Skywatch Friday. Up in the air!

We've been doing quite a lot of sky watching for the last week or so. The scaffolding has been with us for a fortnight and now it is higher than ever.

What a palaver!

We've had 'weather' - high winds and lashing rain, but happily the chimney stack stayed up on the roof!

HOPEFULLY everything will be sorted sometime next week, so here's a more promising bit of sky for Skywatch Friday!

Down at ground level the garden has really appreciated the deluge.

Plants that were looking rather pathetic have revived and are giving a good display of late summer colour.

Phlox are among my favourites.

This everlasting sweet pea has no perfume at all but it makes a very good cutting flower. It is not as robust as the deep-coloured version that rampages through parts of the garden.

I've put the 'Meyer' lemon back in the greenhouse while there are workmen moving about. I like it to be outside in the summer months because under glass it is very susceptible to scale insect damage. It's a mass of scented blossom and small fruits and the perfume wafts round the house, but blow me, it's only been back inside for a couple of weeks and the scale insects are in action!

There is plenty to eat from the garden. Today a simple lunch of vegetables with pearled spelt and toasted seeds and nuts.

Vegetables, chopped chicken and halloumi cheese fried in coconut oil, add the cooked spelt,

top with the seeds and nuts, torn basil leaves and a good drizzle of lemon. Mmm.