Hobbies and Crafts

I did post on this thread last night but the thread seems to have disappeared :-S
Have the gremlins got into the works again?

You sound to be having a wonderful time Vera........ did you take your slippers ha ha.

Spent today at the Palheiro Estate gardens on Madeira. It's an amazing place and well worth a visit. There are long avenues of camellias in bloom and great banks of agapanthus just coming into bloom. Lots of interesting trees and shrubs from places like Australia and South Africa. It was a really good day out but my poor feet are aching now.

Love that tree Vera, lots of them in Tenerife North. Vrry photogenic. Enjoy the warmth.

I haven't been on the boards for a few days as we are in Madeira. Much warmer than at home though even here the temperature has dropped to about 15 degrees with a stiff breeze. When we get back we are going straight to Yorkshire to look after a grandchild for 10 days. I think we are going to notice the difference in temperature between Madeira and Yorkshire.

If you know Madeira you will know there are green areas and flowers everywhere. It is such a lovely island. We are very taken with a tree that is in bloom everywhere at the moment. The trees are covered with large, papery orange-red flowers. OH took a couple of photos. Apparently it is called African Tulip Tree.

I wish we had more than 8 days here but hopefully we will be back.

Although it is dry here today with a glimmer of sun the air is very sharp, very cold so, other than walking back from the hair dresser and then going to Tesco by car we haven't been out.

Hope your snow has cleared now Joan so that you have had a walk outside.

We had hailstones yesterday. The storm came out of the blue and lasted long enough to cover the ground. I am still doing some weeding. Dustbin just emptied today, so no excuse to continue, lots to do, but don't always have the energy. Always another day!.

Hello AnninGlos.

It has been rather cold the past couple of days,even though the sun has been shining!
I am desperate to get outside & actually DO something & have a look at what is happening re the plants, I keep thinking I will pop out there but it keeps raining or snowing in fits & starts, just not worth the effort of pulling on the wellies, lol.

Joan.

Brrr Joan it has been a beautiful day here sun all day and quite warm in the sun. Hope you lose the snow soon.

Boo Hoo, we have had a couple of days of snow, not much but enough to cover the Snowdrops.
It's not lying too long but as soon as one lot clears it starts again, I would rather see the Snowdrops than the snow! roll on some better (warmer) weather.

Joan.

Yes it was quite a shock for the family I am sure, I am not sure how old he was, late 60s I think.

Very frosty here this morning, looks very pretty, but pleased I don't have to go out into it. OH is supposed to be playing golf but nothing happenening at the moment, next inspection is at 0930. A nuisance as he has to go to the club in case they play, normally he wouldn't even attempt it on such a morning, but he is playing in a competition in place of somebody who has urt his back. The winter league which he avoids playing in because of bad weather and a no trollies rule.

I might take myself into town. On the bus! :-)

I also have been out in the garden today for the second time tidying up after the Winter.

How sad for your neighbour to have died yesterday Ann. I'm sure his family will appreciate your thoughtfulness in making a sympathy card at such an upsetting time.

Just spent half an hour in the garden in the sunshine pruning the Buddleias, hopefully I have cut enough off. I know you should prune them quite hard but can never quite make myself do it :-D Still I have cut back quite a bit so it should be ok.

Well done Kandj, not been out there today as I had a couple of cards to make. Sadly one of our neighbours, not one we know really, lives three doors down opposite side of the cul de sac, had a heart attack and died while swimming earlier this week. We only heard today, they kept themselves to themselves in the road but seem to have quite a few family around. He was, I should think, in his late 60s. So I had to make a sympathy card. Not my favourite card to make.

The dawn chorus is awesome. Our first house was backing on to farmers fields with lots of trees. We loved to listen to the birds waking up and singing each morning.

I have braved the cold wind and spent a short while in the garden today. I have tidied some shrubs and picked up lots of rubbish that has been blown amongst the borders.

Lovely Joan, long may you enjoy it. The Roe deer sounds lovely. Maybe she is getting old and not wanting to go far, or maybe she was hand raised when young and likes people.

Yes we do love it, the road can be a pain, but we do so enjoy our "lifestyle", a lovely place for the children to grow up, so safe when out playing.

I forgot to mention the Buzzards that fly above the house & manys the time they sit on the fence posts close to the garden, & Kestrels that sit on the electric wire, just wonderful.
Dawn chorus durring the summer months comes from the Swallows that sit on the wire & chatter like budgies right outside the bedroom window! quite a gathering when all their young ones have fledged.

We have groups of Roe Deer pass by quite often, they come & they go, but, we have 1 that has been here since before Christmas, she is on her own & even when others have turned up she remains here when the others go!!
We have never seen that before & don't understand whats going on with her, she sleeps mostly at the end of our garden (field side) & doesn't move far away when we pass in the car!

There doesn't appear to be anything wrong with her, we often see her grazing & she can get up quite a speed IF she gets spooked,also the field gate is wide open so she can escape should she want to!
We have really enjoyed having her here, & the grandchildren get so excited when they spot her.

I will have to take a look at the birds thread.

Joan.

You obviously love it Joan and it sounds an idyllic lifestyle. Not sure about the long muddy unmade up road though :-D

Your birds sound wonderful too, would make our birds on the bird thread look a bit sparse. You should pop on there sometime and tell us about the birds. :-)

You obviously love it Joan and it sounds an idyllic lifestyle. Not sure about the long muddy unmade up road though :-D

Your birds sound wonderful too, would make our birds on the bird thread look a bit sparse. You should pop on there sometime and tell us about the birds. :-)

Hello AnninGlos....

It does sound wonderful doesn't it! I forgot to mention that we still get plenty of weeds, LOL.
It's not too bad to deal with,that is until the leaves come down!! clearing the leaves is something we really don't enjoy,so many to clear up.
We have 5 garden seats dotted around so as to be able to rest as & when we need! lol.

We do get a lot of birds, Blue / Great tits, Wrens, Yellow Hammers, all types of Finches,Jackdaws that live in the obsolete house chimneys, Woodpeckers have put in an appearance over the past couple of years, Swallows in the summer nest in our garage (former barn) we do encourage the birds with lots of feeders all around.

We are on our own but not isolated as such! we can see a farm & what used to be a couple of farm workers cottages in the distance,but we are off the beaten track,no passing traffic or people, lovely in the nice weather.
It's not too bad in the winter either as long as we don't get too much snow! too much can mean being blocked in & no-one to help us get out!! fortunately that doesn't happen "too" often!

Village is only 5mins away when in the car, but a good 1/2 hour if walking (going through the farm! that was when when we were younger! lol.

The road leading directly to our house is unmade, just a dirt track! & VERY long,it gets a bit muddy in wet weather! not too bad when in the car,but when the children were young it was not so nice walking along it in the winter.
It meant wellies were worn until we got to the bottom of the road,& then we would change into shoes for school or catching a bus to town, oh what fun, lol.

Whenever I went along that road I would toss seeds & daffie bulbs into the verges,the seeds never grew but some of the Daffies have come through & thats without actually planting them! lol.
I reckon the tough grass in the verges were just too thick for the seeds, but daffies are almost weedlike,I have seen Daffie bulbs flower here just sitting on top of a wall !

We are going to be buried in our garden,so no plans to move out?

Joan.