Just Jo!

We were all fighting for the bathroom at eight in the morning!
Adam because he wanted to go into town for a haircut first thing. More of a head shave really. He has no hair to speak of….
He’s off to Newquay for the weekend with a bunch of friends again. Someone else’s 18th this time.
Us two were going to A La Ronde, a National Trust property near Exmouth, for general Easter shenanigans.
First thing was an Easter Egg Trail around the hay meadow (”Please keep to the designated path!”). The eggs were all from native British birds that Olivia had to find in a wordsearch at different posts around the meadow.

We kept to the ‘designated path’, except for one of Olivia’s feet that sort of escaped. We don’t think anyone noticed.
We enjoyed the lovely hazy views over the Exe estuary and around the garden….

Then we got back to the craft tent and Olivia made a Fabergé egg.

We’d already googled images of Fabergé eggs so she had some idea of what was on the agenda. We took along a printout of a few, which we nearly lost to the volunteer staff who were very impressed that we were so organised.
She made a little basket, then we had a quick lunch before going into the house itself.

The last time we went, I think Olivia was about 5 or 6. Those few years have made such a difference! All the way round she was agog, “WOW!! OOH! LOOK!”
So many of the volunteers were very informative and spent ages with Olivia, it was lovely. There was stuff that I didn’t remember from the last time. I’m sure we didn’t see the bathroom before, but my memory has been known to play evil little tricks on me.

We picked up Olivia’s egg and basket and got the bus home. We would have got home about 15 minutes earlier, but I asked to see Olivia’s egg again. As we looked up, the bus went whizzing past us. “We’ll get the next bus then shall we?!”

We spent the rest of the afternoon in the garden. Olivia swept up and cleared the back patio. I supplied helpful suggestions from where I was sitting. Then Olivia realised I had my feet up and wasn’t actually doing anything at all.

I did cut back some of the dead Russian vine, moved the big picnic table for her to sweep under and took some more photos of the garden.

We have a Japanese Maple that was given to us by my mum when she moved to Spain. Every winter, I’m convinced it’s died and am left holding my breath ’til it starts showing signs of life again.

It seems to have taken longer this year….I am somewhat breathless, but today I saw this….

Yay!! It lives!!!
I have also been pleased to see new buds on the French lavender….

….the geraniums….

and a fresh crop of bluebells.

Talking of bells….

They hang from the parasol (which has survived the winter outdoors, because I was far too lazy to put it away last year….) and have a wonderful patina to them now….in anybody else’s books it might possibly be called ‘rust’, but ‘patina’ sounds much posher, so I’ll stick with that!
Maisy was sulking. She’s recovering from her flea allergy. Her fur is starting to grow back, but she still has a naked bum. Until she is suitably clad and is showing a little more decorum, she’s confined indoors. She’s not happy. She swore at us while we were having fun in the garden….

But we’ve cuddled her lots since we’ve been in so she’s forgiven us. Sort of. Maybe. Perhaps. I think the jury’s still out actually….
Olivia is gathering bits and pieces for things she wants to do tomorrow, so I shall go and get on with dinner now.

(Update at 19:57: Cambridge won….pah! And double pah!! I usually watch the boat race, the only tie being that I was born in Oxford, but I missed it this year….b****y Cambridge!! Off to watch The Third Man now….the latest from Lovefilm.)