Pepper the Puppy Comes home.

Hello again. I warn you, this is a photo heavy post as I am about to introduce you to the fluffy bundle of gorgeousness we call Pepper. I was bludgeoned by friends, family & mostly Dave until I caved and agreed to have a little look at some puppies. We knew the dad - a lovely huge Australian Shepherd x French Briard dog belonging to friends. Next we met mum - a bearded collie x black lab with a lovely temperament. And then we met the babies...all nine of them! 

So very beautiful and such a range of sizes. There were ones with enormous paws and one very, very tiny one who was the first born. There were all black puppies; black & grey puppies, tri-coloured puppies.... you get the gist. All we knew was that we wanted a bitch (so hate that word) and Dave chose this beautiful girl.

And we waited and visited until it was time to bring Pepper home with us to live in this crazy house full of crazy people and other crazy animals.

And then she grew. And grew. And then grew some more until at 18 weeks this is what she looks like and she still has plenty of growing to do! We love her to pieces. She has the loveliest nature and loves to be taught new things (which is good as the deal was that Dave would 'do everything, all of it....all you have to do Pip is train her!!!'). Oh is that all? Hmmm. So now I fit a long walk in at the beginning of the day which is just perfect whatever the weather - and boy, let me tell you I have been out in ALL weathers. I can't tell you how much I love that I have finally got the excuse I needed to give myself to get back out in the world. 

I walk the beaches and woods, the coves and rivers of my beautiful Cornwall. I just need to remember my camera a bit more often because I want to capture the amazing colours of an autumn sun on seaweed,

the texture of silken fronds on smooth, wave-worn stone.

I also want to try and capture this sweet girl as she grows from puppyhood into adulthood. It makes me smile to think we have another addition to the family, albeit one with four very long furry legs!

Just look at that face.

So there you have it. The ducks are fully grown and well, and you have now met Pepper Puppy too. If you should ever be in Cornwall and see this raggle-taggle hound with a similarly raggle-taggle (and usually soaked to the skin) me, then please do stop me and say hello. 

We do a lot of this. Pepper and me. We watch the world go by, listen to the sound of the waves and generally just poke around in rock pools looking for treasure.

Because there is so much treasure to be found. You just have to stop and look. Nature's colours are so amazing aren't they?

and don't even get me started on the subject of light.

Ohhhh....

Take a little time, have a look around and have a wonderful weekend x

Lots Going On.

Been a while hasn't it? Rather than an endless ramble on what we have been up to I thought a couple of short-ish posts - well, short for me - with plenty of photos may help explain what has taken place at the homestead. Can you tell I am in the mood for hunkering down with Little house on the Prairie now the weather has changed! First up is this...

You may remember that we were waiting to see if our beautiful duck Pecan would manage to hatch her clutch of eggs. Unfortunately as the very first one began to cheep its way out of the shell a fox arrived on the scene. Now normally our ducks would take flight onto their pond and so we haven't had a fox attack since we built it years ago. This time, poor Pecan stayed on the nest to protect her babies & the fox killed her and one baby to get to them. I raced out on time to save the eight remaining eggs.

We brought them inside, some nestled in coat pockets where I could hear them cheeping & tapping as they tried to break free of their shells. Found the incubator (a miracle as we haven't used it for years) and I stayed up all night watching one after the other emerge, wet, wobbly and perfect. Both Lucy and Isabella, plus a few friends witnessed this magical hatching over the coming few days. And so, while we lost our dear girl Pecan, we now have seven gorgeous fully grown ducks - one didn't make it out of the egg.

This was all a while ago now so they are huge compared to the tiny things in these photos. We have had such fun with them, particularly when they used to follow me all around the garden as I had become Mamma duck! Seven little bundles of fluff racing all around like a load of bumble bees.

Names were chosen: Sunlight (Bella), Cotton (Lucy), Theodore (Sam), Conrad (Dave, of course!), Nutmeg (me), Cinnamon & Silver. They now live in the duck pen with their papa, Clarence and spend their days quacking and swimming and quacking and quacking and driving me nuts demanding to be fed! As is the way of things here it seems.

I will post some pictures of them now they are fully grown next time but for now, enjoy the bundles of fluff that filled so much of my day earlier this year.

Of course, we also had the most amazing weather and being good Cornish folk, we headed off for many beachy days out such as these. Seems a long time ago as I sit here typing in the chill of an early morning.

Now I know I am biased, but isn't she gorgeous?!!! Well, all our children are actually. Just saying.

