Saturday, 19th June

[Linda]

What a perfect June day...takes me back to childhood!

The sky is clear blue, there is a gentle breeze....so I sat outside for half and hour, and sunbathed!

Everything is growing beautifully...my hedge has finally met the gap across the pathway and I now have an arch...have waited for five years for this moment...nwo must gvie it a trim to tidy it up...yes! one off the list of garden ideas achieved! Have also been for a walk yesterday and found a number of trees I planted are still trying to grow..you will recall I was upset over the deer eating them...well nature has a way of coming back doesnt it! So happy!
If thsi weather with a just a small drop of rain now and then to keep it all grwoing...I should have something to see at the end of summer and enjoy watching during the holidays!

Lovely!!

[jane jackson]

It's wonderful when things you've planted grow on well and your ideas become reality. I'm really enjoying seeing all the flowers and shrubs get stronger and larger each summer. June is a lovely month with so much in bloom. We've been here exactly 4 years now and the garden was more or less a blank canvas as the vendors had cleared the jungle which the garden had become over its 40 years or so the neighbours tell us. How long have you and Jeff been on Arran Linda?

We've actually had a funny sort of day weatherwise as the sun keeps shining like it is now and then the clouds move in and most of the day has been overcast but very warm. No sparkles on the sea when I went past earlier! The flags are all up along The Prom for Golowan next week/weekend so they're very cheerful. Agree we could do with a spot of gentle rain ~ one of our 2 water butts is empty now but we do need this wonderful sunshine for Mazey Day and Quay Fair Day.

Hope you can do a bit more sunbathing tomorrow Linda.

[Kath Mulligan]

They are threatening us with water restrictions this summer in the northwest because most of our reservoirs are already down to only 65% capacity instead of the 80% which would normally be expected at this time of year. What I can't understand is the reasoning that it has been ultra dry from January to May! Hello! What about the several feet of snow that fell for many weeks this winter?! Surely the melt from that should have topped up the reservoirs nicely. Seems to me that we don't make enough efforts to harness the rainfall that we get.

It started off overcast here this morning, as it did yesterday, but has now brightened up and is sunny and reasonably warm.

Have you finished school for the summer yet, Linda? I know the Scottish schools break up much earlier than English ones do.

Jane, considering you started your garden as a blank canvas only four years ago, it is a real credit to you and Bryan just how beautiful it now looks. It looked as though it had been established for years when I was there last October.

Kath

[Gill Bilcliffe]

It is not a nice warm sunny day here today in fact it is dull windy wet at times and very cool. The past few days have been about the same and I am wondering if there is to be a glorious summer at all!! We are having a holiday too this coming week in the house up a ladder decorating! Today we have cleared out the shed and a cupboard that hides and stores many unused objects. Why do we do hoard saving things just in case they come in handy. Chances are these "treasured" items never do and we just accumulate more stuff to add to the pile. I am going to be very strict and dispose of the unwanted (for now at least.) The pile sat in the corner is definitely off to the charity shop first thing Monday morning!

Have noticed also little buds on the sweet peas. They smell so lovely when they open.

[pauline]

If you have had a nice warm sunny day today, Oh how I envy you. The morning looked promising with just a few dark clouds so went on our once-a-week bus to town with a light jacket and minus an umbrella. Around 10am the heavens opened and the torrential rain must have added to the supply somewhere. With hair plastered to head I made for the nearest coffee shop to get warmed up.

The topic of conversation on the bus was to how often the central heating had been on this week and one old dear even had lit her coal fire! Flaming June, the month for all the country fetes? Washout June here!:(

[Kath Mulligan]

Hope you get some summer weather before long, Gill and Pauline, and I especially hope that you have a glorious September when I come down on holiday!!

Kath

[Mary Young]

This weather really can't make up its mind can it! We are supposed to be going to Dorset on monday for about 9 days with our trailer tent but we keep looking at the ever changing weather forcasts and having doubts. Im sure we will go but hope we dont come home with a wet tent as its to big to dry out on the front lawn. Suppose if we go will just have to watch weather daily and if necessary come home early. If we go. Ooph help!

My son Matthew and family picked up their golden retriever puppy today. Needless to say his georgeous. Wonder if they will get a disturbed sleep tonight. He is going to be a very pale retriever so they have called him Casper after the white friendly ghost!

Mary

[jane jackson]

Oh how exciting Mary to have a young puppy, you'll all have such a lot of fun with him. Do hope your Dorset holiday turns out to be lovely and sunny. It does seem that we're faring a little better in the West Country at the moment, mind you that can all change but hopefully not before you have your holiday. My godson, wife and 18 month daughter are arriving in PZ on 6th July for their first visit so we're hoping they have sunshine so they can spend a day on the beach.

As to our garden Kath, thank you for your kind words of praise ~ Bryan will be delighted. He actually built the 2 raised beds on the lawn for me as I have difficulty keeping on bending down to do the gardening, it's ok when I'm down there but then I sieze up when I try to straighten up. It took a lot of effort as all the breeze blocks, sand and cement had to be wheelbarrowed down the front path, down the step to the lawn and round to the other side of the garden. Then ditto for the compost to fill the bed up. He doesn't want to do any more construction works from now on! What with putting up fences in our fields on Exmoor, wheelbarrowing loads of rocks to fill up the over the top hole the man with the digger made when repairing the soakaway and shoveling out 2 years of deep litter from the sheep shed into a trailer I think he deserves a rest. We both do enjoy the garden though. The balustrade and paving around the house was newly done when we arrived but we had to erect fences to keep the dogs secure and there was virtually no planting, they'd just cleared nearly everything and laid turf for the lawn. It did make it much easier for us though to start from scratch. I've also found that having a much smaller garden is a great boon as you can keep on top of it and it doesn't cost so much to plant up.

