A Cream Tea Day

Not far from the campsite where we stay is Sidmouth Garden Centre.

It's set in glorious countryside, has a very nice restaurant which leads out onto a balcony with this view.  I absolutely love this view, that patchwork of fields just pleases me beyond measure!

So not surprisingly we made time to visit, sit out on that balcony, take in that view and enjoy a cream tea at the same time.

This is how I like my scones, with jam and clotted cream... deeeelish!

This little Buddha took my fancy but at £49 I left him there! 

It being a garden centre William and I enjoyed looking round at all the plants etc.  It being my kind of garden centre there's a shop that sells all kinds of pretty stuff.  A lot of Royal Wedding memorabilia stuff too.  William had had enough though and took Muffin back to the car while I browsed my way through the shop.

I think I must have been in there a long time.  Billy had nearly fallen asleep when I got back to the car!

 

Back at the ranch there was still enough day left to sit outside and enjoy the sunshine.  I read my book and Billy fixed a problem with the gas pipe. 

Changing the subject now.  The Royal Wedding and that dress.  I thought the whole thing was wonderful and the dress was perfect, just beautiful!  And Westminster Abbey, isn't that a spectacular building?  I think it's been a happy day today and just what we need in these days of trouble and strife for so many.  The news reports are saying a million people turned out in London to celebrate and not one spot of bother.  Now that's what I call a good day for Britain and I hope the royal couple have a long and happy life together.

TTFN,

Kathleen.

I'm looking forward to...

... watching the Royal Wedding tomorrow and judging from reports on the television I'm not the only one.  I have to say though that I think those people who camp out for a few nights on the cold streets of London in order to get a good place to view the proceedings are a bit bonkers!

I like all the pomp and ceremony of these state occasions and I know it's going to be a great spectacle.  Also like most women I'm curious to see the dress and the outfits of all the guests.  Yep, I'm looking forward to it and that is my Simple Pleasure this week.

Joining Dayle over at her blog, A Collection of This and That, for her weekly Simple Pleasures party.

TTFN,

Kathleen.

Easter in East Devon

William and I have just spent the long Easter break down in East Devon in our holiday home on wheels and it was wonderful.  The weather could not have been better and this is only April!   I can't remember the last time we had such good weather at Easter time.

After a six hour journey getting down there and setting up the 'van we made straight for the chippy in Beer village, bought our fish & chips and ate them overlooking the beach.  The fish in Beer has got to be the best there is and eating it with  the sea in front of us and the sound of the gulls in our ears is one of the things we really enjoy on our holidays in Devon.

After a good night's sleep, a leisurely breakfast and a quick trip to the supermarket the next thing on my list was a cream tea in Connaught Gardens at Sidmouth.   The tide was out when we got there exposing all the rocks.  I took the photo above from the cliff tops but if you look closely you'll see there are lots of people in and among the rockpools having a great time looking for anything that moves in those shallow waters.

As always the flowers were spectacular.  I particularly loved all the tulips this time.

Budleigh Salterton is another of our favourite places to visit.  We took a picnic and relaxed on the beach for a couple of hours.  The sun was so hot I wished more than once that we had brought a sun umbrella with us.

Snack bar on the prom.  There was a constant queue here.  I bet the ice cream manufacturers were rubbing their hands together with glee!

Looking down the beach.  Easter always sees the start of the holiday season and down here it was really busy with holidaymakers.

I thought this house looked beautiful with its wisteria in full bloom.  We saw lots of it everywhere.  I'd love some at the front of our house.  I'm thinking I just might have to buy some.

Then after a hard day's relaxing it was back to the ranch for... well, more relaxing.

I'll be back tomorrow with more holiday pics.

We had a lovely time on our Easter break but when I got home and checked my email I discovered that my sister and her family were having one of the worst times ever. My sister and her family live in Vilonia, Arkansas, the little town severely damaged by a tornado on Monday night.  Fortunately they are all safe and well but my heart goes out to those who were not so lucky.  Unfortunately their power was down and up to last night had still  not been connected so I haven't been able to speak to Maureen yet but I will keep trying and hope to get through to her soon.

TTFN,

Kathleen.

Cornwall

I got back from my trip to Cornwall on Friday night but am only now, three days later, getting round to putting this blog post together.  It's been a full weekend one way or another and come evening once I sat down in front of the computer I've just been unable to keep my eyes open.  Which is ridiculous when I've just come back from a relaxing break!

Anyway back to Cornwall.  Sylvia and I set off on Tuesday lunchtime and long before darkness fell we were sitting by Padstow Harbour (that's Padstow Harbour in the header photo above) eating delicious fish and chips from Chip Ahoy.  I think that's such a clever name for a seaside chippy.

After eating the fish and chips we walked over the coastal path to the little bay you see above.  Syl's two dogs had a great time swimming in that freezing cold water!

The working end of Padstow Harbour.  The water was so calm and glassy looking.  Every one of those houses, up there on the right hand side, must have a spectacular view across the estuary.  Lucky them.

