Hiya folks, just thought I'd check in here, well we've had really weird weather lately. First of all, we have a very warm and sunny May, then we had a wet June (or should I say - still having!!) yet up until last week, I was always having to wear a cardigan in the evenings to stay warm!!!! In June too!!!!

Well last week, we were warned about the heat coming for a quick visit and it WAS quick in a way, to us down in this part of the country, we had very warm weather (hot was the real word for it) - it was close to 29C in the morning rising to 32C in the afternoon. Now THAT is hot to us down here in the West Country!!! Then we were warned that it wasn't going to last, so we should take advantage of this weather while we can. The next day - it was very hot again, which was great, unless you're stuck indoors with just windows and doors to leave open for a draught!!! Then I saw the weather forecast and realised if I wanted to go out into the sun, then I should do so ASAP as thunder, lightning and rain were due that evening!!! So I sorted out my camera and went out to collect my rollator (my walker!) Now unfortunately I suffer with COPD so hot and humid doesn't sit well with me. I was having trouble being able to breathe properly.

So off I went - and the first thing I noticed was that the weeds in the driveway have had a wonderful time with the sun and rain feeding them!!! I can't get down as I used to, to get the weeds up, so I'm going to have to ask Emily if she could just pull up the big ones for me. I noticed that the gorgeous purple Loosestrife was everywhere.....



I do like this flower, as it's a lovely bright plant. Then I noticed that the wild rose is growing underneath my bedroom window! This has been growing there for about 10 years now, at least until the year before last, when someone thought they'd cut down everything along the wall, the hedge etc was okay to go, but I didn't want the rose to go, but as someone was doing it for nothing, I could hardly complain!!!



Do you see what I mean - it's a lovely wild rose..... in the hedge alongside it, I saw the sweetpeas poking their heads out through the foliage! I didn't plant it, so I have no idea how it got there!!!


Of course, Pippin had to come with me - he'd been fast asleep in my bedroom when I went out and within 5 minutes of me being outside - he was right next to me. It's so sweet of him to keep me company. He seems to love being close to the rollator, which is a bit scary at times, as I'm worried about riding over his tail!!!!!

Oh I can see the weeds in the grass in this picture - so I'm going to have to get Emily to put some weed killer in then watering can and see if we can get rid of them - or at least some of them.

I had a good look up at the cherry tree and was surprised to see there were still some cherries in there, and they'd ripened!!! So the blackbirds had eaten nearly all the fruit, and they seem to have left the black ones alone - strange.


I could see the Himalayan Honeysuckle was going great guns - the flowers were everywhere, even behind other plants etc.

This bush is growing so rapidly


Beautiful Himalayan honeysuckle
There are blackberries which will soon be plentiful. So apple and blackcurrrent crumble on the way!!!!!



I also suffer from tinnitus, so I thought that what I could hear was the noises in my head, but it wasn't - IT WAS THUNDER!!!! Well I thought it might be a good idea to come back inside and it was only just in time - the rain came down about 2 minutes after I got indoors, having put the rollator under its cover!!!

Oh boy did it rain - also a very heavy hail storm!!! The stones were bouncing all over the place - much to Pippin's interest. I had to half close my lounge window, because the rain etc was coming in - but it went straight into the flower pots!!!







I've planted a few geraniums in my new wooden planter and they are coming along already. I do enjoy being in my lounge and seeing all this beauty around me. A few weeks ago - I asked Emily if she could put some plant food into the watering can to feed the house plants!!! Oh boy, my hoya must have been starving!!!! It's just growing and growing, to the point I can actually watch it grow!!! Well the other day I counted 43 separate blooms on this plant!! That's amazing - it's very old too - but it's just growing and growing!!!



These blooms secrete a sticky substance out of its flowers, which in turn lands on the leaves of the plants around them - and they absolutely love being in the lounge window.

Well that's about it folks. I'm still being very good by not going out, I do sometimes wonder if I'll ever get out again!!!! I've asked Emily's husband to start looking again for another car for me. It's going to be the only way I'll get out and about, I've been stuck indoors since January!!!! I really miss seeing the sea and sunsets. I need my tooth filled again, as the older one has gone, so to have a car I can just pop into and go to the dentist will be heaven!!!!

This virus has us all confined to our homes - although the restrictions are getting looser. I do hope you all are taking care and staying safe. The way of staying at least 2m away from others seems to be the right way to go - so why is it so difficult for people to do just that? Please take care of yourselves and stay safe please!