[gloria townsin]

I'm with you on the weather Pauline and Gill.......been a mixed day, not too many showers, not enough to make the Revels miserable but very cool. My sister and her friends were so cold they resorted to a warm up in one of the pubs on the Green.....well that's what she said.

[Kath Mulligan]

It's bright and sunny again here this morning, and according to the Beeb's weather forecast site we are in for sunny days and temperatures into the low Seventies over the next week, so fingers crossed that they are right. Hope it turns out like that for your camping trip, Mary, I remember only too well the horrors of having to pack up a wet canvas! Elizabeth finishes work for a two week break next Friday so am really hoping for some good weather while she is off so she can get out and about with her camera.

Gloria, love your sister's excuse for ending up in the pub! Sounds like a lady after my own heart!

Kath

[Gill Bilcliffe]

Yet again another dull cold windy day!! No rain but what is going on? We moved to East Anglia for wall to wall sunshine but looks like the north east coast weather has followed us as that is what these dull days remind me of.

The sun will be warm and bright in September Kath for your visit as we will probably be having an Indian summer!.

[Kath Mulligan]

Yet again another dull cold windy day!! No rain but what is going on? We moved to East Anglia for wall to wall sunshine but looks like the north east coast weather has followed us as that is what these dull days remind me of.

The sun will be warm and bright in September Kath for your visit as we will probably be having an Indian summer!.

When we used to holiday regularly in Norfolk, Gill, we could almost guarantee warm sunshine in September but when we went in May it was often cold and wet, with a wind that felt as though it had blown in straight from Siberia!

Just checked Norwich on the Beeb's weather site and you too have sunny warm weather to look forward to this next week. Temperatures up to around 22 - 23C by Wednesday/Thursday so don't despair. Summer is on its way to you!

Kath

[Mary Young]

Thanks Jane. Its rather annoying to be going on holiday just two days after they got the puppy. Im sure he will grow a lot in ten days but I had to book my holidays at work weeks ago. Thats the way things go I suppose.

Well we are going away and have booked site called Moreton.Nr wareham. Its a caravan and campsite club site so should be ok. Weather looking good for next week at moment. Just hope forcast is right and it lasts till next week. Thats a lot to ask though.

Then just three weeks after we come back we are of to Northumberland so have lots to look forward to.

Hope weather keeps good for all of you. It sure makes us feel better.

Mary

[Sybille Weber]

Not a very nice weekend over here either. Cool wet and windy yesterday, overcast but dry and around 15 degr. C today, which is typical as all week while I had to work was lovely and sunny with temperatures around 22/23 degr. Must not grumble though as the southern parts of Germany have had rain for weeks when it was sunny up here. The weather is supposed to turn nice as from tomorrow - when it's back to work again.

[Linda]

we have some clouds coming over which looks like it could rain!!
Its been a gorgeous day and great that we have had it for the weekend raher than the other way about which is usual, rain over the weekend and good weather when we are at work!

Only a week and two days to go!

[adesmith]

It was a little changeable yesterday but today has been beautifully hot and sunny in S. Wales. After doing some work yesterday afternoon, Rachel made me a picnic (her and Rupert had already had lunch but they did take some cakes) and we drove to the Forest of Dean. We stopped at Boys Grave and sat on the rug near a track through the trees. after our picnic, Rupert and went for a walk/play in the forest and we saw a deer. Rachel thought she had lost us! We saw an area of woodland where the trees had been cleared and the whole hillside was purple. As we drove closer we realised that they were foxgloves. I decided to have a day off from the marking today and we went to church this morning. Felt that I would benefit and that I wanted to get my priorities right even though I was tempted to stay at home and mark some more exam papers. Anyway I did benefit and I was really blessed. We then came home and had scones, jam and cream in the garden. I had lots of cards from Rupert, many homemade. He also got me some enamelware tins for seeds and bulbs for the shed. I had mentioned how much I liked them a few weeks ago. Father's day is a funny day for me because I just feel so incredibly priviledged to have a son like Rupert, dont feel that I need thanking.

Please dont tell me off but of course the year turns tomorrow with the solstice. I actually quite like it, as it brings high summer and autumn. I usually quite like the idea of the nights drawing in but this year I dont think that I have recovered enough from last winter yet! On Thursday I have a twilight shift at work and so I havent planned to do marking. We are going to celebrate Midsummers Day with a nice summery meal, hopefully in the garden. Last year we went for a picnic but I am not sure that I will be home in time.

[jane jackson]

You certainly seem to pack a lot into your life Adrian, sounds like all 3 of you have had fun today.

Most glorious day today, wall to wall sunshine ~ sorry those of you who haven't had the sun. We started the day with a walk on Porthcurno beach with the dogs at 7am and as we were going down to the beach a group of youngsters were coming back off complete with sleeping bags. By the time we left another couple had set up their deckchairs and were settling down for some sunbathing, hoping to beat the crowds I expect. We've been gardening for the most of the day while the dogs lay asleep in the shady areas.

[Gill Bilcliffe]

Hooray!!! Joy of joys the sun is shining in Norwich today! And it it is warm too! The ceiling is painted so all is well with my world. Just need to find the cat who disappeared when the paint pot came out!

Wet tents. One holiday we were out in torrential rain for the duration. The inside of the tent remained nice and dry through all the rain. We arrived home to a further week of rain and a wet tent to dry out. Maybe this why the tent has been packed away ever since.