Summertime Sunflowers & bike baskets

Hello there friends & readers,

Phew it is sooo hot . . . 

we are all wilting here at my funny ol' threadbear patch

The Mr & I have been milking as our worker is on holiday

I am finding it a chore in this heat & the paddocks are turning brown very quickly

this is peat soil & the land turns brown very quickly

Sometimes I finish off by myself while the Mr does other farm chores - but often, I have a "helper". . . 

in the form of a right pain in the rear very willing & able farm dog

who is struggling with this heat himself

& last night found a murky old trough to hop right into

I did say "have a drink" NOT "have a dip" !!!!

- so he required a bit of a hosing off (which he loves)

I like to have a little drink while I am being hosed off

The Mr grows Japanese Millet at the farm to make into silage

& also to break feed to the cows

this year he added sunflowers to the mixture as the oil in them is very good for the cows

they are a real picture at present with their happy faces turning to the sun each day

this is taken with me standing on the ground - shows how tall they are now - towering above the millet

they always make me smile even if I am driving down the road & I see some in a paddock - such happy flowers :-)

I picked a dozen & bought home to brighten the cottage deck

My Mum has been up for a few days to stay as we had a little family get-together over at Papamoa

I picked these lillies from the garden to cheer the dining room up before Mums arrival . . .

(an interesting point . . . I always obsessively clean the house before my Mums arrival - I was contemplating this & thought of my own boys & wondered would they do this if I was going to stay with them??? & I came to the conclusion they would most likely think "Oh Mums coming, SHE can do it for us...") !!!!

I love their fragrance though I know lots of people don't.

We had a lovely few days with Mum :-)

My friend Lois runs our local Trade Aid Store & is always letting me know when something comes in that she thinks might interest me - or be suitable for the Cottage

Before christmas she told me about the new bike baskets

that had arrived in, so I purchased one for myself

I felt it was only varnished very thinly & as I planned to have it outside I knew it would deteriorate very quickly

so I waited til the Mr was not around, then I fossicked in his shed

(he HATES me doing this I might add)

& found an old pot of polyurethane

I was very thorough & gave it several coats over a couple of days

- it soon dried in this heat -

then I cut up a black rubbish bag & lined the inside

before planting it with some busy lizzies potted colour

which will look great once they spread out over the edges

I was really chuffed with my basket on my tatty ol bike

a bit of colour under the walnut tree . . . 

Note the quickly browning off grass around it

Anyone fancy a ride . . .  ???

Mum had given me a brand new white towel to use

but we tend not to use white linen here as our water contains

ironstone & turns our whites yellowish - unless I soak everything

I had remembered something in my very "special treasure" book

on page 37

I also remembered seeing some pretty bindings in my local wool shop recently (& couldn't resist a few)!!!

So I set to & cut the towel up & made some washcloths

 - using the bindings to trim them

I got 8 made in total from 1 towel - they are a generous size

I plan to display them in an old enamel basin in the cottage 
along with some home-made soaps :-)

Also, prior to Mums visit &, once again, cleaning out her room

I tipped out my bag of offcuts from my wool blankets that I tend to keep (for whatever reason)

plus I came across an old container of crocheted flowers -

I think maybe an Op Shop purchase a few years ago??

I always keep a basket by my chair in the lounge & during my day I tend to throw bits & pieces into it - for handwork to do in the evenings if I am watching t.v.

After an evenings stitching & a good soppy movie (One Day)

this is what I turned the offcuts into . .  .

Stuffed with homegrown lavender - they smell wonderful :-)

A lady walked up the path last week & admired the garden
I explained to her it was certainly way past its best now
& looking tatty due to the drought 
She commented "Oh you must surely have a watering system??"
"Yes" I replied . .  . "I do..."
"its me, - on the end of a hose each evening !!!!!"
She rolled her eyes !!!!
hmmm
Well friends, its milking time again so best I get moving
as I have a "helper" waiting for me

getting impatient . .  .
wishing you sunshine or rainbows - wherever in the world you are
"happy weekend" :-)
thanks - as always - for stopping by
love/hugs/friendship,
Julie (& the ever-important "farm dog")
Xoxoxoxoxoxo