May turns to June

At last! a spell of warm weather. The Met office say that March to May have been one of the coldest and wettest on record - we agree to that!

Still, it's all forgotten now.....

Here's some pictures of out and about in the last week:

afternoon sunshine pours past Elaine's felt creations

The Gallery: light and airy

a day later - hailstones!

tulips and magnolia

evening sun on part of our stone collection

lunch at Greencastle - looking over to Carlingford

lunch at Greencastle - Cranfield Light

lunch at Greencastle

a heron down by the river

calm in Lurgan Park

tonight at Turnip House

flowers (the first) on our Rowans

cow parsley in the car park - very Chelsea Flower Show!

The Great House - and it's magnificent context - due a roof in September!

flowers on the broad beans

two rows of beans

potatoes up!

apple blossom

apple blossom

views down the Green Lane

Frank's cattle in the evening sunshine

lady's smock in abundance

our newly gifted copper beech - like a jewel!

the view to Slievenaboley from the far seat

Old Man Willow - old water pipe and midges

The Bloody Bridge

I've been working in Kilkeel today, the 'Capital of Mourne' - and my birthplace. It was a lovely day so I took Charlie, in the hope that we might get some time to go for a walk.

At lunchtime I went for a stroll down the Kilkeel river from the old Bridge Bar to the Rooney Road - I can recommend it - urban, yet with traces of the old field walls and hedges along a burbling brook. Very nice.

On the way home (later than planned, as ever!) We came up trumps with a walk along the Mourne coastal path at the Bloody Bridge. A favourite spot since childhood, and for good reason.

bluebells everywhere

a dizzying drop

rock flora - I need help with identification!

the remnants of the metamorphosed shale which overlayed the Mournes granite intrusion

looking South, towards Kilkeel

rockery

Charlie on the coastal path

not sure what this is either

the old Bloody Bridge, from below the new

Charlie takes a drink

a violet nestled in the undergrowth

any clues?

stuck! Charlie could not get through (had to take him via the gate!)

path to the old Bridge, and up the Brandy Pad

the Bloody Bridge River

the old road to Newcastle

the new road and bridge is much higher

babbling stream

the old road to Annalong

Greenhouse Wrangling: Part Two

After weeks of snow, rain, gales and floods, a few 'better' days have enabled us to get back on to putting up the greenhouse kindly donated by Mary & Gary.

We plan to use it to extend the vegetable growing season. It seems likely that we'll be experiencing similar kinds of weather up here for the foreseeable future, so extra help in terms of heat and shelter will only help!

As with all things, we must start at the bottom:

first the hole - a lot bigger than first planned!

plenty of nice soil though

one greenhouse kit!

the plinth - for stability, and to weigh it down!

is this level (answer: no it is not!)

these guys are waiting for a new home

and us

growing s started now, the pressure is on

plinth finished

the slope was also greater than expected!

building day one - the first upright piece

the first gable - all smiles!

"reckon it might work you know"

looking good

major structure is up

sorting out the strengtheners

what a team!

So we're now more or less complete with the frames, just some angle supports to add - they were added as an extra by Gary when he put it up, and will be vital here too!

In the next few days, we'll be ready for the glazing.