Rise up, my love, my fair one

...and come away to the Rococo gardens at Painswick! I had a rare free afternoon, so CleanSteve and I decided to go a-blipping at this nearby garden, which we had not visited for years. Just as I was leaving school, a little boy from the nursery, who was just arriving for a drop-in play session came running up to me, obviously pleased to see me after a gap of a few days. That made my day!

At the gardens, we wandered and took in the many sights. It's a smallish site of about six acres, and only gets crowded in snowdrop season, but is peppered with little follies and sculptures, and surprising views, a bit like Prior Park landscape gardens at Bath, only with more planting. It was designed to be an outdoor party venue, in a decadent age. It's more of a wedding venue these days, though the only people here today were gardeners, mothers and children.

This shot was taken from one of the little fairytale buildings, the Red House. The windows were re-done in stained glass fairly recently, and have Latin (why?) quotations from the Song of Solomon etched into the glass. I'd have thought Polish, English and some other community languages would be more practical, but then the Rococo style never is, or was, functional. Outside on the lawn you can just see a tiny figure mowing the lawn, getting further and further away as I fiddle with my white balance and exposure compensation!

Steve says this is the last sunny afternoon. I am not sure if he means ever or just for the moment. It was a good 'un.

Woodpeckers playing the fool, on CleanSteve's blip