Well, as the old Rogers and Hart standard attests, God sure did ‘paint the scenery’ up in the mountains at Blackheath this weekend. Perfect summer weather, sunny but with a light breeze to maintain the warm, crisp bush feel.
Truth be told, it did feel more than a little strange, as this was the first weekend I had spent up there (ie at Dowling Cottage) without Rado. But, anticipating this, I bought along a collection of suitable distractions – some personal admin work, DVDs, music, newspapers (ha!) – so I was more than occupied.
The garden is looking very lush, green and verdant at the moment. When the lawn is freshly cut, like it was on Sunday morning, I feel a real sense of pride. We have lavender in full bloom next to the front door, and gladioli as well next to our rose bushes which I hadn’t even noticed. Our blue hydrangeas are also busting out all over – it really is a sight!
Kath and I also did some housekeeping chores on Sunday, including ordering a new outdoor table and chairs with removable cushions. It should really make our back courtyard significantly more pleasant, as the old table, although suitably rustic, was falling to bits.
It also acted as a spur on my Dowling list for the year, ie the things I’d like to get down up there to make sure the cottage is ‘moving forward’ both in terms for guests and also for when Rado and I get up there. One of the items on that list is a definite – ie to have more friends up there for weekends away. Its so beautiful that you just want to share it!
