Summer days

The last few days have been really nice and sunny. We spent the whole weekend outside in the garden enjoying the last sun for the year no doubt. The hottest day in October since records began. It even made the news in Austria.


We played with tricycles, bicycles, sand, water and a train track. The playmobil train is allowed to come outside and so we had a big train rushing through chairs and the table.

Peaches

I forgot to upload this photo of the peaches from our tree. In the garden of our house in Germany are two peach trees. When Daddy Monkey went there last week he brought back a bag full of them. They are a bit wonky and most of them have a little hole from moths but they taste wonderful. I didn't even know that peaches would grow that for north. Obviously they need a bit TLC as also a branch had broken during the recent storms but I hope for another crop next year. Homegrown peaches, yum! That beats plums and apples. A little bit only... Definitely beats walnuts. The tree is beautiful the nuts not so much.

365 - 233 In the Garden

I took a few photos of flowers today.



I do love Echinaceas, don't they look gloriously stately?

Butterflies in Germany

We went away to Germany and stayed in a hotel where there wasn't any internet reception in our room in the outbuilding. Only on the courtyard which was already used by several mosquitoes who wanted to be paid...
Here are a few photos from the garden of our new house which we hope to move to at the end of the year.

Large White, when I was little my Grandmother always called it Lemonbutterfly, which might or might not its official name in Austria. In any case I do like that name better. Way cuter.


Small Tortoiseshell


My favourite, the Peacock. Aren't the colours gorgeous?


Red Admiral


I'm not sure what this one is called, I couldn't find it on this website for certain. Translated from German it would big oxeye.

365 - 201 Painting the garden

Finally a bit of sunshine and the chance of a dry day. So we decided to make some outdoor paints for the patio.


They were quick to make, just water, corn flour and food colouring. Apparently they wash off easily.



The kids had a blast and were excited to show Daddy. Unfortunately Daddy Monkey has wizened up and presumed that the paints were not permanent. Which took the fun out of it a bit for me I have to say...
Oh and about the washing off easily, well, it rained quite hard and the colour is still on but with it does wash off with the hose so I presume a few more showers and it will be gone.

365 - 200 A fun way to prevent identity fraud

To make sure nobody can read your computer tapes...

365 - 176 Summer Fridge disaster

Today was really hot and sunny. Really hot but still no reason I thought for the fridge to behave like a freezer and freeze half of the food in there. If you didn't know this before, salad should not be frozen. Neither should mayo, cucumbers and a host of other things. Daddy Monkey had to go and buy some more meat for the BBQ because the chicken drumsticks didn't look very appetizing. It might have been frozen but neither as fast nor as cold as in a proper freezer. To say I am not very happy with my fridge right now is an understatement. Especially when I discovered the exploded milk bottle hidden behind the frozen bag of rocket. At least the bottle didn't break the frozen milk only lifted the foil lid, ran down the glass and formed a memorable sculpture and connected itself to the jam jar (frozen of course too). Inside the bottle: a lovely big milk ice cube. Yum!

Here a lovely frozen cabbage, not good for freezing like this.


Other than an impromptu fridge cleaning session we had a relaxing day with the Monkeys running amok with the water hose.

365 - 164

Finally a warm and sunny day again. The Monkeys played outside and had a good time driving around on bikes and tricycles.

Easter

As usual we died eggs for Easter and because only brown eggs are available in stores in this country the results were a bit hit and miss. I used a marbling dye but other than the yellow the colours turned out dull and instead of a nice marbling effect it was just drops and drips. So I got the trusted food colouring out and used that with a dash of vinegar and voila, nicely coloured eggs. Well, red ones, the red turned out lovely but the the others weren't too bad either.




The sun was out so we spent the whole day outside again. Oh and did I mention Little Monkey was excited?

Capel Manor Gardens

Big Monkey monkeying around, do I look like a monkey? because I am a monkey she sang. Well, yes there's a certain resemblance. These "old" ruins by the way are neither old nor there by chance. You can buy them if you think your garden needs a special feature. I don't think the Queen will come to open it though like she did here.


Throughout the garden the Monkeys made some races and I was the goal post. Race you to Mummy one would scream and next thing I'd know is a push in the back to show that the winner has arrived.


Little Monkey admired the pretty flowers, however, he was most concerned who would water them as they desperately needed watering in his opinion. He'd do it but there was no watering can close by. We did see someone water the green houses a little bit later and Little Monkey got a little fright as he got a bit wet. But at least the worries about the poor flowers drying up were unfounded.



Big Monkey couldn't resist this temple and hey, when you've got the chance to play goddess you better use it, right?


Here's Daddy Monkey advertising a little country normally associated with cold...

