Raining All Day

I know there will be certain people who will tell me that we need the rain.  The land is bone dry, the grass isn't growing and there is nothing for animals to eat, apart from hay.  They don't want hay at this time of year, they want lush, green grass.  Well, after the last 24 hours, they may just get it.  It has been cold, windy and very wet..ALL DAY.  I am most displeased.  However, I am at heart a country woman and the welfare of animals who spend their lives in the fields is important to me.  I can cope with rain for a day or two if it makes life more comfortable for them.

For weeks now we have had wall to wall sunshine.  It is a real joy to me to wake up each day, look out of the window and see the countryside lit up with an early morning golden glow, a blue sky and a sparkling sea.  I am happy to drift around the cottage, go for walks, bake something and read a little, but now and then I force myself to do something a bit more constructive, so yesterday being a warm and sunny day, the children, my mum and I drove down the island to Plas Newydd.

I love this house.  It is big, far too big to live in and far too big to hoover, but it still maintains a homely air about it.  We didn't go inside this time as it was a tad too expensive, just for a nose round somewhere we have been only a year ago, but the gardens are infinite and beautiful.  Even when the place is packed with people crawling all over the house, tea rooms and shops, it is easy to find yourself lost in the woods or gardens, surrounded by silence and not another person in sight.  Perfect.

Gardens are a constant source of pleasure to me.  When my babies were growing up, I would prop them up in their pram on the garden so they could watch me while I dug borders, sowed seeds and pruned roses.  As they got older and could toddle about with me, they all had their own tiny gardening tools and would 'help' mummy garden.  One time when H1 was about 2 years old, he wanted to water the plants.  With a little trepidation I turned on the hose pipe and showed him how to do it; aim the water at the soil, not the sky.  For about 2 minutes he managed really well, then something caught his attention and he turned towards me bringing the hose pipe with him and soaked me to the skin!  He seemed quite amused by this, so it was some time before he was let loose with a hose pipe again.

The Plas Newydd gardens are a place to lose yourself, if not bodily then at least in the mind.  It is perfect for an habitual day dreamer like me.  In the height of my gardening passion, before Life changed and forced me to leave it behind for a time, I knew all the names of the plants in my garden, and not content with just the English names, I learnt the Latin for them too.  A friend once asked me to go round her garden with her and tell her the names of the plants she didn't know.  She had a huge Victorian house in England and a large Victorian garden to go with it.  After 2 hours of plant-naming, I had a bad headache and we both felt slightly dizzy!

I am not by nature a huge fan of hot colours, preferring gentle pastels and softer hues, but these captured my attention and I could not fail to be entranced by their power.  They are so perfect in their shape, colour and form; they scream late summer heat, they beckon to autumn with their seductive tones and keep all who behold them enthralled by their intensity.  I want to re-create this border, or at least part of it in my own tiny, wind swept garden, but sadly I do not own my gorgeous cottage, nor the garden attached to it.  It would not be looked upon too kindly if I were to dig up half the lawn to grow deep swathes of flowers, patches of herbs and arm fulls of vegetables.  But never mind, my life isn't yet ready to take this all consuming hobby up again.  My small holding is waiting for me somewhere, and when the time is right I will find it!

We found a tiny little courtyard bathed in warm sun and being empty, we decided to have coffee there and soak up the atmosphere for a little while.  Pea made a new friend in no time.

He was a delight to have around while we drank our coffee, but he soon realised that there was no food on offer and he deserted us in favour of a large family who looked like they were on holiday and therefore much more likely to buy food and share it with an emaciated, starving Robin!  Charmed, I'm sure.  Soon after, we sniffed out a second hand book shop and spent a while perusing the shelves in hope of finding some gem or other that we couldn't possibly live without.  I didn't but mum did.  She found several and her excitement rose by degrees each time she unearthed another title that would enrich her life not a bit, but she could not bear to leave behind.  In her defence, I must add that most of these books cost the princely sum of 50pence each.  While she was amusing herself amongst the paperbacks, I came across this delight.

Now if this room was in my house (that's a laugh), I would be fiercely possessive of it and it would become a shrine to beauty.  Or (which is much more likely) it would have two black dogs lolling about all over the cream carpet, dragging their bodies round the pretty furniture and leaving smelly dog toys all over the place.  I would also have to contend with three 'children' who cannot see mess even when they've just made it and would rather step over something they left on the floor three weeks ago than pick it up.  One evening recently, we returned home from a long walk and I felt a bit feeble and headachey.  Pea kindly made me a cup of tea and H1 made a plate of chips, (H2 went inside and pretended not to notice lest he was snared into doing some good deed for his mum).  As it was such a gorgeous evening, I ate my chips in the garden.  One of the pleasures of a good summer is eating outside, I think.  Puppy, having just eaten his tea, came outside and sat at my feet waiting for a chip.  MAL is very polite and sat a little way off while Puppy got closer and closer and eventually got so close he ended up with tomato sauce on his nose.  Disgusting.  Not long after he managed to get a dollop of yogurt on his head, due to H1 being a bit slap-dash with his spoon.  He dabbed at it slightly ineffectually and the residue dried on Puppy's head making his fur all stiff.  He is now sporting the new nomenclature of Crusty.  My life is full of glamour.

It is however, never dull and I am inordinately grateful for the pleasures and trials within.  Tomorrow the sun is promised to return, so my shorts will see daylight again and I will be dragging reluctant children and excitable dogs out on yet another evening stroll.  But before any of that I have 50 chocolate hearts to make for my friend Sarah's wedding on Saturday.  Wish me luck!

Have a lovely day and thank you for reading. xxx