Menoturals; Of Gardens and Bugs

I could moan yet again about the 'bug' in the intermutts just now that is preventing some posts from reaching my reader in a timely fashion and then bringing them in batches, two, three, and sometimes more together. But no... this is about bugs of the insect type. True bugs, important ecological residents. 

Sharing with the LLB gang on Nature Friday, I bring you, first, the Common Blue Damselfly, aka as a Bluet...

This was as close as I could get with my phone camera zoom. The minute I moved a step closer it was off. There were lots of them around at Northumberlandia... but nowhere near the numbers of other insects. We were surrounded by the sound of grasshoppers, but I only laid eyes on one... and it was off before I could get focused on it. If you are interested, you can see a good photo and read about the Meadow Grasshopper at this link. It mentions the colour, and I can report that the one I did see had the purplish variance in colour, which is rather fun.

One insect of which there was an incredible number was the Six-spot Burnet Moth. We had fun trying to get any kind of decent shot of these flutteries! Constantly on the move and often shifting away from full-frontal, it was quite the challenge. First I had a go at a group of them on the Ragwort, but they all shifted into shade.... can you see the four of them?

That single one on the clover was the most successful of the 87 (well... maybe fifteen) photos I snapped. This is one of those occasions when I think back to my glory days of a camera bag with a full SLR and interchangeable lenses to fit the needs of the shoot! Still, I think I do okay with my phone camera these days.

The next shot is another subject in shade... can you see the male sparrow under the cabbages? The Cabbage White Butterflies were very busy laying their eggs, and this wee fellow appeared to be having a banquet!

To finish, a Cardoon flower... these are a vegetable plant and a great attractor for pollinators... if you enjoy vegetables such as celery and globe artichoke, you will most probably appreciate cardoons, too. Even if you don't, I think it would be a hard eye that didn't love seeing these structural, statuesque beauties in a garden border!

Menootering; Arvo Runs

I was having a lovely week at Aitch's place. In between a few outings, we enjoyed her garden, her village, quiet time together, and some social time. I arrived on Sunday, had an at-home on Monday, and then our biggest outing on Tuesday to Ford & Etal. Now, if you read Ducky 6939's report on Tuesday, you might have seen her mention trips out on Wednesday and Friday. She got it wrong! Duck time is clearly very different from human time. We needed Wednesday to recoup before undertaking any further major activity. It was on Thursday arvo (that's afternoon to all you non-Aussies) that we went to Wallington Hall (do read this link for a brief history). It's a pretty drive of about half an hour from the village - although we did find ourselves missing the entrance and having to travel a little longer than was necessary... for such a grand estate, the signage was very minimal! We flashed our NT membership cards to the entry attendant (who commented that the meters were merely garden furniture and parking was, in fact, free), then found our spot among the already very full car park. Something I noted was that, despite there being quite a crowd making the most of the incredible summer weather, it was only at the main cafe that one felt actually crowded. There was a wonderful sense of space and plenty of room for everybody.

The incredible trees provided welcome relief with their cooling canopies, and there was plentiful seating for those who needed it. Although a historical site, the farmland and gardens are still actively worked, with a view to conservation methodology and replacing non-native and invasive foliage with locale-specific plantings.

The key purpose of our visit that day was to go to the walled garden and pond, leaving the house for a potential visit on another of my trips. The wander downhill through the delightful woodlands was taken at a leisurely pace. No hurry for we two ladies of a certain age! We came across an impressive chainsaw carving...

Before finding our way into the walled garden. There were lots of roses in full flower, but many other pretty blooms, too. Due to lots of steps, I didn't venture down into the centre of the garden, but this didn't detract from enjoyment.

There were lots of beautiful walkways and little hedge-pockets to sit and ponder... and at the very bottom is a little kiosk where one can partake of a refreshing beverage before working back up the hill.

We had been thinking of another stately home visit for the Friday outing; however, we both were a bit slow on things that morning and, with very little discussion, agreed there was no need to go rushing about, especially as that day there were some showers, and it was heavily overcast. We knitted, we read, we chatted... just hung out.

Saturday was much the same, although we did have a couple of hours with Aitch's neighbour coming over for tea and a natter. 

Monday was my last full day with Aitch, and it was on that arvo that we went down to Northumberlandia. Maintained by the Northumberland Wildlife Trust, this enormous piece of public art was created as part of the tailings recovery from local mining. To fully appreciate this land sculpture, one needs to be up in the air... lacking wings or a drone, I have therefore brought you an image from The Land Trust so you can get the idea.

image source

All the white markings are paths to be explored. The woodland you see at the top of the photograph is where Ducky and I enjoyed the shade of the trees. The visitor centre, cafe and car park are just to the other side of that wooded area. Aitch and I wandered along the path by the pond to her raised hand, up her arm, past her right breast, around the outermost of the head paths, back down to the main path, and closed the loop. The wildflowers were abundant and the insects even more so! Crickets, various bees and wasps, butterflies and moths. It was glorious.

