a game of tag

Give an inch and he takes a mile!

A lesson for Mr Darcy when he discovered Elwood from next door playing in H I S tub.

Elwood enjoying wriggle time

Mr Darcy attempts an inspection but is ignored (and is too shy to push it)

But he deploys a spot of cunning ...

 ...and hides in the big trug ...

surely he cannot be seen from in there while he monitors the situation!

... surely?

... ears flat, just the odd whisker poking up ...

But then reinforcements arrive in the fluffy shape of brother Bingley!

The take-over is complete, with Bingley and Darcy encamped.

Elwood is banished to the shrubs.

 Darcy and Bingley wallow in victory

But as the sun goes in, and the brothers go inside for their tea...

Elwood claims a prize for his persistence!

and relaxes in the trophy seat!

Springing forward (Tempus Fugit)

My, how time flies! 

We have been working, gardening, travelling, celebrating and exercising .... oh, and Bingley and Darcy have been generally lazing around, as usual!

Mr Bingley and Mr Darcy on their wriggle rug

Tomatoes, leeks, chard, trailing sweet pea... to name a few.

The allotment is ready and awaits the produce (we just require the time to get down there to plant!).

Cornwall at my late Aunt's home over Easter, gardening, burning and preparing the place for sale :-(

End of an era.

Elwood and Otis, Diana's cats next door who I am looking after for 3 weeks. 

Here they are going forth from the upstairs bathroom window this morning (fairly safe from the aggressive ginger Tom that comes to get them). When I get home from work, if they aren't in they nearly always come to the hand bell rung solidly in the garden!

Aloof Otis

Onwards and upward with my Pilates class (knackering)

Our front terrace I missed the opportunity to clip the ivy hedge and now the birds are nesting in there. Will have to wait until Autumn.

Haven back garden, lush with Spring growth.

We all wish our fellow bloggers a happy day.

X X X

what a bunch

Take a bunch of lovely flowers!

 ... add one curious, contrary cat

(the all too familiar toe of disdain)

... who is a bit sleepy ...

.. and who is never EVER impressed by those who occasionally must work from home!

 ... and chooses to demonstrate this view in the most blatant of ways.

A Mr Darcy endorsement:-

“I've heard that hard work never killed anyone, but I say why take the chance?”

~ Ronald Reagan

it came, it went (sunshine)

We woke last Sunday to a glorious and sunny day!

We all went straight outside to soak it up.

It was lovely to finally get close to the flowers.

Not a raincoat in sight!

I climbed ladders to take down and clean the birdie boxes.

Sadly, there was a Tit skeleton in one.

I moved the box to a much safer 'cat resistant' spot.

We visited family in Cholsey and bought eggs at their local farm...

I loved the colourful ones the best, and they belong to Ben ...

Best of all I loved the gentle cows!

Always have and always will.

But then I returned to work and this happened again

R A I N

I didn't even fancy opening the office window to take this (I work on a beautiful country estate, well it is when it isn't raining!)

Bingley and Darcy are keeping their paws crossed for more sunshine and respite from the floods.

Take care xx

PS. Shortly after this display of brotherly love, they had a scrap.

6th Gotcha year!

We are Valentines! But more important than this, we are 6 today!

It's lashing down outside so we haven't been out in the garden birdie watching for long, but we have had some treats...

Bingley and Darcy sleeping off their Birthday

Winding back the years!

... Arrival! their first few minutes in their new home...

kittens Bingley and Darcy

settling in ... and exploring ...

Here are shots taken of the River Thames this week, having burst its banks

the lower photo is during part of my commute to work ...

Counting our blessings that our home is on a hill.

over the rainbow

"Count the rainbows,

not the thunderstorms ..."

These were taken this week .... 

We are having an absolute downpour, day and night!

Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire

The Hoe, Plymouth

Liskeard, Cornwall

Mr Bingley may have done better to search for the pot of treasure, rather than someones tail!

Big Garden Bird Watch

#rspb Big Garden #Birdwatch conducted by Helen, Bingley & Darcy: 

Blackbird 3. 

Blue Tit 2. 

Robin 1. 

Collared Dove 1. 

Wood pigeon 1.

... have you been counting birdies this weekend?

if so, tell us what you saw ...

XXX

Happy New Year 2014

We wish you a very happy, healthy and prosperous

2014

We had a special, simple festive period and look forward to visiting you all again soon!

xxxx

We went out to check on the cobwebs by the greenhouse ...

Bingley and Darcy

It was colder and we didn't see any birdies ...

there were plenty of leaves and some of them the most beautiful shade ...

Bingley

The garden was SO damp ... and then it began raining again.

Darcy

... why drink from a clean water bowl, when you can lick rainwater from the terrace!

Darcy

...eventually I ask to come back inside ...

Bingley

But my brother had already taken MY spot.

He keeps Mrs H's laptop case warm as much as possible.

Call for information from Mrs H: 

Do any of you dear Bloggers know who makes this fabric and where I can find it?