Of meteors and flowers ........

Something I forgot to write about in my previous blog.   I have always had a fascination for the solar system,  love watching the phases of the moon and counting the stars.   Growing up in the middle of nowhere in Central Africa I was blessed to be able to view the indescribable beauty of the night sky far away from city lights. 

In my teens when the space race was at its peak I remember watching Russian Sputniks circling the night sky.    I was recently delighted to discover that Sputnik means "satellite" or literally "fellow traveller".   Although I have seen shooting stars on several occasions and one rather far away comet whilst living in  Cape Town, I have never had the good fortune to see more of the wonders of the night sky.

Having read that the Perseid meteor shower, the debris from the Swift Tuttle Comet, would reach its peak viewing over the past weekend I was thrilled that the sky was totally clear with not a cloud in sight.   So rather late on Monday night, when the rest of the family were all asleep and the house was in darkness I took a couple of blankets and a pillow and stretched out on the back lawn to watch the display. Although the best of the display was over it was quite a treat to watch all the activity in the sky.     As it will be some five years before it will be close to the earth again I was glad I did not yet again miss the event because of bad weather. 

No new bears to show as I am still busy stitching and planning for Hugglets,  always hard to come up with something new and different after some twenty years of bear making.   I have made a rather cute zebra who has been christened Russell. No pictures yet as I am also working on a little puppy dog so more later.

It has been a good gardening year and finally one of my cherished peonies flowered    I find them incredibly difficult to grow.   All my special flowers are grown in pots waiting for the day when I have a home of my own again.   The white peony is several years old and this year I carefully lifted and re-potted it.   My reward was that it started to die back with some sort of fungus disease and produced just one flower.   At least I managed to have a small display, they are incredibly expensive to buy as cut flowers.

 
I have several hanging baskets around the garden with different varieties of begonias.  Do note the damage caused by the birds who steal all the fibre from the liners for their nests.   Next year I will stick to more rigid liners!

This year I pruned the clematis back severely as they were rather leggy and woody.   I have been rewarded with an amazing display of flowers. 

 Victoria is now two and a half and starting to get a little camera shy.  Previously she loved being photographed but now gets all shy and embarrassed.   We did manage to take this picture of her at the lavender farm.  

 Mischka kitty has almost completed his course of antibiotics and seems to be on the mend.  He is starting to talk to us again, definitely the most expensive cat we have ever shared a home with.   Definitely a cat with the 'my ancestors were worshipped by the Egyptians and I expect the same from you' type of cat.   This is our little black cat, Leila.   A most kind and undemanding little girl, hard to believe that is some ten years since I found a starving four week old kitten in our courtyard in Cape Town.  She is a funny little cat with short stubby legs and still very scared of strangers.

Hopefully pictures of some completed work next time.  Have a great weekend.