A key reason for going to this place on that day was for Aitch to meet up with some fellow geogachers. The organisers turned out to be from Gardenstown, on the Moray Firth (halfway between Banff and Fraserburgh, one of my very favourite parts of the Scottish coast). It was a small and eclectic group, brought together by their mutual hobby of chasing down tiny things in sometimes very obscure places. All in all, it was a grand finale to my eight days with my old school buddy. 

Tuesday morning saw us saying farewells, and I was on the road again... but I have one more thing to share from that week which will wait for a bit as it's not to do with travel as such. Tomorrow's nature shots are from these two outings, though. Now I leave you with a collage of images Aitch took of me climbing one of the mounds so that I could take the slightly more elevated image that follows...

Adventures of Ducky 6939

Quack! Quack! Whilst YAM-aunty catches up with the tale of the day she and Aitch found me, I thought that today I might share with you some selfies taken with plants around Aitch's garden. She has lots of pretty flowers and also edible things...

I think this blue sets off my pink rather well, don't you?

Oooh, pretty pinksssss - need a better look...

...there's a bit of theme going on here, donchya think?

Yup, definitely!

Here I am on the cucumber plant. Lots of flowers and a few small cukes on the way.
The tomato plants missed getting photographed, but they smelled good!

Aitch was enjoying watching the local birds bathing in her water stand...
I wanted a go!

YAM-aunty was well pleased with herself for arranging it so that I was safe...
really? Helloooo, clue is in my name!

Me-Now-Views; Less Speak More Peek

Here are the remaining shots from the visit to Levens Hall Gardens, plus two skyline shots... one of Edinburgh, taken from Liberton Brae, and the other, a blazing sunset, taken through the front screen at our Friokheim parkup.

Menoffagin; Last Day SotB

Rounding up the posts on my visit south of the border... (not including all the animal posts that will appear hereafter!)

Saturday morning dawned a little chill and damp, but not enough to prevent Dru from taking me to Levens Hall Gardens. Even if the name is not familiar to you, the images of topiary will surely ring a bell, for you will have almost certainly seen photographs from this place. It is world-famous. 

The hall itself is of the Elizabethan period and, I'm sure, would be worth a visit at some point, but as you know, it is the gardens I greatly enjoy.

The topiary is not of animals or other plants, but more fantastical - of an Alice In Wonderland quality. First trimmed into the various geometric shapes in the 1690s, using Box and Yew, the topiary remains pretty much unchanged. The height and depth of some of the growth is awe-inspiring, and when you add in the underplantings of some ancient flowering plants, this garden could truly be termed 'enchanting'!

I have five more lovely piccies, but you will see them in a Tuesday post in a few weeks (otherwise this will turn into a default Views post!). Suffice to say we thoroughly enjoyed our early autumn walk through this delightful place, chatting with a few of the other visitors, then dropping into the house bakery, where I purchased some eNORMous cheese scones and a sourdough loaf.

Then we took another short drive to the town of Milnthorpe so that Dru could pick up a parcel from the post office, and we dropped into the local supermarket for some basics like butter and milk. I stocked up just enough to keep me going for a few days, until I could do a full grocery run.

Back at home, we got stuck into those scrumptious scones with a cuppa and combined that with a lateish lunch/early tea arrangement. Dru and Stephen were to attend a wedding at four in the afternoon, so Nobby and I had personal time once again, which was lovely. At seven, I locked the door, and he went to his cage. I heard the carousers return a little before eleven.

Sunday morning was farewell time... We sat around another lingering cuppa and doggy cuddles were had...

We worked our way down to the gate little by little, as you do when parting is bittersweet. Dru caught one last 'selfie' of me...

There were mutterings of "you can stay longer if you wish", which was most generous (and tempting!), but I really needed to get headed back north as other things were looming and requiring attention.

Without a doubt, I will return to visit them at some point next year. I fired up the battery, and The Grey and I drifted away toward the North Yorkshire moors, taking our time and revelling in the damp and misty moodiness they offer. Teesdale in particular held much appeal, then up through the Northumberland National Park to my reserved parking spot at Corbridge Rugby Club. I had two nights there (in heavy rain), before continuing up the A68 and on to Hawick. Back on home turf!

Menoturals; Worthy Words

It's that special day of the month when my Final Friday Feature collides with the LLB Gang's Nature Friday!

