For a change it’s all been quite quiet chez moi. Lots of web design and coding going on – I hadn’t realised that eCommerce was such a complicated thing, so that has been keeping me glued to my Mac day after day. Just as well as the weather has been dreadful – torrential rain and howling gales. It’s pouring again as I write this.

I did manage to escape to visit friends in Cardiff for the weekend last week. Needless to say it poured down and the trip back over the Severn Bridge was a nightmare but I did have a lovely time. We visited Cardiff Bay for a brisk walk (very brisk – it was freeeeeezing). I’d been there before – there are lots of shops and restaurants but I had never noticed that there is a Norwegian Church there. It’s a very pretty little building and outside there is a piece of Gaudi-esque sculpture which is a memorial to Captain Scott by Jonathan Williams. I thought this was a slightly odd place to site it, seeing as how Captain Scott was beaten to the South Pole by Roald Amundsen – a Norwegian explorer. The church has been now been deconsecrated and now has a tearoom and hosts craft fairs, weddings – and meetings of the Captain Scott Society (so they must have forgiven them!) It’s a small outpost of Norway, that is a taster for a planned trip to Oslo to attend RennyBA’s blog gathering in August next year, which should be fun and it will be great to actually meet some of the blogging friends I have made over the years.

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I promised a two friends of mine that I would mention their new website, Chinti and Parker. It’s a gorgeous website selling ‘luxury basics which are produced ethically’. They sell women’s and baby clothes and I have to say it almost makes me wish I was a grandmother so I could treat my grandchild to an adorable hand knitted cashmere sweater. (I said almost, I’m not ready to be a granny just yet!)

It hasn’t escaped my ‘Bah humbug’ notice that Christmas is looming again. It’s December. Again. So soon. I am so disorganised and unenthusiastic about it. I have to confess at this point that the remains of last year’s tree are still at the bottom of my garden. I was going to burn it before the new one arrived in a week or so but it has been so wet I haven’t been able to. What a disaster. My garden fence was shredded by the wind too so I have ordered my new fence and a Christmas tree from Crocus. Let’s just hope the weather improves soon so I can do all the outdoor jobs which are piling up – install new fence, jet wash paving and decking (which is like a skating rink it is so mossy), repair leaking gutter, paint front door – you get the picture. If I can get a boy or two home maybe I can delegate….

Then there is Christmas shopping. The boys don’t seem to realise that when I say “if you don’t tell me what you want you won’t get anything’, that I mean it. It gets more difficult the older they get. I’m a great believer in Amazon Wishlists and add to mine in time for Christmas and birthdays. Trouble is no-one seems to ever read it so it just gets longer and longer until I give in and buy myself something off it. And don’t get me started on Christmas cards…

Being keen gardeners and expats living in France, we found it hard to buy the more unusual varieties either online or locally. With the advent of the new auto-entrepreneur scheme, we decided now was the time to start a business. Importing stock from Holland, we provide a low-cost source of some of the lesser-known botanical varieties of bulbs such as tulip acuminata, calochortus, scilla peruviana to name just a few. At present we have over 30 different bulbs to choose from.

These are only available to French residents as the cost of sending them to other European countries would make our prices uncompetitive (however, we’ll reconsider if you don’t mind the postage cost)

Yesterday I noticed this surprise – I still have violas blooming (Bowle’s Black).  I live near the ocean, so my climate is a little milder than most of Massachusetts.  So from March 10 when I took this photo of my first crocus until now I’ve had something blooming in my backyard.  The key to stretching the seasons is to plant early early bulbs in a protected place (like against the south facing foundation) and some cold tolerant plants like violas and Montauck daisies.

Another tip to stretch the season is to plant things that look good even after the blooms have finished.  For instance, I didn’t cut down my sedum yesterday when I was cutting everything to the ground.  The flowers are now dry and still attractive.

ACEO Mini watercolor painting available on Ebay

A totally weird but amazing show. We infiltrated a house party as it was in some kids room in Nottingham. Andtheywillriot! were incredible and seriously loud, Crocus were chaotic and wild. Greg nearly killed alot of people with his microphone and nearly killed himself launching over a human pyramid! Good times.

