Odds 'n' ends ~ and a longer walk

 

I think this is a crane fly ~ it was just sitting on our draining-board the other day, so I helped it on it's way out the back door via our bug catcher.  There are a lot of them about at the moment, hanging off walls and windows!

Yet another bee I've rescued from the porch, one of many that have come inside these past few months.  Our porch, as you may recall, is in dire need of renovation with lots of holes in the woodwork which spiders like to fill with their thick webs.  Naturally, these spots are where the bees seem to head for, where they get tangled up in the webs.  They then get very "buzzy" and I try to rescue the ones I hear ~ not always as easy as it may sound as they usually aren't that co-operative LOL

Anyhoo, I emptied this one out in the alpine bed and it seemed none-the-worse for its little adventure 😊

The broccoli has gone mad, puffing out the netting like an old lady wearing a hairnet over her curlers!  I was obviously too late to stop the cabbage white caterpillars ~ the leaves are covered with the little blighters.  I've decided to admit defeat and leave them to it, but next year the plants will be netted as soon as I put 'em in 😉

There didn't seem to be much point in leaving the netting in place, so I took it off before the wind and heavy rain we had yesterday.  It's not a pretty sight, is it 😮

This, on the other hand, is a very pretty sight ~ I'm so pleased that this rose has survived!  It was a "new home" gift from my sister and had previously been planted on the ornamental side of the front garden, in a border facing east.  It wasn't doing well over there at all and I thought I would lose it altogether.  I moved it into the south-facing kitchen garden border, cut it right back, gave it a good handful of chicken manure pellets ~ and hoped for the best!  It has settled into it's new position really well and is now producing these beautiful blooms, with the promise of more yet to come.

Despite the awful weather we had yesterday morning, it was lovely in the afternoon so we took ourselves off for a walk towards town.  I felt good, so decided to go a bit further than the day before...

...and made it all the way to the ferry terminal 😊  We sat on a bench near the John Rae statue and had an ice-cream.  It was lovely, like we were on holiday.  Blue sky, blue sea, sunshine and a warm breeze ~ what more could anyone ask for! 

I'll admit it was a bit of a struggle walking home again, but not as much as it had been last week.  Adrian popped into the Co-Op, so I continued on and waited for him on the bench beside the war memorial.  We are blessed to live in such a beautiful place 😍