace Rose from above - I love the sort of spirally pattern in the middle. And the colours. And it's beautiful scent.

Sad, angry, confused

but happy to get a picture on way to hospital to see Mum's Consultant.

This and that

Thought I was getting RSI as have pain in right hand. But now I notice a bruise erupting. No idea what I've done to my hand, but I always seem to be walking into things, so probably I just hit it and didn't notice.

Some more nice yarn came from Get Knitted last week. There was another Get Knitted pen, so John is happy as he has his own now and doesn't have to keep filching mine. They are really good writers, unlike the majority of ball point pens in the house. Also a fruit pop lollipop, which I have an idea for.



I thought I might makes some socks for Mum from the multicoloured alpaca. The purple I obviously had something in mind for Sarah, but I've forgotten what. Another time I must make a note of what I was thinking of doing!

Was going to order a swift and some more yarn, but with my debit card stopped it would mean using credit card which I am not keen to do. Just hope the new card arrives soon!

I've started swatching the Trekking, but the needles are too big for it, giving too loose a fabric. But I'm keeping going for now as I thought I might make a small bag with it so as not to waste all that effort. I'm really enjoying the colour changes, the resulting fabric positively glows, though my photo doesn't really do it justice.



It's on 3mm dpns, so will try 2.5 next, unless I can find some smaller ones in my stash of needles that came from Auntie Gertie. That's if I can actually lay my hands on my needle bag at all - the room that is supposed to be my "workroom" is so crammed with stuff it's hard to find anything!

This afternoon we have an appointment with Mum's consultant. John swapped shifts so is working 7-3 today so we have time to get to the hospital for 4.30. I am dreading the meeting.

Rose and more flowers

The second bloom of the year is opening on the Peace Rose.



I'm really excited and looking forward to seeing the flowers that emerge from this bud. It's the first flower from plants from seed that came from the first flowers on the Abersoch agapanthus. Urk, that's a really badly formed sentence!



The yard is full of flowers, overflowing. Lovely to clamber down the steps and look at the colour and enjoy.



There are a couple of campion plants that hitched a lift back from the caravan. It would be lovely if they got established in the yard.



We have a variegated ivy growing on the yard walls, and the campanula has seeded itself amongst it. I love to see plants breaking away from the "flower beds" and escape into other environments. We have a few escapees of the campanula on the outside of our walls too.



This is one of my favourite plants - Felicia. We brought this back from the caravan last year, to give it a break from the marauding bunnies. Love the colour of the flowers combined with the variegated leaves.



On the knitting front I'm swatching at the mo. No pictures as it's all a bit of a mess. Maybe tomorrow!

Peace rose is a bit ragged on its outer petals, but these will be hidden as the flower opens fully.

Mouses in houses

We saw a mouse in the yard on Sunday, so John borrowed next-door's trap. Result was bagged and put into the bin. Today I went down to the kitchen at lunchtime. Heard clickety click claws and caught it moving from the corner of my eye. We will be setting the trap inside for a few nights, and then outside again. Time to get our own trap I suspect.

I have a rat trying to get at my bank account from what I hear. My debit card is now stopped. It will take 7-10 days for new card to arrive. So no shopping for me for a few days. ;-)

Something's eating the lilies too.



Sometimes Fridays just aren't good days.