more visitors in the garden......

Yesterday a very well mannered grasshopper posed for me. 

Lots of weeding and general tidying up was undertaken in the herb garden. I say herb garden because the majority of plants growing there are herbs.

This event was followed by ......

a  vegan lunch made from scratch.

and i say 

'Yum yum'.

The menu :

Rosemary Oat Cakes

Carrot Dip

Chickpea Hummus

Olives

Grilled Zucchini

Some quiet time today splicing old rope in order to fashion a tie back for the curtain in the living area. 

2.30 this afternoon we were delighted to see the blue banded bee again after 12 months absence, hovering about the borage flowers. Here she is, in addition to a jewel beetle and one of a pair of drangonflies. 

Strawberry feuilletes. What a treat. Then a little rearranging in the kitchen today. 

Lots of ants outside the back porch today. Busy, busy , busy in productivity as always.  But the bees? Where are the busy buzzers? We'll have to wait until the hot weather reappears before they come to visit the bee bath again.

In the mean time, I gave the broken pieces of old pottery in the bee bath a clean after the dust storm left a coat of red silt over it - and everything else outside. 

Chocolate vegan cupcakes for an 18 year old's party of 40.... 

......and after all the preparing, cooking and cleaning up, this hand cream is a must for my dry, chapped and hard working hands. It smells so wholesome too. 

No smoke haze today, so have opened all the doors and windows to make the most of the relatively clean air. 

 Everlasting daisys glowing in serenity in the afternoon sunlight. Because despite the depressing times, there is beauty to be found for those with a keen eye.

first day of the year.

The scent of the artichoke flowers is incredible. Reminiscent of honey, its no wonder the insects are obsessed with them.