Amie Soto Blossom and the Fox

When you argue with a fox outside the cottage, it's not the thing to sit in the middle of the road and make a lot of noise thinking that he'll go away Frank.

It's not the thing to call Amie to help you out either.

She might be getting on, but she saw the fox off. No noise involved, Amie's presence was enough !

She can be really threatening when she wants to be.

After all the noise, who do you think was the first back through the door ?

Four dog family. Two shaggy dog stories.

It might be a Bank Holiday weekend but it's not the weather for straying far from home.
Finishing off projects that have been around for a time seemed a good idea.

We've been along country lanes, getting held up in traffic.

View of Dartmoor yesterday afternoon. Although we haven't been doing anything exciting, I wonder if you remember Bean. The little dog our eldest son Steven rescued from the cooking pot in Cambodia a while ago.

You also know our daughter's family dog Chops.

This is Cookie Bunz.. Mark and Becca's new arrival to the family today.

 

Cookie Bunz has been rescued from  a dog rescue that rescues dogs from Greece. I'm not sure of her whole story, what ever it is Cookie Bunz is now the proud owner of two doting dog lovers, all ready to dance to her every whim.

Wonder if she likes ice cream Ames.

White, and Slow Worms. Fast worms.

The weather has been so unkind to some around the world lately.

Here in deepest Devon, the sun is out, along with the bees who are working hard.

This is a palm grown from seed, planted about 12 years ago, now flowering, we don't like the smell much, but bees love it.

 

We don't share everything with the bees.
This is the best time of year when flowers from our garden start to come inside.

This guy defiantly stays outside. He has beaks to feed like everyone else at this time of year.

Not one of the best close ups of a slow worm. Although they are harmless, I was in a hurry with the camera to put in a bit more distance between us. They aren't slow by the way, they are fast movers.

 Another guy that stays outside.... this is only a baby they do get bigger. There are lots of them in our veggie garden this year. As long as they stay out of my way, I promise you, I stay out of theirs.

We haven't spent all our time outside this week. You might think making a new pin cushion is no big deal.
My old one is over thirty years old. A few Amie Soto Blossom sparkly bits were added to the dog's collar. This is a really cute little pattern that Sew Cindy sent me back in February. It even has instructions......
Trouble is, I think he looks far too good to start sticking pins in him.

Thank you again, for all your good wishes for Amie Soto Blossom lately.
There isn't a get well senario. Amie is an old lady. Age is getting the better of her.

Ames went to see the "oh such a lovely guy" Mr Vet again yesterday. The journey tired her out, so forgive her for not looking at the camera. Car journeys other than to see Mr Vet aren't an option for her anymore. She gets stressed, even if she does sit in her own seat in the car along on her own fluffy blanket and water dish and cookie's on command, oh, almost forgot the most important thing, she has her very own chauffeur. But then you all know that.
She takes her heart pills every morning and every evening. Unfortunately she isn't in a hurry to rush her tea as she used to do.. There's a lot of coaxing going on to get her to eat, unless she has fishies in her tea bowl.  She has had fishies quite often lately.

Even her cookies are left hanging around the cottage,  not wasted as Mew loves Amie's cookies.

For once even Frank helps out.
What Amie leaves in her tea dish Frank will help her out by eating it. 

Red sky at night with Sahara sands

A few days ago on a balmy evening here in Devon,

Bats were flying over the rooftops.

Enjoying the unreal view of a red sky from Sahara sands brought our way by the wind.

Now it seems we are expecting something totally different to blow in on the wind.

The Grimvotn volcano ash.  It's a bigger eruption than the volcano that erupted on Iceland last year.

Air space was closed for days.
Flights in Iceland were grounded at the weekend. The ash is due to hit Scotland tonight.

Fantastic looking pics these might be.  

We wouldn't like to be in Iceland at the moment.
.

Why are weekends so short.

I'm not a misery I am waiting for our visitors. Scouting around and being alert.

Here they are David and Alya. The first of our blogging friends to visit the cottage.

They have been here, look .... that's me....
Bit out of focus, but it is me... and Alya. 

Alya and David....

Sometimes weekends are too short.

Too late AGAIN Frank, they have gone over the bridge to the other world......
Nutty cat.......
Luv Amie Soto Blossom x

Sleeping under the trees and feeding the birds.

Finished.
At long last, now I can pay more attention to other things. Seems I am way behind on what has been happening in blog world.
This won't be the best quilt you have ever seen, but its all mine and hand sewn. A project that has kept me busy for months. Sew Cindy might recognize some of the fat quarters that I won on her blog way back at the start of the year. I hope I have put them to good use, as I promised I would.

Another promise was to show you my panda bear. Poor little guy. Falling to bits with holes. His original mohair had started to rot.

I had Tubs from my uncle for my very first Christmas. I can say with a smile on my face he is slightly older than me.
I had kept him in a bear body suit for years in case he fell to bits. Don't think Tubs fooled any one really as there came a time when I had to restore him completely.

As he was my bear, I remembered what he should have looked like. It took me ages to source the right material.  In the end I used black Alpaca and white English mohair. After taking Tubs completely to bits, I then re drew his pattern.
It's always a wonder what I find in bears when opening their back seam.  Tubs was the proud owner of  a tummy that had been been re stuffed with odd material as well as his original wood wool that had completely collapsed. In Tubs case I don't think there was any thing else but to give him a complete make over. He still has his original  rubber face. I remember him having a red tongue, I've left his face just as it is.  Besides I only wanted to restore his mohair. Here he is, my TED... Tubs, ready to be cuddled, slobbered on, cried over, hugged, tugged, battered, left in the sun,  and ready to be stuffed inside a suitcase again when we are off on our travels. He is, as always loved to bits.

Before you ask, Amie and Frank, look nothing like a panda bear.

For the past week Frank has become Amie's new shadow.

Amie felt better today that she helped to top up the bird feeders on the tree beside the stream.

She even ate all her fishies at tea time.

Frank was hoping she might have left some. 

She didn't.....
We have visitors this weekend at the cottage, hope you all have a great weekend.

More bees please

This strange looking bee caught our eye out in the garden during the weekend.

On closer inspection, we think he had been a very busy bee. Covered in pollen.

Not everyone has a garden filled to the gills with bee boxes. The boxes help to encourage the bees. Bees also need bee food, we have lots of herbs and purple and blue flowers in the garden.  They also love poppies.

Bees might not be every one's favorite insect. They bring so much life into our garden.

Also into our greenhouse. We have a tomato, actually we have a few now,  they aren't ready to pick yet, so we haven't officially won the tomato competition. At least it gave me an incentive to look after the plants this year. They are also fed every Saturday with tomato food.

I leave the grape vines alone, I know nothing about them except, because of all our warm weather in April, they already have grapes forming on them earlier than usual.

Even our roses are out in bloom.

What has this panda bear to do with roses ?
Not a lot really. He is a 1955 panda bear with a rubber face, wood wool filled, almost beyond repair.
He is my childhood Ted. Very loved and travelled around the world in his time. Although I have to say, like me he has never crossed the equator, close, but not quite.
Why does a bear restorer have such a tatty looking bear ?
He is so loved I had to think hard before I started. I wasn't sure if I would mess up or be able to make him look better, I'll show you Tubs fate later in the week.

As well as the bees in the garden, the bats are around again. Can't blame them being out and about on such beautiful evenings.

Again, thank you so much for all your kind words and best wishes  for Ames.  We have passed on all the kisses and cuddles. 

For all her facebook fans, she had fishes for tea again tonight. As we were out in the garden she had tea ALFRESKY

She is in good hands and paws, we promise...