Flower Friday : : Hydrangea.

There are a lot of plants in our garden that die, get eaten, tunneled around,  too much sun or just for no obvious reason at all. The two hydrangeas in big pots by the back gate are not among them. The flowers are bigger every year and they dry beautifully for winter bouquets. I cut all the flowers with their different shades in this image from a single plant. 

The owl was designed by Oiva Toikka and hand blown in the Iitala glass studios in Finland. He has designed quite a flock of charming birds with one or two new ones every year which I have been able to resist, but all that changed when I saw the baby owl. He just settled right into my shopping bag and came home with me. a few days ago, and he is right at home on our hall table. I have been trying to figure out what he reminded me of, and realized today that it is Blipper Skeena's Nook&Cranny. I can't resist them either....Skeena is on sabbatical just now but I hope he returns to the Blipfoto fold soon.

I am also avidly reading Kendallishere's first installments of what I hope becomes a memoir. She has had a memorable life and her story promises to be well told. She is a wonderful writer.

Now that the infamous leak is finally fixed OilMan is faced with rebuilding the heavy stone steps that concealed it for so long. It was easy enough to lever them out and allow them to tumble to the ground at the base of the steps. Less easy to hoick them back up into place, bury them at least ten inches deep in the same place ensuring that they settle correctly without crushing the irrigation pipe. I think back up will be needed, although it is a confined space and may prove to be fairly entertaining to watch....