Sea pinks

I love thrift (or sea pinks), there's something so cheery about this sturdy little plant that survices on the very edge of the clifftop, endlessly battling the salt and spray. Turns out though that a clay pot in a garden in the middle of England is much more than it can bare though - mine gave up the ghost this winter.

Nevermind, this is where it looks best and despite the heavy rain on Sunday morning when we called at Trebarwith Strand, I really wanted a quick close up look before we thought about heading home as the weather looked pretty set in.

So I set my lovely new bag on the wall and had a good old admiring session (you can imagine how impressed the boys were) then we walked along the cliff path and took in the astounding views and the sea caves; all moody and melancholy under grey skies.

And then, just as we were turning back towards the car park, everything changed. Sunshine and glorious blueness again!

The tide had turned (it comes right up onto the rocks here and you can only get onto the sand for a few hours a day) so we scrambled down for another treat of an afternoon of rockpooling, yet more digging, castle building and splashing about in the river that winds down through the rocks to the sea.

I didn't think we were going to get down to Cornwall this year and I can't quite believe we've had a weekend of summer there. Special days we'll remember for a long, long time.

Ten Equals Tin

It was nearly dark when we arrived but on Friday night (our tenth wedding anniversary) it was still so warm at half past nine, we all bolted straight down to the beach. We'd come up with lots of ideas of how to celebrate but staying top of the list was a big wish to spend some time in our favourite seasidey place and with the forecast looking so brilliant - we went for it.

Oh and we're so very glad we did and seeing as a tenth anniversary is marked by tin, Cornwall seemed pretty spot on.

Our little men couldn't quite believe we were going all that way, straight from school. "Very, very exciting" was the view. For two nights our home was a lovely apartment right on top of the lifeboat station ("even more exciting!") with the view that I dream about for most of the year.

In all our visits to Port Isaac I have to say we've had our fair share of torrential rain and grey dankness and even though I love it whatever the weather, waking up on Saturday to skies of the brightest blue and golden sunshine felt like a an amazingly special treat. The wind was pretty epic but who cares when its warm and balmy.

First port of call was the beach in a lovely, very pretty village called Trevone which is just a few miles west of Padstow and one of seven fabulous, sandy coves along Constantine Bay.

Look at that - a hot Saturday on a Cornish beach and no one about. Well there were a few other people but there was plenty of room for everyone, I've never seen it so quiet and peaceful.Think the gale must have put a few people off or maybe Bank Holiday week is when everyone is planning to go?

All we need is a wetsuit, a spade and we're set for the day. The sea truly was that colour - deep turquoise that blended to depeest navy under a bright sky.

Fish and chips by the sea for tea and then a lazy, dreamy stroll back down windy lanes, past cosy cottages and delicious restaurants for a nice cool drink sat on the sea wall to watch the sun go down.

A day to remember and there's another one tomorrow!

Summer on the way?

At last, a day with no rain! Its not warm yet but the forecast for the week to come is at last looking like a glimpse of summer may be on the way. Along the lanes, cow parsley is beginning to do its thing, frothing and exploding in clouds of creamy stars.



If it warms up over the next few days the show is going to be glorious. We got married at the end of May and all the flowers were shades of ivory, cream and white and our bridesmaids wore spring green. I love the countryside in May when the beech leaves are vibrant and clouds of May blossom, dead nettle and horse chestnut candles look like a bride's bouquet.

And not a bad excuse to test out our new camera either. I'm getting used to all the fancy bits and pieces but blogging on a different laptop is making things look a little different so I'll just have to get out and about this week and take a few more pictures - shame!

Cheering Up

Two days in bed with the lurgy is no fun at all when the sun is shining.

But a cold is only a cold and today I was feeling much brighter and the sun was still out miraculously.

Time to celebrate, despite the sniffles and the need for plenty of sit downs and cups of coffee. So with my pyjamed-under-gardener for company, we set-to giving some very hungry (and worryingly gangly looking) seedlings new homes, put up the hazel wigwams for the sweet peas and climbing beans and sowed salads in colanders and old wooden troughs,

There's nothing like some new cold frames, precious aimless chatter with a five year old and a vintage, St Michael frock (found on ebay for a bargain) to see off the fluey-blues and make me feel cheery again. xxx

A May Morning

Everything is green and golden outside my window at the moment. It might only be dandelions but the show is amazing over the fields. This morning we even managed a few minutes of glorious sunshine.

Bank Holidays are a bit of a non-event in our house. Woody has to work, being a freelancer, but it does mean I get a special day with my boys and I had a plan in mind.

Inspired by some fabulous blog posts this weekend, especially Lucy and Kazzie, I realised it was now or never if we were going to have chance to see the bluebells in the beech woods.

This is one of my favourite sights in the whole, entire world. My two little chaps racing through the trees, whopping and wheeling, thrilled with the joy of the open air and the magic of the woods.

And here they are. Not so thick and carpet like in our local woodland, perhaps because it has lots of holly and denser cover than a true beech wood, but ever so glorious anyway. That etheral, floaty, blue haze is precious.

Treasure hunting is always fun. Moss as soft as a kitten I was told.

And of course you have to explore the stream - and get soaking wet.

Now its pouring down, grey, chilly and pretty autumnal to be honest so we're coseyed in watching dragon films and eating flapjack. So glad we managed to squeeze in our May morning.