Due to a show on the Crocus / Lavotchkin tour being pulled midway through, everyone went back to Zak We Hearts house for an impromptu basement show. It was wild and drunken. I hated it as I’d just had my chest tattooed by Liam (Trencher) and felt rank. The next night was the scheduled basement show, and it was just as crazy as the night before. It was really busy, lots of old friends and familiar faces came down. Silent Front were as brilliant as always, Crocus were as wild as always, Lavotchkin were as heavy as always, but the evening belonged to Andtheywillriot! who blew everyone away with their first show back in a long time. They were loud, dense and heavy yet subtle and beautiful. Totally immense. This is a video of Andtheywillriot! playing ‘Ode To Quiller’ from the basement…

It was nice as always to see Crocus and Throats again. Crocus were really chaotic and I enjoyed that. Throats were muddy and heavy!

The Crocovsky weekender was totally mental. Too many photos/stories to show/tell. Massive thanks to Cam and the Cambulance, Bill Bollins for driving skills and to Huss, Ben and Kelly for having us!

The second basement show at Zak We Heart’s house was on Valentine’s day. It was a first public outing for Markovsky and that went down ok, Shield Your Eyes ripped through a short but amazing set, Silent Front played some new songs which were sounding brilliant and it was the first time I’d seen them with their new drummer. They seem so much more together and happier. The group photo was used for the inlay of their split with Shield Your Eyes on We Heart Records. Crocus then tore the room apart, smashed out the lights and then swapped instruments and played a hilarious Swing Kids cover. A good night all round! The video below was filmed by Joe Riot.

This is my busy season with work, so a leisurely visit to my garden is a luxury not often enjoyed right now.  I notice changes quickly along the driveway as I speed in and out making deliveries and picking up supplies.  Mostly I see a blur of brown with a tinge of green from conifers as I come and go.

My dog insists we take a daily walk, so I take a different route through the garden each day trying to catch hints of progress, or should I say demise as she pulls me forward trying to get me to move at a faster pace, more to her liking.

Last week, as we re-entered the property, much to my surprise and delight I noticed a Red-breasted Sapsucker!

I ran in to grab my camera & he waited for me! I snapped as many shots as close as I could get until he flew into the fir tree across the garden.

As long as I was there with camera in hand, I began searching for color and looking to see what else was new since I last explored.

The first to be noticed were maples changing colors and conifers.

And conifers changing color.  My Dawn Redwood  will drop her needles soon.

I see I forgot to put away my yellow chairs.  How could I have missed those bright cheery yellow chairs?

As I looked up into the trees, I noticed all the berries still available for interested birds….

The Poke berries,

Mountain Ash berries,

And the few berries left on my Red Twig Dogwood.

As my gaze shifted from sky to earth I saw my heucheras were still looking good, including my current favorite, Peach Flambe!

Growing near it more Liriope blooms were pushing their way up!

And sweet little cyclamen!

Not to mention several patches of fall crocus still blooming!

As I ambled further into the sunny area I was delighted to find Zebrina smiling at me!

Imagine my surprise when I found this lone Nigella!  It is Autumn, is it not?  Someone forgot to tell her!  Or perhaps someone thought I’d like this reminder of summer, knowing I wasn’t quite ready for Fall!!

Sad Face Cement block that I made several years ago indicates my reluctance letting go of summer.

Thanks for stopping by.  Until next time….

A really odd night overall. On the one hand, it was amazing to finally see Mildred Pierce and to meet the dudes in Lavotchkin, then on the other it was rubbish having to tell Lavotchkin that they had to turn down otherwise the venue would pull the plug on the show. I hated it. Other than that embarrassing and horrible incident it was a good show.

The day after An Albatross we went down to Kingston with Crocus. A strange night, with technical difficulties and a weird aggressive atmosphere. I’m not sure if I like London sometimes.

This was a cool night. The sound in the Old Blue was amazing, the bands were amazing, it was busy, i got drunk. It was fun! One of my pictures got used in Rocksound Magazine for a little piece about Crocus which was neat.

Want your garden to look awesome in spring? Plant spring bulbs now.

In fact you could plant them right through to December, but the longer you wait the colder it is to go out there and start digging in cold soil.  Also, the earlier you buy your bulbs the better selection you will find in the garden centres.

When you look at bulbs you’ll find some loose, to be bought in bulk and some ready packaged. Which should you buy? Personally I buy from the bulk bin so I can check each bulb individually for quality. In packages you can’t see what you’re getting and it might not be top quality.

Choosing bulbs look for one that is at least as large as the others and preferably a little larger. If the bulb seems to be double, that’s great – you get two plants for the price of one. You want the bulb to be firm, with no sign of mould, cuts or bits nicked out of it.