Thursday we visited Fowey, pronounced Foy, which is a bustling little place set on a steep hillside overlooking the River Fowey which flows, pretty as a picture, into the sea.  To say Fowey is quaint is an understatement.  Cars are allowed to drive through the main streets and there's barely enough room.  In places you have to stand against the wall and breathe in to let them pass.

We strolled around enjoying the fresh air and beauty surrounding us...

...taking in views like these.

When I said the hillside was steep I meant steep.  We parked the car at the top of the town and walked down steep little lanes and steep steps down to the town centre.  All the way along there were people resting and huffing and puffing on their way back up the hill.  I should have taken pictures but thought I'd do it on the way back.  However we were clever and discovered there was a little Town Bus which runs weary folks back up the hill to the houses along the way and car parks on the top.

The Town Bus was a little 12 seater mini bus.  Sylvia and I were last in the queue.  I counted and there was 13 of us in the queue.  No problem.  The driver said one of us could sit on a little stool tucked in near the door.  Sylvia volunteered and settled precariously on the stool.  Even then somebody else got on and stood in the footwell  in front of the door all the way up the hill.  The driver seemed to be in a hurry and we zoomed up those hills - bumping over roundabouts and just skimming the walls barely an inch away from his wing mirrors on either side!  That was one scary bus ride.  It was fun though and better than walking it.

And finally a picture of Molly taking it easy on Sylvia's new cream rug!  Don't really think she should've been on it.  By the way don't you think the wood burning stove looks good?  Sylvia black-leaded it just before we left on Friday and it looked lovely.

It was a lovely unhurried kind of break with lots of fresh air, dog walking, browsing through shops and strolling around in beautiful places plus the weather wasn't too bad either.  Aaand lucky old me is back off to the southwest of England again on Thursday morning, this time with my other half.  We're going down to our corner of paradise in Devon for the Easter break and I'm really looking forward to it.

TTFN,

Kathleen.

A Quick Post

Just here to catch up briefly on this past week.  The weather has been beautiful and I've been able to spend time outdoors.  I even did some gardening yesterday morning.  My job is the weeding and dead-heading, that kind of stuff.  I don't like the planting and digging and mowing but fortunately William does so he's in charge of all that business.

Last week was just one of those weeks where the days come and the days go and nothing out of the ordinary happens.  Until we got to Saturday morning when Arthur rang from Wales  to say that my sister in law Brenda was in hospital.  She is having heart problems at the moment and had to stay in the hospital overnight.  I'm happy to report that she is now back home and feeling much better.

Thursday afternoon Charlie and I made some little buns.

He liked the baking, he liked the icing but he didn't like the actual cake.  Everybody else liked them so that was okay.

Saturday was glorious, really hot and sunny.  Towneley Park seemed like a good place to go.  It's a huge park with plenty of open spaces.  We had a picnic on a blanket on the grass.  The boys played footy. 

Then yesterday William and I had a late afternoon drink with our lovely friends and neighbours John and Lesley in their garden.  That was unexpected and very pleasant in the warmth of the last rays of the day's sunshine. 

That's about it for last week but this week is going to be a bit more out of the ordinary.  I'm off to Cornwall in the morning with my lovely cousin, Sylvia.  So until the weekend..

TTFN,

Kathleen.

Picnic on the Prom.

We all fancied a day at the beach yesterday.  All that is except William, (he didn't feel up to it) and Trev who was in bed because he had been working nights.  The weather forecast wasn't good but we took a picnic anyway.

We all had plenty of layers of clothes on to keep warm.

The tide was in when we got there. 

We ate our picnic sitting on the promenade wall then set off for a bracing walk along the seafront.  We stopped for a coffee at a beachfront cafe and the boys had an ice-cream.  I know, it was hardly ice-cream weather, but when it comes to ice-cream who cares about the weather?

By the time we had walked back the tide had gone out and everybody could play on the sand.

Uncle Gary chased Charlie.  He was giggling like you wouldn't believe.  So was Charlie!

The boys played on the sand, in and out of the water.  By hometime George and Nicholas's jeans were wet through.  Luckily Victoria had thought to bring an extra set of clothes for them.  She knew they'd be needed.

As you can see it turned into a lovely day, breezy yes, but lovely all the same.   Also it was Mother's Day yesterday and what better way to spend it than with my girls and their boys. 

Thank you girls for my charm of a pressie, I love it!

I'm hoping next time we hit the beach it might be a bit warmer.

TTFN,

Kathleen.

Feeding The Birds.

We like to feed the birds in our garden.  I use the term "we" loosely. 

William is the one who actually feeds them.  Once a week he takes out his stepladder and big bag of birdfeed.  He climbs up and down that ladder three or four times to reach and fill the feeders hanging from the trees.  He balances precariously on the garden wall and this morning he did it in the pouring rain. 

We recently bought Nyger seed to attract some different little birds to the garden and its working.  We've seen goldfinches and chaffinches so far that we didn't see previously.

Oh, and as soon as he finished this little task the rain stopped. Typical eh?

TTFN,

Kathleen.