Cow Parade

No, not the 'world's largest public art event' as Cow Parade, currently in Edinburgh, bills itself but Trelystan's equivalent.
At 5.20 this morning these gorgeous girls were outside our bedroom window - better than the previous morning when they fetched up at 3.14 am.






We're roused from our sleep by the sense that there is something out there, a vague creaking of hooves and exhalations of grassy breath. I counted 25 cows and 22 calves who were, for the most part, very quiet.They seem to work their way across the fields, over the hill and up our lane to stand around for a while, when on some mysterious signal they turn round and go back again. You could check out the opposition.



The weather continues to be scorching hot - the thermometer in the shade under the cat-slide was reading 30 degrees at midday which is going some for the top of a (low) mountain in Wales. Having been assured by the man from Severn Trent that there was no shortage of water in this region we've not felt too guilty about watering the vegetable plots. Having gone to the trouble of digging, weeding, sowing, cajoling and nuturing I'm damned if I'm going to lose plants at this stage. After a slow start things are coming along nicely - with the exception of the beans. Which we are not going to talk about. But always read the instructions on the packet of spray............Or don't spray.

The other thing we're pretending not to notice is this nascent melon, which along with a couple of others, looks promising. Something about not counting your melons until......what? I am determined to grow something bigger than a tennis ball which has been my previous best.
I planted these roses earlier in the year, in February when the weather was atrocious. I couldn't imagine the bare sticks that I tucked in the ground ever blossoming. But nature works her wondrous ways and only 4 months later I have these delightful flowers. 'Gentle Hermione' - the pink rose pictured is incredibly delicate and so sweetly scented - it reminds me of Jelly Babies. All the roses are from David Austin Roses - I bought them bare rooted and they arrived through the post, perfect specimens in very good condition.