Under the Apple Tree

The Rudbeckia began to bloom this week. It is planted beneath the apple tree which still looks a bit distressed after what it went through with scaffolding and building supplies. Its worst ordeal was having its bits sawed off in an effort to fit the lorry up our drive so it could drop the skip off. After all that tree mutilation and much to-ing and fro-ing--and even more "Whoa-ing!"--the lorry driver had to give up in the end and leave the skip at the entrance to our drive.

In an effort to make the tree feel better, we hung the Indonesian-tuned windchimes and the New Zealand woods windcatcher in the tree so that it would have lots of attention and be soothed. Now that the Rudbeckia is blooming, it also will have some colour, although the hanging basket hanging on the utility room wall has provided lots of colour this summer. We hope we will get some apples this year as there were only 2 last year. (Speaking of which, the little plum tree in the back seems to have lots of fruit on this year.)

We are having a tidy-up in anticipation of our visitors' arrival tomorrow afternoon. They are Jack and Kathleen Howell, who live in Buffalo, NY, but who have a cottage in Much Wenlock, Shropshire, England, where they live for several months each year. Last year we drove down to meet them in the Lake District and the year before, we drove down to Much Wenlock. The year before that, our first year in residence in Comrie, they came to stay with us at The Old Jail where we were renting. It will be nice to show them our own home.

We're hoping for good weather so we can do some sightseeing, but we have gone out sightseeing in the rain with them in the past, so we can do it again. I'm not sure how much time I'll have for "blogging" while they are here, so if I'm not back for a few days, you'll know why.