June approaches - with a storm?

The weather is a bit cooler - high teens Centigrade, more like normal, but it feels almost sultry tonight, and the clouds are building dramatically:

a storm a brewing?
(see how the recent warm weather has brought on the wygelia)

yesterday evening our bovine neighbours: not sitting down because of rain coming,
but lying down because of the heat!

looking west tonight- here come the fronts

the clouds wrap the Mournes in cotton wool

A Hidden View

A Hidden View:

this is a very interesting new site about Irish and Iberian rock art - well worth following I think.


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a year ago today

Well, almost. It was 2 June last year when we took this picture:

the orange parasol is out again in Benraw, the sun is splitting the sky - fantastic - and the barbecue is finished - just hope that this year we get more use out of it!

Ards Artists

Elaine spent Saturday at Ards Art Centre taking another Felt workshop! 6 lovely participants had a creative day making samples, felt pens, flowers and bags!

Such a fantastic array of colours

Just look at the beautifully delicate combinations of shades inside the flowers

Bags ready for their handles (made at home)

Felt pens make a stunning bunch of flowers

Many thanks to Ards Art Centre for a brilliant venue and yummy lunch. We all had  such fun!

Greenhouse: awaiting windows

We've finished the wooden part of the greenhouse - and are quite pleased with the result:

All it needs now are the windows. We've ordered them and are waiting expectantly.


More later!

The Front Garden - in flower May 2012

 To the front of the house is a remnant of a beautiful formal garden 45 feet square.
It was completely overgrown and impassable, but we have cleared much of it out, uncovering a layout of paths, and many relics of the plants that grew there.


As we'll be putting scaffolding up around the house to replace the roof, alot of the garden will not be redeemable until after that, but we have made our mark on one quarter of it, clearing away the roots and laying a lawn, with flowerbeds.


we've been rewarded these last few days with an increasing abundance of the aliums that we planted back in January


This evenings sunshine picked them out beautifully:

aliums, aqualigia (self set) and raspberry plants (likewise)

bursting out!

work in progress

A Year Ago Today

Outside the Gallery


Now that we're planning to welcome visitors via the Gallery entrance, we have to do a lot of clearing up. 
This is where the old garage was, that blew down as we were in the process of buying the place.


There was an awful lot of debris, and 'treasure' hidden under it

last May - chaos!

Today -  new roof, new windows some demolition and rebuilding,
much improved, more to do!

This was the garage when we first saw it in 2010:

and this was what was left when we finally got it!

At last! the greenhouse takes shape

Back from Mount Stewart, and back to work on the project!


Today we started the greenhouse. The timber for it has been lying in the yard for weeks, and we've been itching to get going on it.


Today was the day, the frame is mostly built (to our own design)


Here's a short time lapse of our progress:

Mount Stewart Grand Garden & Craft Fair

We're off at Mount Stewart Grand Garden and Craft Fair tomorrow 19th and Sunday 20th (so we won't be open in Benraw, sorry)

never disappoints: the wonderful gardens at Mount Stewart

Topiary Grande!

Our stand last year. and sunshine!

Elaine demonstrating felt making - as she will this year

Today we went up to set up - so much better than arriving all in a flurry tomorrow. Although we've been going every year for many years now, it never ceases to inspire and delight.


Well worth a visit this weekend. Hope to see you there!

Charlie is all packed and ready today!

Welcome to the Future - in Las Vegas anyway

Google's self-driving car approved for testing – video

A prototype of a self-driving car made by Google
is seen on roads in Nevada after the first such license
was issued in the US under new laws for autonomous-vehicle development.
Other car manufacturers have indicated a desire to test
and develop the technology in Nevada

6 Billy bookshelves

A trip to Ikea and 5 hours work has transformed one wall of the Gallery!


There will be books and interesting items from the old house on display.


Here's a little fun time lapse of our enterprise today:

Tongue and Groovy

Wet and wild outside - no problem! 
We lit a big fire in the stove, and set to panelling out the last part of the south window wall.
Now it looks like we're getting somewhere!

tongue and groove right up to the fireplace

those bolts hold a massive gate on the other side

the mountains in sunshine this evening 

lovely shapes and colours

the fireplace in it's surroundings

this side almost finished

Hazels

Thanks Julie, our good friend from Maghera who kindly donated 3 hazel trees to the fold. We planted them yesterday:

standing proud at the top of the hill

greening up the 'street'

beautiful black tulips in the little flowerbed, with our magnolia in full bloom behind

a stunning showing

Charlie supervises as usual!

not sure what she's up to!

this once was a football

sunflowers planted in the water tank flower bed

the river of currants - green and (hopefully) bountiful

Supermoon

A picture taken last night of the supermoon:

The phenomenon, known as a perigee full moon, means the Moon appears up to 14% bigger and 30% brighter than when it is furthest from the planet.

A fantastic sight! 

Outback Chic II

This weekend we've been busy about the gallery and garden, working on a few 'fronts' at once!


Construction:


Being very enamoured with the style and colours of old corrugated iron we've resolved to add panels of it to the Gallery. Starting with the cantilevered chimney: 

iron clad

very antipodean!

 We've also paint washed loads more T and G to clad inside the Gallery.

out to dry - storm brewing

safe warm and dry inside

CTP: Bluebells at Tollymore April 2012

Tollymore Park: not far from us, a magical place!


CTP: Bluebells at Tollymore April 2012:

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Gallery: Jonathan Flaum | The High Line

Gallery: Jonathan Flaum | The High Line:

The High Line never fails to impress: the rejuvenation of unwanted former industrial landscape to create a public park of incredible beauty, sensitivity and spirit