FLOWER FRIDAY

I had decided not to take part in today’s Flower Friday challenge and had taken my shot, but then Mr. HCB came into the kitchen where I was peeling yet more apples - more of that later - and told me that he had the ladder out in the garden next to our tallest sunflower and if I wanted to come out, we could measure how tall it was.

Talk about the best-laid plans of mice and men or Mrs. HCB in this case!  Out I went and because it is so windy this morning, wasn’t that happy about Mr. HCB going up this ladder, but he assured me it was quite safe - but I wasn’t that sure.  I held the tape down on the soil and he climbed the ladder and pulled the tape up - and said that the height was 9ft 3inches!  He was delighted, especially as he had grown all his sunflowers from seed - given to us by the lovely Booker-Wilson family a couple of years ago, who should take some of the credit.  I did tell them about our wonderful sunflowers this year, when Mum, Amanda, said that theirs had been quite disappointing this year - perhaps we should give them back some of the seed from ours!

I don’t suppose this is a record breaker, but it is good for us as normally our sunflowers are quite puny.  However, Mr. HCB has had to tie them higher up the stems now because the wind is buffeting them quite a lot.

My original blip is now in as an extra - I have been busy in the last couple of days and have made lots of chutney - Auntie Molly’s Apple Chutney and Blackberry and Apple Chutney with Cinnamon.  I’m glad that I had a proper preserving pan, because I made quite large amounts of both - and whilst I was making the chutney, the kitchen smelt wonderful!  Our lovely neighbour, Lynn, works in an hotel in Chiseldon that in its former life was a large house with an orchard, so she picked loads of apples when she was over there at the weekend and gave us a huge bagful, so I knew I had to do something with them, hence the chutney.  

We grow our own blackberries, so as I had used most of them yesterday for the chutney, Mr. HCB presented me with another basinful today, so I decided to use the last of the apples and just stew them up together - it makes a delicious dessert with Greek yoghourt.

Hope the weather is good where you are - it’s sunny here, but the sky looks threatening at times, so won’t be surprised if we get some rain later.  Have a great weekend whatever you plan to do.

“Look at the shape of a sunflower, 
     with vibrant yellows and oranges, 
          and it can brighten your day...
it's as if it is smiling 
     like a happy face painted on the sun...
so if you do only one thing all day, 
     let it be to smile, so you can brighten the day 
          of others around you, 
               just like the sunflower” 
Bodhi Smith