This summer our garden roses have done really well. We have enjoyed leisurely walks around the lake in the evenings - we love watching the swans. The mornings are really beautiful - the picture in the top right was taken during one of my early morning jogs. I couldn't resist adding the picure (bottom left) of the bluebells which always put on a spectacular show during early Spring.
Celebrating the Queen's Julbilee - 60 years of being Queen - was an important date in the UK calendar this year. The weather was really poor but it didn't dampen the spirits of the British people who had put in so much effort in preparing the celebrations. We went into London hoping to witness the flotilla on the Thames - we only saw lots and lots of people - many had queued for hours to get a suitable spot. We used the extra bank holiday to spend with friends (that's Mark holding the umbrella) and I baked some cupcakes.
Jacques and Vasiliki joined us for the weekend. It was bright enough to have breakfast in the garden and a braai in the evening. We spent Sunday in London with Jacques, Jacqui and Alex. We took a stroll in Richmond Park and visited Isabella Gardens.
Our friends (also our neighbours) joined us for a delicious fondue to celebrate George's birthday this year. As usual, it was picnic style on the lounge floor. This February and March we made the most of the cold evenings...playing scrabble and eating pancakes.
It's taken some patience and some experiementing but we are thrilled with our new hobby of keeping tropical fish. A fishtank has brought some light and life into our small lounge area and is most certainly a conversation piece. It was a challenge to capture the schools of fish on camera so here are is an example of a few of the inhabitants : 1 Penguin (also called a Hockey Stick!), 2 Rummey Nose Tetra, 2 Odessa Barbs, 3 Harlequins and a Zebra Danio.
