That was the week that was, and Sunday Pics.

[curiouswombat]

Life this week has simply been proceeding. I have achieved 2 of my 'really must do' list of things - and attempted, but failed at a 3rd. That 3rd thing was to have blood taken for my routine thyroid checks to see that the meds are still right. A district nursing colleague would take the blood and write out the form, I'd drop the specimen off at the path labs as I was going up to the hospital. No problem - simples!

Except that the DN, who spent two years working in the anti-coagulation clinic taking blood, couldn't get any out of me - I have what is known in the trade as poor veins. At least District Nurses are happy to admit when they can't do it without poking multiple holes, which medical staff tend to do.

So on the to-do list for this next week is 'ring up blood-clinic and make an appointment'. Along with 'get boat/rail tickets to go to WriterConUK' - which is the weekend after next!

Things achieved? The enormous rampaging fuchsia at the front of the house is not blocking the pavement any more, I have just taken the hedge-trimmer to it and then taken a boot-full of fuchsia tot he recycling depot. Thing 2? I have made an appointment to have my eyebrows waxed!

Yesterday I had lunch out with Mum in the next village to hers and picked up some cream to have later with the cherry pie she had made. I am local. I know to pick the cartons of cream in the shop fridge labelled 'For Pets. Not Pasteurised. Not sold for human consumption'. Visitors must think the pets in the north of the island are very pampered...

These cartons actually contain thick, thick, farm cream - so thick it stands up on the spoon. This comes to the shop straight from a local prize-winning herd. The owners refuse to send their cream to the dairy to be mixed with everyone else's and pasteurised - they still hand-skim it - but can no longer, officially sell it fresh as fit for human consumption. But those in the know, know that the best cream on the island comes from that one village shop, labelled 'For pets'!

For those who are interested, D-d is having an excellent time in Australia. She rang us up this morning; she had been riding yesterday and taken part in a goat round up. S2C wondered what the people who usually did the job ere called - 'goatboys'?

I think I won - I suggested, especially as she has just been in Argentina, 'Goatchos'.

Pictures this week are simply taken in the hedgerow on my way to Mum's. I love the number of flowers and colours that just grow in the verges.

For a selection

The harebells are in flower - these are growing in the hedge -



I tried to get a close-up, but it was a bit breezy and difficult to get them completely still. This is as good as I got, which is not very -



And thistles - thistles are really rather pretty, I think.





So is the ever-present cow parsley -




deborahw37 has just posted a picture of ripe blackberries - ours are still in bud...




And, only about 10 yards further along, were some big daisies - probably self-seeded from a garden somewhere -





Somehow flowers seemed suitable for this week.

Comments

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

We do have the Ox-Eye daisies in a lot of the hedgerows - but they were also a very popular garden plant in my grandparents' day, so I'm not sure whether they are genuinely wild here or just feral!

And you can see, now, why I was so amazed that you'd been picking blackberries.

Madrell's cream is glorious - and very, very, good with cherry pie!

[azalaisdep.livejournal.com]

This afternoon we went for a walk in some local woods and found, to our amazement, just one hedgerow of blackberries that were fully ripe! (Everywhere else they're still completely green, and it's a good month to six weeks early for them - this spot must just have been a complete sun-trap, I think.) The plastic pot we had brought along with bits of cake to eat on the walk was promptly pressed into service!

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

I am very envious of you and Deborah with your early blackberries. And my blueberries are still green, too...