Seven and a bit days.........1000 miles later.

Hey up me ducks (as they say in Nottingham) how on earth are you all? Its been a chaotic 10 days or so - and inspired by Jacqui at the Barefoot Crofter - I'm recounting the days diary style a photo or two for each day gone passed! We've been from indulging ourselves in glorious sunshine (and some showers) with brought remarkable rainbows to taking in the acts at the Orkney Blues Festival locally, to Ayrshire (and back again) with a quick detour to various lovely chums for tea and laughter........1000 or so miles later its time for the flopping on the heather to commence, feet up and a peedie rest! Just like above - we've found a few lovely spots for walking by the new place.........Peedie seems to agree its quite bonnie.

Well the past few days all began with the 'greening' of the patch at home - so bulbs galore have been purchased here we have 'Tete a Tete' a miniture daffodil which does brilliantly up here defying the wind by keeping its stature short and flowering early even in a force 10 gale. I approve so we've got quite alot of that. Being a dwarf daffodil also means I feel more giant like when I see it. And given my short stature - there's not many plants which make me feel tall! Only plump firm bulbs got into by bag - which were nice and disease free and full of potential! Great time of year to be planning those spring beds and get bulb planting.

The 'squatting' in the polytunnel at my old job is going well - although as I'm now technically 're-employed' in a formal capacity as aide of the first capacity to the garden guru - perhaps I'm no longer squatting. Hooray for new jobs as 'relief' horticulture instructors. Therefore my tomatoes, whilst slow and bushy, are no longer illicit. The crops continuing to ripen, albeit slowly. Three bush tomatoes to one fish crate appears to be the correct density. Bravo big tick, got that one right, finally.

As to how many shallots you can successfully harvest from one fish box, the answer is 104, but I'm sure you knew that already. I'm a happy lady these have dried out nicely on a different type of fish tray.

 

On the way home, another garden centre stop - and our first tree of the new house - attempting to mitigate my carbon footprint by planting lots in the courtyard.......no I didn't leave it planted in the car. Haggis is confused by the addition of foliage to the vehicle. Peedie of course, looked on woefully aware of vegetation transportation in progress, not a new sight for him. A 10ft Rowan in a car holds no surprise for Peedie despite the fact that his owner was quite chuffed to get a 10ft tree in her peedie car.

The noble Rowan - Sorbus aucuparia, this variety is 'Pink Veil'. Ok so not its best view in the car - however - I love Rowans - aside the old addage of warding off evil they are one of the few species in Orkney which not only berry up but also colour up nicely if they're able to.  The reason for the choice - quite simply - they had one in the local shop and whilst I've no passion for pink rowans - its here and healthy so its earnt a place in the new patch. Now planted in a tub (underplanted with daffodil 'Tete a Tete'), it nicely helps lure birds into the new bird table.

The view outside to a rainbow - from the new sitting room - whilst dark you get the general idea - trees (Sycamores) and shore to the background...........shelter all about us, should manage to grow something. Mornings are taken up on the hill walking the dogs before working - or just to take time to breathe. Not but five minutes from the new house - heather clad hills and views of skies - very lovely indeed. This is our regular walking patch now. Perfect and the boys agree.

 A sit on the hill was in order for the day ahead when Mr Flowers took off his sidekick disguise and entered back into the world of Rock and Roll - he played a couple slots at the local Orkney Blues Festival which went down a treat - great weekend indeed!

I love the logo for this - guitars as standing stones - all copyright of the Blues Festival!

 After a weekend full of fun - no rest for the wicked - off to training 'sooth' (another hairy plane), more plants to purchase and then .........................it appears this young man, so youthful in this picture - has embarked on his university days and required a lift to his enlistment (um I mean registration) at University on the mainland. Complete with a car load of what appeared to be mainly computer related malarkay we headed 'sooth' - to university accommodation and away!

How can he be university age already?? Well there you go. Fortunately for us the journey 'sooth' meant driving through a good chums patch, who's a head gardener in Stirlingshire for a lovely private house with an amazing garden - so we managed to beg a bed for the night and bore the man-child stupid with botanical chatting. They've even had their first frosts, uncommon here - but how beautiful the garden looked. Sweetpeas 10ft tall and grown outside - well I can't do that at home, whilst its great to see her hard work, I'm reminded of what grows outdoors in central Scotland, so many things like sweet peas and runner beans that we'd never get a crop from outside where I live. Ach well, its nice to see somewhere different isn't it. And, in the morning, we even managed to help squeeze some home grown apple juice before we departed. How much fun was that?

And then for the more serious task at hand, time for departure to university studies. Well the town the boy child has picked is in south west Scotland - with a rather fabulous beach........so we had to give that a look didn't we - the views out to the Island of Arran were lovely too!

As to the location of his accomodation - like every good parent I paid excellent attention to directions. You go passed the 30 year old monkey puzzle tree on the left, turn right at the monkey puzzle tree on the right (by the traffic lights) and then head down the mature Lime tree avenue until you see a large Oak tree and its first on the left........no one please cut any of those down or I'll never see my son again! As to the long journey home, via the East Neuk of Fife, via the A9 and all that gorgeous autumn colour just beginning to come - the hounds began to start flagging again. I'm sure I could hear cries of 'are we there yet?'

More time in the car, not alot of fun, but we're back now......and as promised for Jarmy - like your sweet peas outside in Stirlingshire looking resplendent - the ones nestled safely in the polytunnels at home aren't doing too badly either.........but I'd not like the chance them outside!

Whilst they don't do very well outside here - they do fine enough with a bit of shelter.....

Well that's my 10 days - 1000 miles, done the blues, walked some hills, caught some rainbows, pressed some apple juice, had a lot of garden envy, looked at new area's to live and enlisted a child at university.

Not a bad few days all in all.


Goodluck 'Jambon' my darling boy - I'm sure you'll have a blast at university my love. And, it will be easy to stop me stalking you - just get them to cut down a few trees and I'll never find you again! x

I wonder if you've all been upto anything fun in the past 10 days??