What kinds of bulbs to buy? The most common types are crocus, snowdrop, daffodil and tulip. Crocus and snowdrop bloom earlier and are smaller than daffodils and tulips.

Snowdrops are always white, sometimes with a touch of green. They have delicate white bell-like flowers and grow three or four inches tall. Because they are pale and delicate it’s a good idea to plant them to the front of your beds, somewhere you can easily see them and enjoy them.

Crocuses grow to about three inches in height with thin, spear-like leaves. They have goblet-shaped flowers in white, purple or orange. Plant them in clumps for a dramatic effect.

Miniature daffodils flower before their larger cousins, but they have the same distinctive trumpet shaped blooms. Most daffodils are yellow, but you’ll also find shades of cream or white, pink or orange. Colour variations tend to be more expensive than the yellow.

Tulips come in almost every colour imaginable, some with striped petals or shading from one colour to another. The flowers, while all basically cup-shaped, can vary widely in shape and form. These are flowers that can demonstrate your imagination and your feeling for your garden. All pale delicate whites? Blends of reds and purples? Your choice.

You’ll also find scilla and muscari, smaller flowers whose bulbs can be planted between the larger daffodils and tulips for colour contrast. You’ll find a very small early iris too that looks particularly effective in a window box or planter. There is also a later, taller iris that blooms when all the other bulbs have died down.

Hyacinths bloom at the same time as the early daffodils and have a heavenly aroma. Plant them close to the house or the path where you can enjoy them.

For something truly spectacular plant a crown imperial (Fritillaria imperialis). It will grow to two or three feet tall , with a cluster of orange bell-like flowers hanging from the top of the stem. A show stopper.

You can plant different types of bulbs together for contrast and a display that lasts all spring, or just enjoy your favourites. But the choices you make now and the time you spend planting will give you your bright display of spring flowers.

Weird show. I wasn’t feeling it. I can’t remember why now though.

This was one of the most crackhead punk rock shows I’ve been to! A last minute show due to a cancellation in Yeovil, it was at the same tiny pub in Trowbridge that Mea Culpa played, except it was upstairs in a dirty (really dirty) room. It was a total shambles, but the bands were simply amazing. Greg from Crocus cut his hand midset, and we didn’t realise how badly it was cut until they had finished. There was blood everywhere! Throats were heavy as hell that night too. The room was left totally bloodied and with broken glass everywhere. I think the promoter literally ran away! One of my photos was used for a Throats t-shirt for Holy Roar Records. Alex, you still owe me one of those tees!

The first of the 2 days we spent with Crocus and Throats on their tour. It was a cool couple of days, and nice to hang out with Crocus and to get to know Throats and Jack Blacktower. Good times.

This was the release show for the debut Crocus ep “The Worst Kind Of Joy Is Hope” and it was an amazing show and amazing night. Everyone had fun, and alot of people had marker pen moustaches.

This was a brilliant weekend. I stayed with Crocus in Penzance, saw my parents, drunk Western’s Perry cider, got wet, went skating, started (and finished) Hit The Lip, got a sneak preview of some new Crocus songs, and generally had an amazing time. The show was really weird as it was at the Uni bar at Falmouth College Of Arts. It was the first time I’d been back there since I graduated and nothing had changed, other than the fact that there was a show there! Crocus were really, really good. Glass And Ashes were good too, but it wasn’t until I heard their recordings that I realised just how good. I’ll upload some skating photos soon!

The only time I ever got to see Flo and the guys in Dimitrij. Such a shame they broke up. Check out Flo’s new band Sex Jams. A good show all round. Crocus were awesome as ever. I like the Junction too!

This was an odd one… weird bands, weird atmosphere. Crocus got charged for breaking a mic that was already broken and banned from the venue. Yeovil is strange. And I hate taking photos in the Orange Box.

Have been away since last Sunday (28th), only returning this evening. Everything is extremely sodden. Planted a few more crocus bulbs & took up dahlia roots, which may be worth keeping. In this time the hens have apparently laid only 28 eggs, less than 5 a day. Had not noted before leaving on Sunday sold 1 score @ 4/-.

The Red Sox’ season ended yesterday, so today I switched my Red Sox cap for my Celtics one. Fall is definitely here, and fast-tracking to winter. Along with a white-throated sparrow, this morning I heard a Carolina wren singing, a weird auditory juxtaposition of winter and summer sounds.