Autumn Blues in the Garden

For the last couple of weekends I've been busy
re-planting my garden pots with
winter flowering bulbs and annuals.

Grape Hyacinths are one of my favourite Spring bulbs.
I planted 20 bulbs around the rim
 of the large bulb planter,
with 10 scented Double Freesia bulbs in the centre.
I think they should make a good display come Spring.

It was cold and wet the day I planted them,
the weather changed a few days later
back to sunshine and warm temps...
next time I checked the Grape Hyacinths were up!
Perhaps I'll have to plant another lot
for a Spring display.
The weather has been totally out of whack this season!

I love spending time poking about at the garden centre
checking out the new plants on offer.
With our small townhouse garden I've learnt to
be selective and not to buy on impulse!
I've also learnt to put more time into
researching and planning my garden beds and pots
and keeping to a theme.

Then again.... I simply couldn't resist the little bird house
with the pretty blue roof!
And there were the gorgeous new
pink and blue gardening gloves
they were just waiting for me, I know it!

Are you a self controlled shopper like me?!

I'm joining Jeanne for Blue Monday
and
Judith for Mosaic Monday

Take care and
be kind to one another

à bientôt



Shane

Thank you for your visits!

Vezelay, Shutters, Windows and Doors

For my Five on Friday post this week

I'm going back to our 2013 France trip

when we visited the ancient hill town of

Vezelay.

1.  This is the main road up to the Abbey Church

I thought I would focus on the doors,

windows and shutters of these beautiful old stone buildings.

2.  A new front door for this house.

Adorned with Wistaria which must look

spectacular in Spring.

3.  A variety of shutter styles

4.  A chambre d'hôtes (guest house)
one of several I saw.
Would you like to stay here?
Vezelay has a population of 400+
depending on the season. 

It is situated on top of a hill with wonderful
vistas of countryside France.

5.  I love the architectural details of the windows.

This building has a beautiful patina typical of 

medieval Vezelay and other medieval towns in France.

I'm joining Amy for Five on Friday

Thank you for hosting Amy.

Take care and 

be kind to one another

à bientôt

Shane

Thank you for visiting!

Les Invalides Paris

Les Invalides in Paris was commissioned in 1670 by the 
French King Louis X1V
as a hospital for injured soldiers.

Napoléon Bonaparte's ashes are contained

in his tomb beneath the magnificent golden dome.

This is an interesting monument to visit when

you're in Paris.

Our family visited on a beautiful
summer's day last year.
There was something of interest for all ages.

I'm joining Tex for Good Fences

Take care and
be kind to one another

à bientôt



Shane

Thank you for visiting!

Red on the Northern Motorway

On a recent trip up north we followed
this old classic Chevrolet.....
we followed and followed.....
(boys and their cars)!

My husband was fascinated with it
as his younger brother had a Chevvy
like this when they were in their twenties.
I guess it took him back to those carefree days!

I'm joining Gemma for
Ruby Tuesday Too


Take care and
be kind to one another

à bientôt


Shane

Thank you for your comments

Great Journeys start with Small Steps

The main hall of

Auckland International Airport

The aeroplane is the Percival Gull which belonged to

Jean Batten - an early New Zealand aviatrix in the 1930's.

She made the first-ever solo flight 

from England to New Zealand in 1936.

What a great achievement!

I'm joining Jeanne for Blue Monday

Take care and
be kind to one another

à bientôt

Shane

Thank you all for your visits.

Autumn Five on Friday

This week I thought I would highlight

Autumn related moments in my week.

I've spent the last two weekends

re-doing my garden pots.

We are lucky in this part of the world

where we can still have colour in the garden

during the cold bleak days of Winter.

This pot above contains Primulas, Pansies,

Forget-me-nots and Sweet Alyssum.

Our fruits of Autumn include Persimmon, 

Tamarillos and Kiwi Fruit.

This dainty Royal Doulton coffee cup

picturing the grapes of Autumn.

Meet my newest garden friends

Mr & Mrs Goosey Gander.

I found them on my trip to Morrinsville!

I'm joining 

Amy for Five on Friday

Thank you for hosting.

Take care and

be kind to one another

à bientôt

Shane

Thank you for your comments!

Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, France

When I visit my family in France
I enjoy wandering through the side streets
of the smaller towns in the vicinity of their little village.

Getting off the beaten track
provides opportunities to chat to the locals
like the shopkeepers and cafe owners.
Mainly, we discuss the weather, 
the ups and downs of business
and the government.
The french spend a lot of time discussing the
state of the country and the economy.
No different to us really!

The photo above is of the indoor market
in one of the larger towns.
The detailed tiling patterns are seen throughout
the Burgundy region.

I'm joining the following memes

 Blue Monday

Ruby Tuesday Too
and
Our World Tuesday




Take care and
be kind to one another

à bientôt



Shane

Thank you for your comments.

Moments in My Week

Autumn colours and Autumn light

filtering through the trees

"When Autumn leaves start to fall"

makes me think of the beautiful song by

Nat King Cole.

(I tried to insert musical notes here, to no avail. 

If you know how to do this could you please let me know)!

Morning Glory is everywhere - climbing banks, trees and

anything else it can find.

On Thursday our embroidery group met at Rose's home

which meant a drive from Auckland to Hamilton.

As always we had such an enjoyable time

catching up on each others news.

Rose made a delicious chocolate cake topped with

Red Kiwifruit and strawberries and we

had whipped cream on the side!

I hope you've all had an enjoyable week too!

I'm joining 

Amy for Five on Friday

Tanya for Willy Nilly Friday

Mimi for Five Star Frou Frou

Susanne for Friday's Fave Five

Nancy for Random 5 Friday

Cath for Fun Friday Favourites

Thank you all for your visits!

Take care and

be kind to one another

à bientôt

Shane

Country in the City

Cornwall Park is an urban working farm

ever changing through the seasons.

For city dwellers

it takes many of us back to our country roots.

Also it's a wonderful "hands on" learning and teaching tool

for both school children and teachers.

Sadly today, many children think milk comes from the

supermarket or dairy.

I'm joining Tex for Good Fences and

Eileen for Saturday Critters

Thank you both for hosting

and thank you dear friends for reading my posts and

leaving your comments so I know you've visited!

Take care and

be kind to one another

à bientôt

Shane

Moments in my Week

Autumn has arrived

slowly and mildly this year

we're still in short sleeves and no added layers

and I've kicked off the extra blanket

we added a few weeks ago!

I visited the cafe in the park for an ice cream

after a long leisurely walk.

It was lovely to see so many families and large groups
taking advantage of the mild weather.
Lots of children riding bicycles and playing ball games
while their parents chatted with family members
and friends.

There is a large area with barbecues and wood provided,
with plenty of tables and seats although most groups
were sitting on rugs spread out on the grass.

Relaxation
is so necessary for shaking off the stresses
of daily life!

A walk along Milford Beach
is another way to unwind,
recharge the batteries
and just enjoy being part of this wonderful world!

~My last Dahlia~

Such a disappointing show this year.
Most flowers were chewed before they opened.

A naughty brown beetle was found to be the culprit!

I'm opposed to using nasty sprays in my garden.

Next year I will be more vigilant
and keep an eye on just who is nibbling plants

and remove them one by one if necessary!

My new coffee mug at work - it gets filled twice a day.
The added benefit are the inspirational words too.

I'm joining 

Amy for Five on Friday and

Tanya for Willy Nilly Friday

Thank you ladies for hosting.

Take care and

be kind to one another

à bientôt

Shane

Thank you for your visit today
if you leave me a comment I will come and visit you too!