Wordsworth was a prolific poet, but even if you are unfamiliar with most of them, one in particular must surely spring to mind. Of course, visiting Rydal Mount (refer to yesterday's post if you missed it) in September means no daffodils to wander through, but there was lots else to view, and a couple of the other wonderful poems to contemplate.

I stood by this stump for a while, taking in all the different vegetation that made its home there...

The grounds are laid out in such a manner that one enters 'rooms', areas for different purposes, such as taking the view, sitting in meditation, admiring the house and backdrop, exercising... not just the perambulations that can be taken, but the croquet and - at one time direct line to - swimming in Grasmere Lake itself. 

Then there was all the vegetation to admire. Although the year was turning, there were still some flowers and even a rose or two to admire. Let's have another poem, then view the pretties...

It was a thoroughly enjoyable visit, despite the traffic melee! Now let me leave you with a little teaser portrait... It's a signal of what's coming up over the next couple of weeks. Be warned, get your country gear on!!!

Menondering Lonely As A...

After a fairly peaceful night by the busy roadside by Troutbeck Inn, I took the small and windy route through the Lakes to reach Rydal Mount, the historic home and gardens of William Wordsworth. What looked to be a little under a thirty-minute drive per the navigator turned out to be closer to forty-five due to road and traffic conditions. Heaving, in every sense of the word! Add that the roads are exceedingly narrow and quite often 'blind' cornered, driving was 'interesting'. 

No worries, for I never drive in a hurry. I did want to reach my destination with Nobby and co by mid-afternoon, but things soon showed it was going to be more like early evening... despite saying that parking was 'limited', what the website of the place completely fails to convey is that the property is halfway up an excessively steep hill ( minimum 45' angle) on a single track road, and that the 'car park' is the size of a handkerchief. I had the very dickens of a task to get The Grey turned around (drawing some admiration and cheers from observers!), then had a discussion with a lady who seemed to be directing matters. I had booked my walk through the gardens, so I expected that there would be a parking space booked as well. Not necessarily the case, it seems. However, "Pauline" pointed me to behind her car in a separate space and said I could park there. She was a lovely lady and was keeping her cool amid the frenzy that was definitely bubbling all about her.

Anyway, all the kerfuffle meant I wasn't walking the grounds until after 1 p.m. One thing to be said is that the weather came up trumps! It was perfect for such a visit. I didn't pay for the house viewing because I knew it would be difficult to access, but really, it was to be in the gardens and view the house from the exterior that I had made the spontaneous decision the night before to make this stopover. One thing that didn't immediately strike me, but came up during conversation with Pauline and the gardeners, is that Rydal Mount remains private within the Wordsworth family line... but is now up for sale! As you will see, the interior is not entirely period, as it has continued to serve as a working home, albeit the owners are not permanently resident... Pauline, it turns out, is something of a warden for the place. It's causing a bit of furore, locally, as you may imagine. 

As tomorrow is FFF time, I am keeping most of the garden shots (and poetry) for that post. You've come to expect that of me, haven't you?!

This is not the only property which refers to Wordsworth. The immediate question that arose for me (and many others) was whether the National Trust might be interested; however, the issue with the road and parking access would be the deal-breaker on that. Pandemonium is a term that might be applied. The NT does run the larger house and garden at Cockermouth. However, even that appears to be under reassessment as to viability.

There is also another centre, not that far from Rydal, which focuses on Wordsworth's time at Grasmere. No shortage of honouring/cashing in on the famous poet's life and place!

The gardens are undulating, to say the least. The Rolls-later served me well, and I even managed to negotiate the very steep, very irregular steps at the far end of the grounds, rising up to the 'terraces' part of the property. This very adaptable piece of equipment can be collapsed and used as a mobile bannister to help me up the flight, and provides a seat to let me catch breath every third step!

Those photos may not entirely display the precipitous and somewhat hazardous nature of that climb! It was as much adventure as I'd had in a while - or wanted. 

Once up on the terrace part, it was a wander along to the poet's seat of contemplation... after another very short stair clamber...

The setting, the ambience, and the history all brought a sense of tranquillity. 

Until the F-15s and Typhoons decided they needed to practice dog-fighting. The very rocks vibrated... They were on VERY low manoeuvres through the dales and all I could think was that there are people in the world for whom this is a daily and deadly onslaught...

By the time I got back to the reception area, Pauline had the news that a bus tour was about to arrive and the vehicle would be parking behind The Grey, hemming me in until closing time. This was not altogether bad news, as I was tired from my climbing expedition and needed to take some food and a cuppa. 

Once back on the road, it was about an hour before reaching Nobby's place... all about that starts next Thursday! One last look at Rydal Mount...