365 - 109

I had a rather restless night, I woke in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom just to be joined by Little Monkey who insisted to brush his teeth. At 2.15 am. Then I tried to get him to sleep in his own bed so sat with him for half an hour. Just when I had settled in my bed again he sneaked in and made himself comfortable. sigh. He is a restless sleeper and he checks every now and then whether I'm still next to him. If it was his choice he'd cuddle up the whole night really close. In any case he got up early and his big sister dressed him and let him out in the garden. Hence when I got up at 8am I could see him through the bathroom window playing happily in the sandpit...

365 - 052

There was quite a mess when the tree trunk was cut down along with branches from the other two trees that had to get a crown reduction.

The tree surgeons

We had an old tree trunk that was covered in ivy cut down today.

Before:


After:

Things we did during the summer holidays

Little Monkey took pictures of Big Monkey reading.


I took pictures of Little Monkey playing with his tractor.

Bubbles

While looking for a picture of my new garden bench I found some more photos of the monkeys blowing bubbles.



Good thing that the pound shop sells six bottles of bubbles for 99p. Even better that I found an enormous bottle of bubble solution at the back of the cupboard. That should keep us going for a while. Then I can fill up the little bottles with washing up liquid to pretend they are all new. Unless the bottles get run over by scooters or tricycles, of course.

Ah, and here is the new garden bench, cleverly positioned so we can smell the sweet peas from next doors. Ours are hidden behind the vegetable batch. To benefit from their scent one needs to work or stand forlorn around.


I also moved the iron cast table from its previous home next to the sandpit to the front of the shed. The idea is to put lots of pretty ferns on top and around. To prove how good the drainage in my garden is, all those stones on where the table stands I have collected in the garden. There are still many more in buckets and of course in the ground. Hopefully there will be a point where the water does not cascade over the stones and actually seeps into the ground so we can have a proper english lawn. Or any lawn that's green.

More Summer days

My barometer is broken, for the past three days it has been predicting rain and clouds when we had wonderful summer weather. Lots of chances to splash in the paddling pool and playing with the garden hose.


Everybody is happy about the sunshine except for the cat, who is not amused. She likes to make it known that she is terribly suffering and drops theatrically in front of our feet. She also tries to drink the water from the little baby bath that functions most days as the impromptu paddling pool. Little monkey is not happy about this. So he tries to discourage her by spraying her with the garden hose. Interestingly she doesn't get angry at this, she just sits there. Poor kitty, so hot.


Sometimes I like it when little monkey adds decoration to the garden. That cheery chappy made me laugh when I went back outside in the evening to water the plants. Sadly it hasn't worked since the monkeys stuffed twigs into the arms where water should spray out.


Of course we had to watch some football. Good entertainment especially as the English team won.

Summer days

The last few days have been lovely and warm. Time to run around in the garden without clothes and jump into the paddling pool.


It's also given us a chance to prove that red strawberries taste better than green ones. Much better.

I wish we had more fruit in one go but the moment a strawberry is red all over there's nothing stopping the monkeys to pick it. We've been known to share one strawberry between three people. The only fruit that lasts to make for a decent harvest are the blackberries, they can fend for themselves. Oh and the apples as they are too high up for little monkeys to reach.

Strawberries

The first strawberries are out and they tasted lovely. The wait for them to turn red has yet again proven too long for little monkey. Like last year he doesn't want to believe that green strawberries don't taste nice.

Half term entertainment Day 2

It's sunny and the cat already thinks she can't stand it anymore.


Did you find her? That rosebush is currently on a mission to take over the garden. I found three more spaces where it has started to grow. One of the bushes is enormous, it might have been planted but it's on a very peculiar site. I also think it might be one that rose aficionados would turn their nose up but it's such a cheery thing so I'm happy to have it. It's also very healthy and while it has a few spotty leaves it's not taken over by black spot.
The Monkeys had a lunch at the Crocodile Cafe and somehow managed to get two ice cream lollies each during the day. One should have been mine! Then they lounged in the tent. They also managed to paint half the cloak room and part of the play room some time between getting ice cream and scooting along the Broadway.


The first flower in the baskets has come up. Surprise! I didn't know it would be stripey or a double flower. If I'd known I hadn't bought those. I prefer the single ones. But they do look sweet and smell lovely. This one is right next to the kitchen door and its scent wafts inside which feels very much like summer.

Summer fun

Once in a while we get warm even hot weather. Then we have to react quick and get the paddling pool ready and the BBQ out. Last Sunday was one of those rare days.
Even though the water was ice cold from the hose, it was so hot, it didn't matter. The monkeys spent hours in there.


As is tradition Daddy Monkey was in charge of the barbecue and drinking a bottle of beer.


Little Monkey really enjoyed his food for a change. It's rare for him to eat a whole portion let alone ask for seconds.