Small cat Saturday

September 16, 2017

While I was sorting out our study-cum-craft room last month making space for my new crafting equipment from Fellowes I found some old photos. And when you find old photos, there's only one thing to do isn't there?

Yes, dive right in and look back on those memories.

The photos I found were of my lovely puss cats.

SMALL CAT #1: DYLAN, ROARING LIKE A LION

SMALL CAT #3: BOB LEARNING TO EAT FROM A BOWL

SMALL CAT #2: TESSA (SNUGGLING WITH HER DYLAN)

SMALL CAT #4: QUICKLY, THE SPOILT YOUNGEST

In an earlier life I had the potential to become a crazy cat lady, clocking up four fiercely independent moggies over a few years. From top clockwise they were:

Dylan, a black long-haired softie named after the spaced out rabbit in Magic Roundabout, who was "lovingly" renamed the big black hairy one by MOH and also the one that made my heart melt from the day I picked him up.
Tessa, a white and tabby soppy thing who idolised Dylan as you can tell from the photo. She was named for Tessa Sanderson in an Olympic year, and years later proved her daftness by completely failing to master our open tread spiral staircase.
Next came Bob - or Bob Bob - as she quickly became known. And yes she was super tiny and I thought at the time the most challenging (but little did I know!) Bob was born at a local factory and rescued just before a cull, she was too tiny to be away from her mum and I was told off by the vet until I explained the circumstances. She was so tiny he couldn't be sure if she was a he or a her. She was a her and was named for Kate in Blackadder, so that dates her.
The finally there was Quickly who bewitched us all. Anyone who's been owned by a ginger tom will testify that they really are characters and he was just that. Cats are renowned for doing their own thing and even at meal times they'd often take persuading to come and eat. I'd regularly be calling for "Dylan, Tessa, Bob quickly" before he arrived and so rather than insert a new name, he became Quickly. And it suited him.

Poor Dylan and Tessa - there was six months between them, but longer between the others and in some ways had an affinity with each other they never had with the others. Bob also adored Dylan, and he was alpha male. Quickly, when he arrived, thought that was his role and he pushed his luck until the occasional swipe reminded him he wasn't.

Dylan investigating another new addition - and not being quite so sure

Tessa keeping a watchful eye, from a distance

I should have known he was going to be the cheeky one from this photo alone shouldn't I?

Quickly arrived most probably in 1991 or 1992, so a good few years ago. They all moved to this house with us and I'm never sure who tolerated who most, and by that I mean MOH and the cats. Bob was the last to go around ten years ago - she made it to the wedding reception, making a brief appearance for some of the photos, but by then being a grumpy old lady and not too keen on company was happy to head back to her basket.

I wouldn't have been without them, and couldn't imagine how life would be without them, but now it seems a lifetime ago (and one where I had long hair!)

Post Comment Love 15 - 17 September 2017

September 15, 2017

Hello there and hello Friday - I've been looking forward to it this week, I don't mind saying! If you were here last week it was great to see you, and if you're new here this week you're very welcome and it's great to have you along. As usual there were great posts last week, I'm still making my way around them as my newly found love of crocheting still has its hold. I'm certain there'll be equally great posts this week, because that's what you do!

It's been a week of dodging rain though hasn't it? I've seen many posts on Facebook about how it always seems to rain for the school run, it also seems to be timing it to coincide with my walk home. Somehow the skies darken almost at a flick of a switch and you know the rain is coming but there's little you can do about it. Of course the times I've had my umbrella and/or waterproof with me the weather has improved and the times I've left the office without them, I've been caught out.

Our heating has also snuck itself on a couple of mornings this week and I can't say I'm sorry at all. The underfloor heating in the bathroom is one of the best things we've ever done. I love autumn - the colours, the food but not the damp so much. It's hard to believe that this time last year we were experiencing temperatures of thirty four degrees. I remember melting but it seems unbelievable now.

I'm resisting the move into tights. I had a brief foray into that world on Monday but quickly retreated. They are the most awful things and will be avoided for as long as possible. I'm hoping to hold out until we come back from Portugal in mid-October, which I'm counting as my 'summer' holiday!

My photo this week is from my walk home Thursday evening. It had just finished raining and there was a rainbow ahead of me. Walking over the approach road to the Blackwall tunnel I spotted the yellowing leaves of the rowan tree against the moody sky, and couldn't help but be reminded of a country hedgerow. It's far from that but momentarily it could have been!

autumnal rowan leaves against a moody sky

Bloggers Showcase: Jess from The Queen is in Town

Firstly what a great name for a blog! I'd love to know how that came about - perhaps it's a question we should add! Jess says she's always been blogging for fun and to find people who think the same. She's from Luxembourg and loves make up and books and a good night should include plenty of laughter. I think all the best nights do. Thanks Jess, it's great to showcase your blog as part of #PoCoLo.

Connect with Jess on Instagram and Twitter before you pop over to Morgan's blog to find out more about Jess and her blog.

If you'd like to be featured in a future bloggers showcase we'd love to feature you. Our waiting list has just dipped into the new year (eek!) but get in touch with your answers now to secure your spot.

An InLinkz Link-up

The Robinson garden at Hyde Hall

September 14, 2017

Now you're not going to believe this. I almost didn't. And before I tell you, we'd already decided on our gabion journey when I saw this garden, but seeing it made me smile and confirm it had to be done.

If you've no idea what I'm talking about then while I might claim this garden as my own, I'm not the Robinson it's named after. The Robinsons were the first owners of Hyde Hall and this, and the Woodland garden were the first gardens here. In 2006 the Robinson garden was redeveloped to "create a contemporary garden with three distinct boggy areas."

So now I've set the scene, would you believe it looked like this:

NEATLY STACKED GABION BASKETS IN THE ROBINSONS GARDEN

I know, I'm seeing gabion baskets everywhere now!

Although this is clearly on a much larger scale than ours!

It was useful though to prove to MOH it can be done, and can look fantastic. Being the thorough sort though we spent probably far too long looking at how these were put together. I must admit to loving the order of the neatly stacked inners, but I'm still pleased we opted for the more purse-friendly reclaimed look.

It was here though that I really appreciated the helicoils and was glad I'd over ordered and we could add them to the joins and corners on ours.

AND CURVES, MEAN TRIANGLE SHAPED SPACES. AND THESE ARE PARTICULARLY GOOD!

The plants weren't bad either...

But this garden wasn't just about the gabions, stones and helicoils. The plants had my name all over them too.

I need more alliums in my garden - must remember that when the bulb catalogues start arriving! But I have plenty of these hart's tongues ferns though - they grow in the old stair well alongside our conservatory. Every year or so I scrape a load off the wall and plant into a pot and let them grow on. That's how I had enough plants to fill our gabion baskets that we used as planters. It drives MOH crazy I'm sure, but this summer for the first time ever he saw why it was useful to have some plants that grow in our garden mature enough to be useful.

The astrantia below should also be on my plant list. I've lusted after it for a while, in fact since I first saw them at Bosvigo in Cornwall in 2014.