Battening down the hatches

Of course, March was 28c with a hosepipe ban in place, June, on the other hand is struggling to get above 13c and the water butts are full to over flowing. We are set for a weekend of wind and rain again, so I am currently taking lots of 'memorial' pictures before my garden may get destroyed, staking as much out as I possibly can and cooking lots of warming beetroot and horseradish soup and rhubarb pie with my mother-in-laws rhubarb...and one stick from our own garden!

I also want to leave you with a few photos of 'my' garden in bloom, just so that you can see how green it is but how it lacks colour at the moment due to the sun.

Oh and finally, we went to the Warner Bros. Studio tour during the half term break. We hadn't told the children, so their faces were an absolute picture when we arrived. HP fans young and old....be warned...it is brilliant and it will ensure you get out all those HP dvds to watch again and you'll never look at the sets and backgrounds in the same light again.

The flying car!

Enjoying Butter Beer

Oh and last, but not least, I thought you might like a few pictures of these rapidly growing chicks. They are lavender araucuna chicks (we still have no idea of the sex) and they're a more upright chook than the hybrids we have. They also have weird fuzzy headgear too, which you can just see developing on some of them.

So, I guess if rain and wind keep up, there is no excuse for not drafting the next essay! See out the other side!

Herbs and Happiness

I lied! I'm sorry. It appears that there is always space for a bit more bounty in the garden, particularly some interesting herbs.

marshmallow

Red valerian

Pulsatilla

Clary Sage

Echinacea

Some extra lettuce, some leeks and some more peppers...of course!

Today I'm revelling in a great literature review mark and the fact I passed that blessed exam I took back in April. Herbs and happiness - what's not to like?