Look No Deck!

After Phase One yesterday and with the weather for today set fair, this morning saw me attack the decking with crowbar and mallet (gave up hammer and screwdriver almost immediately). The first three boards revealed our original top step.

Removing a few more boards revealed this ingenious bit of plumbing - a pipe capped with an old baked bean tin! No idea where the drain leads to, although our soil pipe comes through the steps a little lower.  These may need some attention…

All the boards removed, leaving the framework underneath.

Su swung into action with her trusty saw.

Found this dead butterfly underneath the decking.

Nearly all gone - Bella went to go up these steps, but we managed to dissaude her

We have had to leave the steps and a bit of the framework for the moment because some of next door's fence is attached to it (and they are out for the day)… Quite nice having a spare set of steps anyway:-). Pleased with what we have uncovered, and glad to get the wood away from the house walls and let them air out.

After some lunch, took Bella off for a stroll. The streets were very quiet - saw only two cars and two buses in all the time we were out.

 This house has three lamposts for some reason…

Tulips and the first fritillaries of the year.

I think this is a mespil shrub in bloom - our snowy mespil will be there any day now.

Lots of flowers now coming out.

More fresh leaves.

Forsythia flowers.

As if cars would try and get up there!

A quiet country lane with the sun coming out

Laurel flowers

We went up to Charlcombe churchyard where we saw this brazier in the middle of the lawn.  Apparently there was a 5 am Easter service after which the congregation welcomed the sunrise.

Peering over a garden wall, a distant view of our house (and all our neighbours!) and blossom on the hillside.

This day a year ago, Su was off on a gardening mission in North Somerset and stopped off at Chew Valley Lake. Didn't stay long because of the flies!