A Birthday Surprise!

Recently I was telling Malc and Evie that when my mother was expecting me she became very unwell with toxaemia. Because of this I was delivered three weeks earlier than the due date. So, really, my birthday should have been on the 26th July. What did they think of my celebrating another birthday on that day? Not a lot was the very quick answer - no more birthdays this year for me.
But wait what is this envelope which has been sticking to the front of the fridge for weeks, months even? A birthday surprise from my dear first born son!

Is there a little clue in the window of the envelope?
You'll have to watch this space!

Islington in Bloom

All these photos were taken from the same spot - at the bus stop oppositeSelbys,
Which is looking very sophisiticated with its new black marble frontage.

maybe the answer does lie in the soil!
http://www.ukgameshows.com/page/index.php?title=The_Answer_Lies_in_the_Soil
in case you didn't catch the radio programme!

The New Wall

7.45am

7.46am

8.10am

4.40pm

A good day's work. Notice the creeper nearly at the top of the scaffolding.

A birthday present!

It came so early she'd forgotten it was here until I reminded her!

First the enclosed card Then the present

Put them in straight away!

Flowers in Public Places in Islington.

Believe it or not, these flowers are within a stone's throw of Holloway Road! They are growing on a narrow strip opposite the entrance of Central Library in that side street.

Hampstead Heath

Dahlias at Kenwood

One of the screechy parakeets

Caught him emptying a stone out of his sandal!

The Underground Railroad.

These are photos of the quilt my cousin has made in the past year or so. They are mainly for my friend Lynz who does a nice line in quilting herself.

Each block has a specific meaning and sent a message to the slaves to help them escape to freedom

Below is a link to one of the websites which gives details.

http://educ.queensu.ca/~fmc/may2004/Underground.html

Some flowers in Larkhall

Roses

Lupin

Delphinium

North of the Border.

This is why I hate paying for raspberries in the shops. I know where better ones grow wild. Its the same with salmon - my grandpa used to catch so much that he'd send my mum round the village to give it away. That was when she was a little girl.

Looking north over Glasgow to Ben Lomond.

This is Chatlerhault ( pronounced with a massive glottal stop after the letter t). It used to be the country home of the Duke of Hamilton and now is open to the public. Not a lot to see indoors but a nice cafe and a lovely wooded estate to walk round.

Three generations

Three shifty looking characters at Finsbury Park this afternoon! ( Ha Ha - I took the photo seconds before the hand came up to make a sign over the green boy's head!)

A plastic bag.

It does what it says - degrades in your hand!
So it wont appear in my scrapbook!

Building is suspended.

Should the wall be taken to the level of the street on one side of it, or down another 5 feet to garden level? The builders say one thing, those paying the bill disagree.
Watch this space to see who wins!
When will the cost of the scaffolding pass the cost of building 12 feet of wall?

Down it comes!

The first blow

showed the wall to be tougher than expected . So they brought in a large electric drill to tackle it. I wonder where the photo of it has disappeared to?
The creeper had started growing up the scaffolding

which went up in the third week of April. It really does what its name says 'mile a minute'.

For the first time ever we can see the pavement. Its still surprisingly private in the garden. In case you had forgotten, the wall had developed massive cracks.