An evening in Porthleven

Porthleven pier with the Lizard Point beyond in the far distance

We finally got tot Porthleven for our traditional "Fish and Chips by a Cornish Harbour" one of those traditions that creep up on you probably started in childhood. Still as I waited watching the silky smooth water reflect the golden sunshine

The last rays of the sun catching gold on the water

 the Gig crew hoved into sight a mean machine powering across the harbour with easy strokes

The returning Gig crew at Porthleven

As the sun dipped behind the houses we made our way along the harbour passed the projecting pier where the locals promenaded or fished from the harbour walls and finally took the narrow lane that winds out of the village towards the evocatively named "wrestling fields".

The clock tower at the Pier head

A lazy ripple of waves beyond the harbour

We waited for the sunset watching the sun burn across the water and finally the moment arrived and the camera announced in no uncertain terms "batteries need replacing" sigh and so these two photos are the only ones!

The magic of the sun setting over the sea

The end of a beautiful day

A day in the life of Ednovean Farm

my favourite Mount position as the skies cleared
mid morning

A day in the life of Ednovean Farm? Well yesterday for example - we always start quite early feeding the horses and just lately Dolly has started her schooling in the mornings before breakfast (yawn) a sort of effective time creation!

Dolly 4 starting her schooling with my husband Charles

The day started fairly cloudy but as the sun rose the skies cleared and I was able to take that magical shot of St Micheal's Mount from the courtyard one of my favourite vantage points - zooming in on the
 St Micheal's Mount beyond our sheltering belt of palms - I was intrigued to catch a glimpse of Penzance from an unusual position framed by the trees and the courtyard gate - I think that is the thing about garden views they should surprise and reveal and always give something to discover - anyway this after all of my preening with a camera, was my discovery yesterday. A niche, a little slot of blue, unexpectedly revealed........

A surprise view across Mounts Bay to Penzance,
from the courtyard framed by the gate

WE found time to sneak on to the (vacant Blue Room terrace) to try out the sun loungers there and soak up the sunshine for an hour in the afternoon before tackling window and door painting using the brown Sikiens wood stain that our planning permission dictated many years ago ( windows may be white or brown stain)which was an promotion form yesterdays power washing of gates and stone work. We were supervised by Ollie and Spud of course- Ollie particularly never misses a coffee break in the way of elderly cats, he magically, appears plodding relentlessly to solemnly claim his lap and sing his eternal purr song. Spud on the other hand prefers more robust activities and is never happier than when escorting us around the farm bounding beside us like a mini lion, occasionally stopping to explore mouse hole before racing to catch up.

Spud enjoys exploring - this time the Pink room bathroom
roof!

and finally our day complete the final drama of the sunset. It is shaping up to be a warm weekend so head to Cornwall if you have the time it is going to be a good one!

Yesterdays sunset was quite different - more "silent"

I really should cut back those Pampas's now!! but!!

The final "Turnereske" moments of the day

Magical sunset

A moment of magic at the end of the day - took this
photo from just in front of the Pink room, of St Micheal's
 Mount beyond our garden at Ednovean Farm

before walking down from the courtyard to the
lawn

From the lawn at Ednovean Farm looking out of the field
gate

I think this one is my favourite one of St Micheal's Mount
tonight

Slowly the sun sank lower behind Penzance across Mounts
Bay

and finally back to the terrace in the courtyard where the sun was still
a huge red disk

and finally was swallowed by the horizon

A long but happy day today renovating a corner of the garden that had developed a mind of its own but as the evening closed in as i nursed an aching back, a moment of magic revealed itself as the sun sank down behind St Micheal's Mount and our garden settled down to the night. Night night sweet dreams all.

Sunset

St Micheal's Mount from the terrace at Ednovean Farm

The wind has turned at last driving away the dirty grey skies and bringing back the welcome sounds of the sea. To celebrate nature laid on a dramatic sunset for us, setting behind St Micheal's Mount. How the position of the sunset has changed looking back into the winter when the sun set much further to the east over the open sea but I took this one from the terrace just in front of the Pink room at the end of my day.
Of course our day doesn't finish at dusk - we always go out to finally check our horses before bed time making sure all is well giving final feeds and topping up water buckets for the night. The night is usually silent a good  time to reflect upon the day and maybe admire the stars.......but the other night the peace was broken by loud snorts from the young horses across the lane - a crescendo, a frenzy or at least a snorting competition. We set off to investigate and Charles remarked "Pigs! There are six pigs there" and there snuffling under the stable doors for fallen oats were six plump porkers under Magic and Archies very noses. Needless to say they were not amused having never seen a pic before in their young lives  and the piggy kind are the equivalent to the boggie man to horses. I must say i felt quite nervous too as aparently they can deliver a nasty bite - they settle for some of Danni's Spillers nuts though. What to do with them though?A few phone calls later and the owner had been located and arrived with a torch and bucket full of rattly pig offerings to temp them home - they were last seen disappearing into the darkness and peace fell once again on the stable yard. So there we have it, the things that go bump in the night after sunset or in this case squeal snort!

