Sunday, July 14, 2013

52 Weeks of Happy - Week Twenty Eight

Summer is here at last!  I seem to have spent the whole week in a sort of heat induced, slightly fazed out state of mind although some things have been achieved - I'm not quite sure how!  We managed to pick loads of gooseberries and quite a few strawberries in the cool early morning air one day last week and made jam and a summer pudding too.  We also visited a lovely woodland garden where it was blissfully cool walking under the trees.  I'll post more about the garden later next week and then go back to writing a few more posts about  places we visited on our recent stay in Wales. 

 Anyway here are four simple things that have made me smile this week



1.  Making Jam - we managed ten jars of gooseberry and five of strawberry.  I also used strawberries in the summer pudding plus raspberries and cherries bought locally.  I usually add blackcurrants which gives the pudding a richer, darker look but they still haven't ripened yet, so this one looks a bit paler than normal but it was very tasty and refreshing.

2.  Hare Sculptures - one of fourteen in and around Hare Hill the woodland garden we visited on Thursday morning.  As I mentioned above I'll write more about this small but lovely garden in my next post.  I was enchanted by it especially by the hares but also by the walled garden and the vegetable plot.

3. Squirrels - still keeping us amused, still pinching the bird food.  The one in the photo had managed to get the last bit of fat ball out of the feeder and was leaning on the fence post enjoying his plunder.  In the early morning and late evening there are three or four squirrels chasing each other and rolling around, I love watching them.  We sat out really late one evening when it was too warm to go inside and watched the bats swooping and diving, I was hoping to see the hedgehog or the fox, both of which leave evidence of their nocturnal visits, but they would, of course, have known we were there and kept away until we finally went indoors.

4. Mr B - aka  'Barbie Girl' - yes I know he's a male blackbird!  This is his third summer in and around our garden and he regales us with his song which sounds exactly like the first bit of the song by Aqua (I think!?) that goes 'I'm a Barbie girl, in a Barbie world' etc.  We aren't hearing it so much now but through May and June it was non stop from about 4.30a.m.  We know that it is Mr B singing that particular tune because we can recognise him from the grey bits on his sides.

Linking up with  Little Birdie  where  '52 weeks of Happy' started. Each week you find just four things that have made you happy to share.

22 comments:

  1. I don't envy you making jam in this heatwave!!! I love gooseberry jam and I am sure you will appreciate it in the autumn and winter months when there isn't fresh fruit to be had. The summer pudding looks delicious and I must remember to make one before summer is over. The hare scupture is my 'kinda thing' and I look forward to hearing about 'Hare Hill'. Lovely to see the cheeky squirrel and noisy blackbird. I am not sure I would like him to seranade me at 4.30 in the morning though! x

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    1. Thankfully the 4.30a.m. seranades seem to have stopped now. We've also frozen some gooseberries for later in the year:)

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  2. I agree with Simone, making jam in this heat must be hard! I love the thought of your blackbird whistling Barrie girl!
    Xxx

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    1. The jam making was quite hot but we started early so got it potted up before noon:)

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  3. Lovely happy moments - I'm looking forward to hearing more about the woodland garden and your barbie girl blackbird made me laugh! I'm not coping very well with this heat either, my brain is definitely not working as well as it usually does! I do love having some proper summer weather and I don't want to complain, but I'd love a day of rain every few days and for the temperatures to be lower than they have been!

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    1. The perfect scenario for me would be soft rain overnight to refresh the gardens and cool things down before the start of each day. It seems even hotter today believe it or not we went up to the city centre today and it was far cooler in the shopping centre than it is herre:)

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  4. I could do with a day of rain too.. only a day mind. The soil in the garden is now solid and I need a pick axe to weed. Looking forward to your woodland garden post - any tips and ideas gratefully received!

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    1. Yes, just one day would be super just to cool everything down. There were lots of cool ponds and ferns under the trees in the garden:)

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  5. I have a Barbie Girl blackbird too!!! Summer pudding - one of my faves. xx

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    1. Lol - we heard one in Wales and both said at almost the same time 'has he follwed us?':)

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  6. oh I love summer pudding and hares- so I can definitely relate to these happies. :)

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    1. The summer pudding was very tasty. I may be tempted to make another one before the end of summer:)

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  7. Barbie girl....your blackbird made me laugh. My daughter loved singing that when she was little, infuriatingly catchy.

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    1. When we first heard him earlier this year we said 'Barbie's back':)

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  8. I can't believe that we're now in week 28 of the year! Jx

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    1. I know! Where have all those week gone?:)

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  9. A woodland garden sounds perfect right now - lots of shade is what's needed. I love the blackbird's song - just not quite so early in the morning.

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    1. It was gorgeous just walking under the trees. It was very warm in the walled garden but there was a pergola at one end which was very shady:)

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  10. Your summer pudding looks delicious! I love the Blackbird, it is wonderful when you can recognise individual birds and they become familiar residents. I expect his version of 'Barbie Girl' sounded a lot more beautiful and purer than the original version (even though you had to hear it at 4.30am!)

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    1. Yes, he only ever sings the first few notes but it is nice to see him in the garden he does come quite close as well when we are sitting there:)

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  11. I haven't made jam in years but have been thinking about it lately and it just has to be strawberry - so scones it is too then. Our squirrel delights us as well - pops in every day to have a sneaky scavenge of whatever is around.
    Patricia x

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    1. The squirrels have scavenging down to a fine art don't they? Strawberry jam and scones are a perfect combination for afternoon tea:)

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