Welcome to family, friends and visitors. Here you will find interesting (hopefully) pictures of my part of the world, news of our household and probably, long ramblings about anything that catches my interest.

Thursday, 24 July 2025

Lost and Found, and Lost.

The weather kept chopping and changing today. One minute would be blisteringly hot and the next the cold and clammy sea mist would blow in.
Last week I lost one of the studs I wear to keep the piercings in my ears open. It was gone after I had washed my hair. I looked everywhere but to no avail. Then today I found it, nestled in my gardening shoes under the airing rack where I'd hung the towel. I bought a number of sets of studs in the January sales but of course that pair is my favourite so I was very pleased.

I was not so pleased when at the end of the afternoon I saw that the stachys I'd planted in the gravel at the zoo on Tuesday had gone. It was there earlier when I added  some thrift plants that I'd grown from last year's seed heads. I can only assume that one of the many children visiting the zoo had pulled it up and probably fed it to the goats. I have more stachys at home that I want to shift but that was annoying. I had been advised that the plants would get trodden on especially while they were still small so there's nothing precious in there but I wasn't expecting to have whole plants pulled up.
I usually only garden at the zoo once a week but the weeds had grown so much I felt a second day's work was needed. Apart from planting the thrift I had a quick weed of a flowerbed and then set to work clearing the gravel area by the guineafowl. I cleared about three-quarters of the gravel which includes several picnic tables. The very end has little gravel and is constantly walked over so is difficult to weed which is why I left it for another time.

When I had a walk around at the end of the afternoon I was shocked by the amount of weeds in the large play area. I think it's going to need some serious digging and raking to clear that lot.

I ended my afternoon at the zoo with Otis and Truffle. 
They both like to be scratched at the same time so it was hard to take photos. They remain in their relaxed positions for a brief moment once I stop before getting up and giving me plaintive looks.

Merlin the zoo cat also came over for a quick stroke.
I didn't do a lot when I got home apart from giving the pavement by the porch a going over with a metal brush and a broom. It now looks a bit better than the way the builders left it. (Below)


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