Sunset behind St Micheal's Mount framed by the palms
in our garden

End of the day at Ednovean Farm

Spring sunshine and a walk around the garden

The Parterre in the courtyard at Ednovean Farm, Perranuthnoe

The sweet scent of the violets that grow tucked under  the bank of the little lane that leads to our home wafted up to my as I rode home on Danni yesterday and I knew that the promise of Spring was becoming reality. As the day went on it was far too nice to stay inside and I amused myself instead, by taking some pictures of our courtyard where the shadows hung lush and green and the sunshine gently warmed me. Ollie found a suitable haunt on the granite seat that is set as a viewing spot for the courtyard and settled down to warm himself as he supervised my efforts.

Ollie Cat enjoying his favourite granite bench in the spring sunshine

I've stopped seeing that stray solar light - until now that is!

Before long i left the embrace of the courtyard and went out through the gate into the wider garden

The light isn't right to take a photo of the Mount
in the afternoon but still...The courtyard
give way to the sweep of the lawns

stopping to admire the spring Daffodils and the vibrant Tulips that had somehow lept into my shopping basket in the supermarket....Moi???

Spring bulbs below the terrace

The grandly named South Walk because everybody needs a bit of theatre has had a broad path mown in it towards our memory stone that marks the place of so many of our departed pets is flamboyant now with a curtain of Daffodils of course that flatter the old stone gatepost into thinking it may be a sculpture at the end of the vista. I'll set the benches back out so that our guests can admire the sun setting behind the St Micheal's Mount as the season goes on.

A long path cut through the grass in a wilder part of the
garden

I have started some more serious work in the garden this week though shaping the box that forms a rhythmical planting up to our entrance gate - i read somewhere that is is OK to shape box then and really we are a tad busy for it in the middle of the summer season and I wanted the entrance to look smart and welcoming.  But really it has been a lovely weekend for enjoying the spring sunshine!

Our entrance now with neatly shaped box

Beautiful lichen on one of our saddle stones in the car park

I'll leave you with St Micheal's Mount beautiful as always floating beyond the garden and always best photographed in the morning - have a good week.

St Micheal's Mount seen through the sheltering palms
of Ednovean Farm

A dramatic day of contrasts

It was a dramatic day of contrast today over Mounts bay with a brisk tormenting wind and ever changing light. I turned from taking some photos of the rosemary and olives against the courtyards warm walls cocooned in the shelter, to look out over Moutns Bay and in an instant the sun disapeared only to throw this dramatic light down on to one of the boats that tend to shelter there, in the lea of St Micheal's Mount when the seas are running.



Bright evening sunshine warming the
courtyard
walls



In total contrast of subject hasn't Bodkin grown!

It's a cats life

Ollie enjoying a warm window sill at Ednovean Farm

I thought it must be a cats life today as I watched Ollie tightly curled on one of the barns broad window sills in a patch of sunshine. It was over twenty years ago now that I laboriously sanded the old floorboards to make the window sills,with a belt sander, for them to be fitted by my father. My father was even then in his eighties,  complained I was working too slowly! Nearly twenty two years on and the mellow wood has been carefully oiled and waxed but still bears the scars of its of its earlier life before  finishing its journey in our barn  sporting distinctive bore holes of ships beetles in places, from some time spent at sea. So the timber that may have travelled the seven seas has finished its life as a warm comfortable place for Ollie to while away his morning basking in the sunshine.........unless!

Fabulous Views today over Mounts Bay

It was such a fabulous morning this morning that I took a minute to walk up the field behind the house and take a few photos of St Micheal's Mount and Mounts Bay - I've labelled our house roof to give an idea where we are on Mounts Bay but that is enough from me form now on enjoy the view and scroll on!

St Micheal's Mount of course - the pearl of Mounts Bay, with every house
clearly outlined in Penzance across the bay

Our house roof again - looks as if the horse have been
Dining in the shelter of the bank

so sometimes on Mount is just not enough!

Marazion is tucked in the corner of the bay

Our young horse by our Spanish Stallion Danilon enjoying the
 sea breezes further along the hillside

The villages of Perranuthnoe (foreground) and Mousehole 
across Mounts Bay

March!!

How lovely to sit with morning coffee in the garden in March enjoying the spring sunshine even if  I can see so many jobs to do around me. I have a favourite spot for taking photos of the mount in all of her moods on our terrace in front of the Pink room window and today there was a suspicion of a heat haze slightly blurring the outline but the magical turrets were still caught by the morning sun. our Ecium in the foreground is the "great survivor" now growing some frest new leaves and it really might flower quite soon. Anyway with the wonderful weather I really couldn't procrastinate any longer about the borders and have so far fill two ton bags for the bonfire and only managed the little courtyard at the back of the house - oh dear! So i took a little stroll around the garden with the camera instead and then this month we will see how the garden progresses.

Through the archway to the first little courtyard I've finished - the
statue was a bargain find at Rosudgeon car boot sale!

The little sundial garden behind the house

A path through the long grass and a rabbit just deciding whether
to multiply or eat - wish he'd mow the lawn!

The hedges are still very bare in the Italian Garden but the
Statues are tastefully clothed with lichen 

Spud enjoying the afternoon sunshine - those ears are
getting pink already