Butterfly or Moth

Should you walk through the quarry when it is sunny at this time of year you are sure to be accompanied by butterflies. Catching them for a photo is a different matter. More often than not they are on the move as soon as you point the lens at them.

However I have managed to capture a few. Hopefully my identification of them is correct.

The burnet moth.

The Large Heath.

The marbled white.

There has also been a few moths around the farm. This elephant hawk moth had taken up residence in our conservatory. We have had elephant hawk moth caterpillars in the garden in the past. They are quite extraordinary.

Then what I think is a scarlet tiger moth was outside on our wall.

Photo Scavenger Hunt : The First Link Up

Today is the first of the link ups for the Photography Scavenger hunt led by Mary-Lou. You can see the list of items to be found and photographed and the other participants if you click here. I have already made a head start on trying out a few of the items and you can have a look at these if you click on the label Photography Scavenger Hunt on the right hand side of this page.

I have made a start on No. 6 A pipe. These pipes are lined up at the back of the kitchen garden ready for use. Some look like they haven't been used for a while.

Up at the house there are some pretty fancy drain pipes all marked with the date.

I bet you don't have anything like that on your house!

I have also made a start on No. 8 Rust or Something Derelict. A wander round the farm seemed a good start. We don't keep much equipment that is now redundant but I did manage to take a few abstract rust pictures.

This is th cattle crush used to hold a cow while any care is given to them. Still in use but looking a bit rusty.

 Then there is the farmers' much loved Daihatsu. A real old work horse used for transporting items back and forth from the hen house. It's beginning to look a little worn and definitely a little rusty.

This large horse shoe from one of the farm's long gone working horses is hung above our old tack room. Hung carefully the correct way up not to let the good luck out!

Now I'm off to see what everyone else has found so don't forget to go and have a look.

Flowers in the Quarry

The other day I went for a walk in the quarry. It's quite a while since I went down there but this is always a lovely time of year. Although I expected to see lot of flowers I was very surprised to see these vibrant poppies.

A little patch of them has appeared on an area that was cleared in the winter.

I was not so suprised to find the usual orchids that are now going over.

This tiny milkwort was also widely spread through an adjoining meadow.

The Vegetable Patch

Following up from my Sunday post I thought I would show a few more "goings on" in the vegetable garden. We had some rain Sunday morning which certainly freshened everything and the flowers were still wet when I ventured out. There are a few sweet peas emerging. The ones in my garden are just in bud but the vegetable garden is usually ahead.

The borage is giving a good bit of colour.

A few of last year's leeks have been left to go to flower and are quite spectacular.

The courgettes are nearly ready to pick.

Does it look a lot of hard work? Well here's Brother in Law where he is often to be found in his "spare" time, working hard in his garden.

Are you wondering what he is planting? Does Christmas seem just round the corner? After all we are past the longest day.

Brussel sprout plants.

A Wedding Party

On Saturday we were invited to an Evening Wedding Party. The wedding was held in the parkland of a large estate. The marquee was set on the edge of a lake in an idyllic setting.

A close eye however was needed to keep an eye on the children's whereabouts.

The bride looked stunning in a tea length wedding dress although by the time we arrived the shoes were becoming just a little too much!

The colour theme was blue and we were particularly impressed with the colour coordinated sweets and cupcakes. 

All very tempting!

Home Produced and Fresh

It's the time of year when the fresh home produce is really beginning to come on.

The peas and sugar snaps are looking particularly wholesome.

I was brought a basket of vegetables to go with the home produced roast lamb (try not to think of those cuddly lamb pictures!). 

Then I picked a few boysenberries from my garden which went well with some home made black currant ice cream and sorbet with a meringue on top.

Feeling hungry?

A Few Different Views

I am using my lack of camera as an excuse to show a few more of the pictures I took at Tyntesfield a few weeks ago. There are lots of interesting little corners.

There are several of these stone seats which mark the end of each path. They have been restored over recent years.

An ideal location for a family picnic.

A herd of Aberdeen Angus Cross cattle graze in the fields below the house.

Beautiful peonies in the flower borders with the restored aviary in the background.

The large urns in front of the house each surrounded by a clipped holly bush. The formal flower beds are a little bit between seasons.

We are returning to Tyntesfield in August so will hopefully then see these beds at their best.

Elderflower Cheesecake

I mentioned a week or so ago that Elderflower Cordial can be used in cheesecake so today I thought I would give you my recipe for this. It is a very easy recipe and actually originates from a restaurant in Kendal. The Moon restaurant was a great favourite in the 80's and 90's. It was the first place that I ever tasted Sticky Toffee Pudding. I have two little books that they produced at this time. I see the date that I have written in the front of  "More Recipes from the Moon." is 1st  September 1990.

Somewhere in the back of mind I feel I may have already given you this recipe so I apologise if I am repeating myself.

Ingredients 

Biscuit Base (I double this bit)

2oz Butter

4oz Crushed digestive biscuits.

Cheesecake 

1/3 pint double cream

10oz cream cheese ( can use low fat)

2oz Caster sugar.

4 fl oz Elderflower Cordial

1 dessert spoon lemon juice.

Method 

Base

1. Melt the butter and stir in the biscuit crumb.

2. Press the mixture over the base of a greased 8" loose bottom shallow cake tin. ( I use a flan dish of about 10".)

Cheesecake 

3. Using a hand mixer beat together all the ingredients until smooth.

4. Spread over the base.

I decorate this with fresh soft fruit although this is not what the recipe suggests. They suggest 2 tins of raspberries brought to the boil with arrowroot and then cooled before pouring over individual slices.

An easy but tasty dessert which it suggests you could try different cordials. I haven't done this but I would imagine that ginger would be tasty with a ginger biscuit base. I will let you know when I have tried it!