Inspiration

We begin in Spring and end in Summer. I last managed to blog in early May, and here we are, tipping into late June.  It’s actually been lovely to look back at photographs of the last 10 weeks and see how much changes. Time feels like it flies, for all of us, perhaps, but then you remember quite how much has happened along the way. I like a bit of a rear view mirror in life. There’s nothing nicer on a Sunday evening as we just pass the longest day of the year than to look backwards, as well as think about the rest of the year to come.

The May garden was that moment of extraordinary intense green; always, like nothing else, it takes your breath away the moment the trees come in to leaf.  Lunch at Bettiscombe one weekend on a boiling hot day. 

Then down to Cornwall – back to Prussia Cove, sparkling, blue sky, blue sea. 

With my friend Ruth, and Leo from the office, I made a long-overdue pilgrimage to the remarkable Newlyn Copper Works. Michael gave us an incredible tour. He has recently been making lights for a Cornish project of ours. 

It was a fleeting visit to Cornwall, and I was back up to Dorset again.  Brilliant mornings.

And verges filled with Cow Parsley. 

Dinners with friends. 

The saturated greens when rain sweeps through. 

Quiet times are the best. 

I was up in Edinburgh for a brief night, here’s a little walk down Ann Street, my favourite of all in that city that is such a happy place for me, showing our friends Austin & Spenny all my favourite corners….

And to Kay’s Bar, surely the best spot in the whole of Edinburgh on an evening after supper. 

The next day we went over to the bothies via Ardkinglas, again. 

A fantastic tour, where I soaked in many details I’d missed the time before…

And then a walk in the gardens, filled with rhododendrons and azaleas. 

We stopped at a rainy Inveraray….

But of course the sun broke when we arrived at the bothies.  It always seems to, I’m not sure why? 

Sibyl’s happiest place. 

Breakfast…. Followed by coffee morning in the village hall…

And then we drove down to the Mull of Kintyre for a wonderful lunch with Tom & Lisa at Carskiey, dreamiest house in Scotland.  Back home after a long day.  Then down to Oxfordshire, for our friends Luke & Duncan’s happiest of weddings.  And then finally, home.  The pasture was being cut for silage.  I love that moment. The whole countryside looks like a giant Hockney drawing. 

New calves in the paddock.

And bunting going up. Jubilee time. 

A golden ray of sunshine for the Queen that night. 

On the Friday we popped over to see Julian and Isabel and their remarkable garden, so new, so incredible. 

Lunch with the Schuberts on Saturday; Will & Brandon, and his Mum & Dad over from Texas.  Happiest of days. 

And then Jubilee Sunday in the village. Here’s Charlie, learning that his cake is the winner of the competition (I suppose it goes without saying!!).

The cows are peaceful on our morning walks… Sparkling sunshine in between summer clouds… A garden filled with flowers now. Full moon rising.
the longest evenings…
brilliant mornings… And best of all – look what we found in the chicken shed one morning!

Happy summer.