At Lake Anne

 

The Farmers Market was in full swing when we arrived at Lake Anne - lots of lovely fresh veg and herbs.  David invested in three chilli plants which are now happily potted on and feeling the heat on the decking.

 

No doubt they will get their own back by being too fiery to use!

 

There were flowering plants on sale -some that are said to be attractive to Hummingbirds - such as foxglove and of course trumpet vine.  (To our great surprise 'our' Hummingbirds are regularly visiting the flowers of the lavender planted in pots on the deck - but no photos yet.)

 

I was hugely impressed by these peony plants - until I realized that the flowers were silk, placed in the relevant pots to show the correct colour!!

 

By the Lake is a new installation for the summer - the LOVE symbol which is used at tourist venues all over Virginia as part of the 'Virginia is for Lovers' campaign.  Families were having their photos taken with it.  The bronze statue of Robert Simon looking on from the background.

 

There were rowing and pedalo boats for hire but rather warm for that much activity in the full sun!

 

  Chalkfest is underway this weekend - many of the images won't be completed until tomorrow but some were finished and others underway.

 

Hot and back-breaking work!

 

Empty Streets and Open Skies

 

An early start on the coach from Bath this morning.

 

Great Pulteney Street awaiting its daily quota of visitors and traffic.

 

Over Cleveland Bridge..

 

The fields sped by..

 

A pause at some lights and s chance to capture the sun coming up over the houses being constructed on the old Copenacre site.

 

Once airborne from Heathrow, a view of green fields and Windsor.

 

Then cloud and sunshine and not much else for eight long hours...

 

Traveling down the east coast of the US towards Washington DC the fields are a little browner...

'Pheasantries'

 

Three pheasants - one cock and two hens - are frequent visitors to Mum's garden.

 

Yesterday this hen found a patch of ground that she liked and proceeded to enjoy a dust bath before settling down..

 

Her male friend then started an impressive (presumably courtship) display..

 

 

 

She remained fairly unimpressed.. though she did ruffle her feathers a little.

 

 

Bath in the Sunshine

 

For some reason I don't seem to be able to walk around Grand Parade without joining all the visitors leaning on the parapet to take a snap of Pulteney Bridge and the weir!  

Here is today's photo featuring the Pride of Bath with a full load of passengers and lots of seagulls on the water.

 

Something that I didn't get to photograph the last time it was in Bath was the 'umbrella' installation in Southgate.  It was really lovely today in the sun.

 

The pattern made by the shadows of the umbrellas on the paving stones amused me too (not to mention the reflection in the glass of the shadows...)

 

Quite a few people were out enjoying the weather on the 'lawn' in Southgate..

 

On the other side of this area another street of 'brollies'..

 

I wonder if they provide any protection on wet days?

 

They certainly seem to bob around in the breeze.

 

Each one is an individual flower.  

Passers by seemed to like them and there were lots of photos being taken - a colourful addition to the shopping area and certainly a talking point.

Morning Visitor

 

Opening the curtains this morning we were surprised to see this young male deer (3 years old according to his antlers?).  He was chewing the cud and was generally very uninterested in moving away.

 

He stayed there for a long time, occasionally dozing off but mostly just quietly sitting.

 

Flower Gardens at Tyntesfield

 

There were some beautiful flowers blooming at Tyntesfield on Saturday and in the warm sunshine they were being appreciated by butterflies and bees alike.

 

These very large sea pinks seemed to be particularly popular..

 

 

The large flowers of the peony and tree peony in bloom near the Kitchen Garden were spectacular..

 

 

 

 

 

 

Garden Wildlife

 

On the lawn early this morning a tiny baby rabbit was feeding.

 

A painted lady butterfly was enjoying the sunshine.

 

On the nyger seed feeder, a pair of goldfinches.  Waiting its turn above, a young goldfinch, not yet fully fledged..

 

The colours of the adult birds were very bright in the sunshine..

 

A less frequent visitor to the feeders is this handsome bullfinch.

 

In the trees, some young blue tits..

 

 

Later today we found a squirrel enjoying an unusual meal..

 

 

This evening's visitor - a large cock pheasant..

 

 

A busy day in the garden!