Giveaway

Judith's giveaway came to an end today....

For all those that missed it........................ better luck next time.

Soggibottom won the giveaway.

I never enter because I want to win anything ...................

Sometimes, from a blogger (or twitter :-) ) point or view, it's good to know, YOU ARE THERE !

Judith has a great blog for all the quilters that follow Soggibottom.

I have yet to show any of my quilting, and yet, I do quilt . When I have the time :-)
When my hands let me might be a better explanation :-)

Great views and pics of Crete for all ARTIST.
I know there are many talented artists out there.
What ever media you work in.

What was Soggibottom's prize... ?

I haven't a clue :-)

But will let you know as soon as it comes through the cottage door.

For anyone who is not sure what MOHAIR is made from. It's made from goat hair. Not from a MO, as the two wags that left comments thought. :-)

Just in case you missed their comment.

One from Caroline.

Herds of English Mo roam wild on Salisbury Plain.... they are very small but very hairy and the coat is shorn during the Spring Equinox and spun by country folk.

The second comment

Great herds of wild mo roam the plains here during the winter months, during the Spring they are rounded up by the local mo wranglers, then sheared by specially trained mo mowers, whose average height is 2ft 3ins, as the shears they use are only 3ins long. The moHAIR, is then cured in long moing sheds and sorted into its various colours by the mo sorters, then shipped out to the shops by MO tor.....

As for the author of the second comment, lets just say I KNOW WHO YOU ARE :-)

Trooping the Colour in June

In the garden, with a bear or watching Trooping the Colour at Horseguards Parade ?


On the second Saturday in June the ceromony known as "Trooping the Colour" takes place at
Horseguards Parade, which is at the back of 10 Downing street, in London.


One of the Queen's guard regiments has it's Regimental Colours or Battle Honours paraded and rededicated in front of the Queen on her Birthday.


This year it was the turn of the Grenadier Guards.
Military band music, marching, colour, pomp and tradition.


The Queen used to ride a large black horse, dressed in the uniform of the Colonel in Chief of the participating guards regiment.


I suppose age catches up with all of us, even the Queen.
The Queen now she rides in an open carriage, from Buckingham Palace to Horseguards and back again.


It all goes on for about an hour and a half, no wonder there is a chair to sit down on.


No chance for the horses to take a break though. Working horses at their best.


If your wondering what the bear has to do with Trooping the Colour...
The bear is made from something that I find very difficult to come across now.
English Mohair. Standing in a line comes second.

World Cup. 1966 and all that

Whether you love it or hate it, it's world cup football time.
The bear goes with the flow of things as do I..........
By popular demand of his followers that pass the window, especially the ones that have to stand on tippy toes to see him, he is in his England World Cup gear.

If you hear shouting, it's probably me on the back of the settee shouting the loudest.

Dalai Lama arrives at Soggibottom

Almost the height of Summer and as always


it's a bit of a circus down here at the cottage.


The stream meanders merrily on it's way as usual.


Clematis climb the walls.


Our bridge stands as strongly as ever as it has for over 311 Summers.


Someone is always looking in at the bear in the window.
The bear is always waiting patiently for whoever passes.
No matter who they are.


Looks like there is a new follower on Soggibottom's twitter page.
Yes, some of you know it's my twitter page, as there you are.


The Dalai Lama has finally arrived down here at Soggibottom.


Out of all those clicks and he follows us. 421.500 Followers.


I hope everyone remembers the saying about when the cows come home.



Post Note:- Not that many of you were impressed then ?
Did I ever think otherwise ? :-) Good to dream eh !

How to handle a cookie thief

Amie Soto Blossom can give you a few tips on how to handle a cookie thief.











and we wonder why Mew is so tubby!

Where to site a bee box with a link to free plans and instructions of how to build one..

I know many from all over the world have visited Soggibottom's post of how to build a bee box. It's a great thought, there are bee boxes in palm tree's and pine forests all over the world.
Time has flown, it's nearly a year since we put our first bee box up in the Soggibottom garden.


The box has been so busy with bee's coming back and forth that the Soggibottom carpenter has built another box.
The new box is sited where we used to have a bird nesting box, high on a fence facing South West. The bird box relocated to a safer place away from Frank our cat who loved to sit under it with his mouth open, waiting patiently.

Bee's naturally look out for nesting sites along the edges of hedges or fences. Preferably facing South or South West.
This one is high on the fence but it also faces a wall on the other side of the enclosed garden, giving the box shelter.
We normally have honeysuckle that over laps the fence, it's starting to grow back after it was cut back while the fence was painted. By Autumn the new box will be covered in honeysuckle again.


There are many different types of bee around the world, bee numbers seem to be declining. Explanations including disease, habitat loss and pesticides.
So every tiny bit of help you give helps the world, not just your own garden.
No bee's, no flowers, fruit or vegetables.


I know bugs aren't for everyone, but this is a bug we try to help and encourage.
The boxes are ideal places for them to raise their young and over Winter.
They tend to block up the holes of the canes inside the box.


A well positioned bee box in a garden full of attractive plants and you're about as close to creating a 5 star attraction for a bee as you can get.



Bees love lavender, best of all sunflowers.
You can also give the birds the sunflower seeds, after picking a few flowers for yourself.


It's hard to believe that without the bee we would have no young apples on our apple tree.


No growing grapes on the vines.


No plums.


Bee's love the colour blue and purple.


The link of how to build a bee box is on the right of the screen.
As much as I love bees I wouldn't suggest you pick them up and give them a cuddle.

Along the Atlantic Coast in Cornwall

Just to remind everyone that Soggibottom cottage is in South Devon.
Lucky for us it's near enough for days out almost anywhere in the South West of England.



Yesterday our travels took us to Perranporth in Cornwall, we are frequent visitors as my aunt and uncle live here. Even in the Winter we nip over from the Channel side of England in Devon to the Atlantic side in Cornwall.


You can't visit the beautiful Atlantic Coast and not go to the beach, especially one that we used to visit when our kids were small. One that will always be one of our favorite beaches.


Harlyn Bay.
I still remember our own kids tripping gaily along the beach even though they were laden with all sorts of beach gear.
Buckets and spades. Football, surf board, towels, bags full of goodies and clean clothes. Everything but the kitchen sink.
Grace our black Labrador always carrying the cricket bat.
It never seemed to matter that she had already given it a good chew.


We were one of the families that would make their way right to the end, yes, over where the water laps the cliff in the distance. Passing all likely spots for our own special one. We would set up camp for the few hours that the tide allowed us before the waves from the Atlantic would roll and come crashing in as the tide turned.
All hopes of saving the sand castles and playing king Canute washed away.
The ways of tourists and day trippers.


Now we tend to stick to the cliff tops and view the scene below.
The quieter side of Harlyn Bay and the view to Travone Bay.


It's now time to sit and stare.... ask Amie Soto Blossom.....
Below in the video is the view she was looking at.





For Laurie, as I did promise you some sunny pictures of England. It really doesn't rain here all the time.

Also for Faye until she has the chance to walk on a beach again.

And to my friend Heather from Heckety at home, she is always playing tricks on me. A while ago she had given Soggibottom a link on her blog and I couldn't make it out why soggibottom had so much traffic from Ireland. I would love to return the complement.

One more mention, if you haven't yet found Tweedles along the blog road then here is the link. She will make you laugh and make you cry.