Nothing like kayaking with a pal on a blissfully blue sea is there?

And even the duller days were taken up with walks and drinks by the water's edge.

Just perfect.

When did she get to be this grown up!!

Well, that's it for now, but next time I will introduce you to Pepper. Who is Pepper? This is she...

Bye for now x

Of Creeks & Seas & Ponds.

And so it seems summer has been and gone, over in the blink of an eye. Cornwall languished in the heat and outings were grabbed wherever & whenever as the previous few years have conditioned us to the unlikelihood of the good weather lasting. 

 

Such trips have included a meander around lanes billowing with the frothy heads of elderflower and verges positively massed with cow parsley. Add pink campion and the tall velvety spires of foxgloves to the mix and  you have the epitome of an English country scene. So very beautiful. We explored the romantically named Anna Maria Creek & Polwhaveral, sauntered through quaint Port Navas with its impossibly picturesque cottages, and ambled back through the village of Constantine.

The balmy days allowed for me undertaking some studying in the garden with an icy glass of Prosecco close to hand as it helps the brain cells to function better - that's my story & I'm sticking with it!

And of course, hot weather definitely calls for platters of fruit with luscious blueberries, tart black & red currants, and slices of almost over-ripe melon, the whole having a light dusting of icing sugar to turn the dribbling juices into a mouth-watering syrup. Yum.

Many trips to the beach were on the agenda & have included Swanpool, Maenporth and Castle as these are all within five minutes from the school. I don't like to waste time travelling when heading off after the school run.

These breezy pictures were of Maenporth where it was deliciously hot despite the breeze.

Me and my girl just messing about.

Isabella was busy ... as ever. Look at those waves. I could watch their incessant rolling for ever.

Seaweed needing investigating for hidden treasures.

Such a lovely way to end the day. By the time we wander home we are all so relaxed and it feels like another day.

Playing 'catch me if you can' with the sea.

In other news on the Poltisko Farm front, Dave has started transforming the front garden into a vegetable garden once more. We threatened to do this a while ago but you know what it's like with a big family. Actually with any family time is short & things take over don't they? Still, one bed is now dug. manured and ready to go. Nice view eh?

Perhaps the (potentially) most exciting thing of all though is the impending news of baby ducks. Our very clever girl, Pecan, has been sitting on a beautifully made nest for a while now, leaving it only to grab a quick bath in the pond and some food before returning to nurture a clutch of eggs.

I so hope they are fertile and hatch for her so that we have ducklings gliding around on the pond once again. The picture shows Pecan and her sister May as babies two years ago when they were hatched by Biscuit. Unfortunately only Pecan remains of that batch.

Such an amazing thing to experience right outside your back door. Fingers firmly crossed.

Fingers also firmly crossed for a return of the hot weather and meals taken out in the garden.

In the meantime, it's back to knitting by the fire! x

Beautiful Bluebells

A busy weekend with a birthday to celebrate for Isabella on Saturday followed by a walk in beautiful Parc Lye on the Enys Estate. I have written about this place before but this year we caught it in all its perfection.

After a look around the house itself which is being renovated and I am sure is where I am 'meant' to live (!!!) we strolled through the flower garden. This area is being brought up to its former glory too, but in a wonderfully under-played manner. There are established acers, magnolias and azaleas but all are allowed to flow how they may with underplanted beds of herbaceous perennials.  

What I love is the way it all feels so informal yet has enough structure to feel restful, if that makes sense? Paths of soft shingle allow you to meander around the island beds and through bowers of honeysuckle and roses.

I took away many ideas, especially one based on this wisteria which had been trained around itself to form a standard. Such a brilliant idea and perfect for those like myself who don't have high enough walls for this vigorous plant. 

This one is in bud just now. Can you imagine the haze of scented flowers just moving gently in the breeze? Definitely something I will be trying - stay tuned for progress!

So, so very beautiful.

The late afternoon light cast dappled pictures onto the paths and Isabella raced on in search of the huge swathes of bluebells for which the estate is famed.

And after a turn in the path, there they were: the most intense purple carpet I have ever seen spread before us as far as the eye could focus.

There really is no other scent to match that of bluebells.

It was one of the few times I really wished I had a camera able to take a huge wide image to convey the depth of colour and sheer number of flowers here. This was a tiny section of the whole.

Rustic benches appeared here and there, this one surrounded by the white garlic flowers that go so well with bluebells.

Hmm, Eldest Son Tom was sure it had his name on it.

So

very

beautiful.

Oh dear...

Bye for now x