Early Morning Walks

During our heatwave, with temperatures reaching 32C,

I've been doing my walks very early in the morning.

Sometimes leaving home as early as 5.30 am.

Many of my outings have taken me to one or other of the parks. 

I did love these bright pink Hollyhocks.

The bees love them too

I often go down to the bigger park as I love the tall trees there

and the little pond with a bench right next to it.

This is the very early morning sunshine.

Here's another entrance and I really appreciate the shade of those beech trees.

The path is still wet as it rained in the night.

Don't you just love being surrounded by greenery?

I took this photo this morning around 7 am, just as the sun rose high enough

to filter between the trees and illuminate the grass.

There are beautiful flower beds of hydrangea

Both dark and lighter pink

Here's the little pond and you can see the bench on which I sat to have my picnic breakfast.

There are lily pads and lots of waterlily buds

The Agapanthus flowers are starting to open

against a bubbly green and blue bokeh in the background.

One morning, I sat by the fountain and a tiny robin perched on the lower part.

You can see him on the left in front of the pink hydrangeas.

Click on the photo to see all images in a larger size.

One morning, I met a friend in the nearby lakeside town of Morges.

I have to take the train to get there and I left home at 6 am

to be there before 7 am.

We sat at a lakeside terrace with this lovely view to have breakfast.

It was so hot that particular day, that we walked in shady spots 

and finished up on on a bench in the shade to eat a water ice and drink water!

Two more delicate Agapanthus looking fresh and summery against a house

with closed shutters.

A collage of the flowers blooming on my balcony garden right now_

Geraniums, Carnations, Begonias, Zurfinia (in the middle) and yellow daisies.

The Begonias on their own with the greenery from a big tree to the right of my balcony.

My homegrown strawberries

which were small but delicious.

My lavender which the bees just love

The Gaillardia flowers as they develop. 

They are just in front of the kitchen.

As for crochet, I made a sunflower granny square and then a second one

to make a little shoulder bag which is useful for my mobile phone, keys and a small purse

when I go out locally with my camera.

I've also started a new project in the form of a ripple throw in fresh colours.

 I crochet less when it's hot, but even a row or two helps the projects move forward.

I hope that you have been enjoying this month of June.

It's lovely to have the longer days, but I prefer it when it isn't too hot!

My favourite temperatures are between 20 and 24C.

How about yours?

The Month of Roses

Down by the lake in Ouchy, there's a really lovely rose garden

with mostly climbing roses.

I really liked these single blooms.

Lovely layers of petals in this one.

Such a beautiful rich orange colour and petals full of curves

Another rose from the same plant but with a touch more pink in the petals.

The colour changes as the flowers mature.

Pretty in yellow and perfumed too.

Cascading pink roses with a little visitor in the central flower.

A touch of apricot against the blue sky.

Very bright pink in a shady spot with filtered sunlight.

I do love this colour in a rose which is a lovely soft orange.

Yellow tinged with pink taken in my neighbourhood

The single roses have their charm like this delicate yellow one

and another in pink with a visiting insect.

One of my favourites so far because of all those marvellous petals.

One day, we took a short train trip to the lakeside town of Montreux

There were still some rhododendrons blooming.

One of the steamboats was passing and I know that I'll soon be tempted to take a little cruise.

I've put up a photo of this modern hanging art before, but I love framing part of the

landscape in the circle!

A swan couple were obviously intent on becoming a couple.

as they swam back and forth and around in circles in an aquatic dance.

A sailing boat with the well-known Dents-du-Midi mountain chain in the distance.

The steamboat and the mountains on the French side of the lake.

We had a delicious lunch on an outside terrace overlooking the lake.

The yellow parasols were most welcome on a hot day.

I've been adding rows to the Birthday Rainbow Blanket.

Last time I showed the nine central squares, 

this photo shows the second row and the start of the third row of smaller granny squares.

Now a few rounds of border in something called a 'block stitch'

Here it is almost finished with just a couple of rounds more to go.

I hope that you like roses as much as I do!

I've shown so many here as this blog is also for me to look back on

and remember all the wonderful things I see each month of the year.

Bee Happy!

With a joyful music clip to listen to.

Just click on the words below:

"Don't worry, be happy."

"Here's a little song I wrote

You might want to sing it note for note

Don't worry, be happy

In every life we have some trouble

But when you worry, you make it double

Don't worry, be happy

Don't worry, be happy now!"

written by Bobby McFerrin, American folk and jazz artist.

On this joyful note, I wish you a beautiful month of June.

It's getting pretty hot here - around 30C at the hottest time of the day.

The best time for walks is in the early mornings and after supper when the day has cooled off.