14 1/2 YEARS

Yesterday we had to say goodbye to our pretty, little Nell. 

Suddenly, she had a sort of 'episode' , couldn't stand, panicked and was floundering and scrabbling to stand, then was violently sick. 

Dh carried her outside where she tried to squat to wee but flopped on her side. We quickly phoned our vets and we rushed off to see her.

Nell couldn't stand properly when we got there and the vet said her bad heart was struggling. 

She hasn't been really well for a few months, off her food and trying to get her tablets down her has been very difficult. She has slept more, she used to be in her bed before we went and wasn't waking till an hour after us. So with a very heavy heart we decided to let her go to 'run free over Rainbow Ridge.'

We've had her joy, fun, and sometimes feisty way for over 14 years, she was such a love, always pleased to see us. Loved playing fetch, in fact when we bought her a new ball a few years ago, she would not go 'walkies..' She went out of the drive and then turned back and once inside the house, she rushed to her new ball; it went to bed with her for weeks on end!

We're weepy one minute, then laughing the next when we remember one of her we not so good moments; she rolled in a dead fox in the meadow where we used to live in Essex.. phew what a smell!!

We miss you Nell, but we'll always remember you.

Chrisxx

It's arrived!

 It's Saturday and its happened! I opened the French doors this morning for Nell to pop out and there it was the first chill of Autumn! I hate that feeling but have to admit that some days in June and July were scorchio! And flowers dried up before their buds opened.

But here we are with late summer blooms.

I take cuttings and plant seeds even without a greenhouse. This bungalow has south and west facing windows, so ideal for seed sowing. 

But today we're tidying up the flower beds after the rain, because suddenly everything has grown. Lots of plants self seeded, but they are towering above the others. And the weeds are gigantic, but easy to pull out as the ground is soft after the rain.

We've picked all the green tomatoes, they're not going to ripen outside now.

But hopefully the grapes will. I've trimmed off the leaves and as they're south west facing, trained up our pergola so they should ripen.

I grow rudbeckia every year altho' this year with the rain a few weeks ago, they grew very tall and then the winds of last weekend, they fell over.

Dahlias give such a beautiful show and these are my favourites this year.

And a peak at our new patio. I had it laid with the zig zag edges and we have already planted trees and shrubs in our new fence border!

It's very white and I do like it after the hassle of having it laid!

So in a few weeks time I'll be putting the dahlias and pelargoniums in store for the winter, in the garage. Then I'll be planting some new spring bulbs, so exciting times to come.

Gardens are life giving and my happy place!

Chrisxx