Flower Friday: Timely Christmas Cactus

Just over a month ago I blipped the buds on our Christmas cactus and said that I was hoping that it would flower on time. Lo and behold, the first flowerhead opened on the morning of Christmas Day! Over the last couple of days the other flowers have continued to open and it's looking rather grand as you can see. It's the first time I can remember one of our Christmas cacti having its "calendar" set correctly: it may be a fluke or it may be that my Editor had read that she should start watering it 6 weeks before Christmas (which she did - then more or less neglected it).

Many thanks to the wonderful BikerBear Anni for continuing to host Flower Friday week after week.

Every year nowadays I like to blip our Christmas cake, decorated by whichever of our lads is around. (See here and here and here and here and here.) It always has a ski slope as its basis. They use some of their old *Playmobil figures (nicely washed of course) and create zany scenes. Apparently this one involves Santa having come to this island with a bodyguard of soldiers to deliver booze to the pirates, but he's got drunk up himself so I guess that's the end of him delivering presents this year. The deep sea diver has found an underwater ghost pirate (in the foreground); in the background Caliban is making a magic snowman. As for the rest, I find it all too confusing! At least now that I've photographed it we can start to eat it :-))

(*Other makes of toy figures are available.)