Don't get in a Pickle!

It's the time of year when I start to get into action with making chutney's with any excess home grown veg and fruit. Tomorrow's job, is to make chutney with the apples which have fallen off the tree this week. I love the process of chopping, cooking, filling and labelling jars. I find it very satisfying at the end knowing we will be enjoying this summers produce for months to come.

Lime Wood Scullery walls.

Hotel Comforts

Don't you just love the bathrooms in boutique hotels! We are staying at Lime Wood Hotel in the New Forest for the weekend. It's such a wonderful hotel, in beautiful surroundings. Everything is perfect, from the staff to the decor and food. I never want to leave!

Ours is not to reason why

The weather has been so unpredictable. We've had a lot of rain on and off the last few days. I can't make up my mind to go out or not!

Inspired by Justine's boots photograph

Garden Delights

Maintaining the garden can feel like a full time job this time of year. So, to make it more enjoyable I break the areas down into sections and tell myself I'll just do a morning or afternoon. I keep my camera to hand just in case. Trying to capture this dragonfly darting around the flowerbed was a welcomed distraction.

Linking into Lisa's Creative Exchange

Gerbera in Black and White

We generally look into the blooms of flowers but I've realised just how beautiful they can be from behind.

Kent's Highest Village

The pretty village of Goudhurst boasts of superb views over the Weald. A healthy population of oast houses complete the landscape. It is also known for its memorial to a prominent local family the 'Culpepers'.

The most famous member of the family was Nicholas Culpeper  born in 1616. He trained as a herbalist and set up a practice and pharmacy at the halfway house in Spitalfield's, London. At this time medical facilities available to the poor in London was at a breaking point. He provided his services to the poor for free and helped by letting them have their herbal medicines at low prices. Using local herbs in his remedies and even telling people where they could gather the herbs themselves. He argued that 'no man deserved to starve to pay an insulting, insolent physician'. Later he wrote the The English Physician. Which was published in 1653 to ensure his remedies were accessible to as many people as possible. Some of those herbs are still in use today. In January 1954 he died of tuberculosis at the age of 38.

View of the Weald

The Opportunist

Our resident robin was taking full advantage of us digging the garden this morning. He was happy to hop around us only a few feet away. Normally when I raise the camera to get a shot he flies off. However, today he was happily posing for me.

Raw Egg

This weeks Mortal Muses theme is 'negative space' and I was thinking how creative you could be with this. I didn't want the space to be totally negative so I came up with the egg on a plain white background. I thought about cracking the egg on the floor but concluded I'd have to clean the floor afterwards. Thursdays is not a cleaning day!

'Reflections of romance amidst the ruins'

The picturesque grounds of Scotney in Lamberhurst is a place to loose oneself in poetry and romantic novels. It's home to a medieval Castle with a Moat and a beautiful house perched atop a hill. It's certainly a place to be on a lazy Sunday afternoon.

Morris Minor Memberships

Today was the annual classic car show at Coolings garden centre. Around 100 enthusiastic car owners from South East England congregate to show off their beloved vehicles. It's such a joy talking to owners and hearing there stories of the years of dedication of restoring and maintaining these wonderful cars.

I had a 1961 convertible Morris Minor called Molly for many years. After two years of being untouched in the garage I made the painful decision to sell her as I didn't have the time to look after her anymore. I still wonder what became of Molly and if I ever see a white convertible with a red roof I check out number plate. It's the only car registration I can remember!

Rain, rain and more rain

What a change in the weather, I guess I'll just sit it out and play on the computer!

Summer Rain

Cooling Down

As the temperatures soared in London people found a way to enjoy the sunshine whilst cooling down.

Trafalgar Square fountains

Not going to plan

Plan A didn't materialize this morning. So I had to think of plan B. Consulting the National Trust handbook I found Quebec House in Westerham was close by. Half hour later as I walked to the property I realised I hadn't checked the opening times. You guessed it. Closed on Mondays. I walked into the little village of Westerham to see what I could photograph and came upon a wonderful church and old graveyard. Got out my camera, no memory card! I couldn't believe it! Ok not a problem I though, I'll use my iphone Hipstamatic. Good processing for the scene.

Having not had chance to eat my lovingly prepared sandwiches I'd made for my day out, I decided to drive to Chartwell house only 10 minutes away. No joke the place was also closed. So along with a few other family groups who had also made the mistake of not checking the opening times. We ate our lunch in the carpark.

After being fed and watered I was determined to have a proper afternoon out.   Searching for a nearby garden or house which was 'open' I came upon Ightham Mote in Sevenoaks. Just a short drive away was superb medieval moated manor house dating back from the 1320's. An amazing property representing the architectural changes which have occurred over the centuries. It has been the largest conservation project undertaken by the National Trust and took from 1988 to 2004 to complete.