In their Eighties and Nighties - Totally Inspiring

I see the face of my grandmother in her niece, my father's cousin, who is 94 today. She didn't tell us it was her birthday or  that her husband, who is now in the slow slide into dementia, will be 100 in September. In spite of crippling osteoporosis she is bright, knowledgable, humorous. Her indomitable spirit is totally  inspiring.

She served  us coffee, tea, shortbread fingers and Crumbles' Coconut Kisses - apologising for the palm oil in them - from a  wooden tea trolley laid with a cloth. We sat on sofas in their lounge, the 3 bars of the electric fire keeping the chill at bay, ( she says "I always turn the boiler off in May") and while the rain slashed at the windows we talked about families and the garden and how they will manage without a car  - if it comes to that -  and the play they were going to see tonight at the local theatre - Dial M for Murder.

I'm glad we took homemade chutney and bunches of sweet peas and scented stocks even though we didn't know it was her birthday.

Later we walked in the beautiful wild garden of a dear friend, in her eighties, recovering from a bad fall a few months ago - also totally inspiring - who has recently moved to live in Stroud with her family.

I hope I will still be as compos mentis, spirited and resolute as they are when I'm in my eighties.

Except I'm not sure I want to live that long....

 Fallen elderflower stars on newly built deck. 

My very observant sister spotted this green woodpecker away in the distance, perched on top of a bamboo wigwam while we were having a boiled egg salad picnic in the car park of some allotments.  It flew onto the grass and although  it's far away, well camouflaged and a bit blurred I was thrilled to see my first green woodpecker - which I would have missed completely as it flew off just seconds after I took this photo.

 And raindrops on roses - one of my favourite things....