The sounds and smells of Africa....

What a surprise to find a garden centre full of the sounds and sights of Africa right in the Midlands of England. That's just what we discovered and it was a wonderful time of remembering when it was home.

The life size animal are brought over from Kenya and made by artists there using scrap metals.There were also the usual African curios which I will remember to invest in some other day.
Lunch was served outside and we ate in one of the many eating areas tucked away in amongst the vegetation. The weather was glorious as the skies were clear and the sun shone down making us really feel we were back in a land much loved.

Nkosi sikeleli Afrika

God bless Africa

A trip down memory lane.....

When visiting a friends blog she had a delightful photo of her grand daughter playing in the mud. They had such fun the two of them chomping about in their wellies.
It reminded me of how my girl loved the mud when she was little. Her older cousin was very available to make mud cakes and have a squishy, muddy time.

Mud
Mud is very nice to feel

All squishy-squashy between the toes.

I'd rather wade in wiggly mud,

Than smell a yellow rose.
Nobody else but the rosebud knows

How nice mud feels between the toes.

Things I love

Lemon Meringue pie must be one of my favourite desserts. I think I could eat half a pie all to myself. Unfortunately we all love lemon meringue in this household so I normally settle for a quarter.

My newest favourite drink I think is Mocha. My daughter introduced this drink to me and the deliciously looking cuppa mocha is prepared at Matthews, a really upbeat restuarant at the Custard factory. A is my "theatre buddy" and we enjoyed a drink here inbetween shows. We will take the boys one day and share our discovery.

The Robin is everything that is England. They can be quite brave especially when there is a regular supply of food. This little chap was very friendly while we ate hot apple pie and clotted cream for afternoon tea at the national trust tea garden in WatersMeet.

Of course I love all things summery, but there is something special about a flipflop tan on feet.

Secluded benches are always an inviting stopover for me. This bench was underneath a pear tree in someone's garden.
The bench in my small garden is more rustic and homemade. My niece, while visiting from New Zealand went rummaging in the field next door and came home with two tree stumps and some wood from a broken gate..I think.

It has served us well and both cats enjoy it too.

"Enjoy the little things in life, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things."

Well, we made a bluebell walk. Not as spectacular as Yew Tree farm in Wootten Wowen, but still a very pleasant walk

The view from the top

Quite a group had got

together from some of our church congregation

Our Waterways

I love the Waterways of England and here in the West Midlands we have many canals. It is a slow and peaceful existence and often think Greg and I should retire to a canal boat one day

A short way from home we have canals to walk alongside. The waterways here are quiet at the moment with the weather still warming up.

It is a peaceful walk with green pastures and the odd spinny along the way.

Often we see pathways cut into the undergrowth and wonder who or what makes the path worn.

The first photo looks narrow enough to be a fox's pathway. The second looks so inviting, you want to jump the fence and become a part of the undergrowth.

Spring is here in it's many forms: The birds chirped and sang their songs as we walked I saw the bluebells are beginning to show.

Perhaps we'll go on a bluebell walk this coming Bank holiday, as

there is nothing like walking through an ocean of bluebells.

More than anything, these walks are special to me as they are the memories that bind us together as a family.