FRANK's DAY.....

"Every blade of grass, each leaf, each separate floret, and petal, is an inscription speaking of hope. "(Richard Jefferies 1848-1887)

 Oh to be a pair of turtle doves, puttering about on the lawn....Oh to be a cat, watching doves toddle about on the ground. Oh the excitement. Oh to be FRANK the cat from the hill....

 To ogle  Doves sitting in the feed pan. Out on their date. While a cat watches. A cat like Frank.

 While the Cranesbill explodes all through the garden. Surprises  here and there. Frank slides himself onto the greenhouse to start his day. His wonderful cat sort of day.

 Frank from the hill.. I've named this one "Frank", as in Frank Sinatra, cause he lounges on the greenhouse, and if he could croon, he would, while watching the turtle doves.  I don't think he's singing to them, however....  He favours the greenhouse most mornings. His oasis.

 Frank watches the Cranesbill growing. And The Moai, humming , into the wind. I'm sure he's debating where the Cranesbill will grow best:  Sandy soil. Normal soil. Shade. Partial shade. I am sure he debates this at length. While he croons his day away.

Frank is not too keen on Smokey OR Spencer.They don't care too much for flowers.  The Cranesbill blooms in the spring, sometimes later on in the season. But I don't think Frank worries about that too much. He just flops  on the roof. He surveys.

"Among human beings a cat is merely a cat; among cats a cat is a prowling shadow in a jungle." (Capek 1890-1938)

 A Turtle Dove is  lovely to watch.  Yum yum. Says Frank. As he twitches his tail.

 Cranesbill  floats in the wind, looks great in the rain, and BEES love it. Not sure the cats care about how it floats. Or about bees. They do  chase bees sometimes.  They hide in the Cranesbill to chase the bees. Then the bees chase them......

 Looks like it's not just Frank who is interested in the Doves. .......or the big world outside. Bunny sees Frank. He twitches his tail at her. Bunny doesn't like his lounge act much.

 The cats are fully aware, of course,  that at the same time  Cranesbill is starting to  pop out of the dirt,   so is the  MOUNTAIN BLUET ( CENTAUREA). Of course they are. They see all and know all. Especially Frank.

 Also known as Bachelor's buttons, it's considered a WEED by some. For shame.

 A weed????? It came originally from Europe, likes lots of sun and some rain in which to thrive.  It's a hairy thing.  Kind of like a cat. Like Frank. Who has a big thick coat.

 Frank is more interested in the DOVES than flowers.. He naps all morning on the greenhouse. He waves his paws in the air when he dreams. He must think he is a Dove.

 At the same time,  Cordelia keeps her eye on Frank.  She hides behind the Cranesbill

 which  is : is rabbit resistant, masses well, and reminds Frank that life is pretty good on the roof.

 CENTAUREA often shows up as a mistake, like it did here, in my garden. Just sort of popped up one day. Like Frank did. Just one small plant , that decided to live in the dirt, and now it's spreading through the garden. A weed? Shame Shame.  I love it. The bees go crazy for it. It grows up to 30-80 centimetres tall. And yes, it's hairy. Looks a lot like a thistle. Or like  a cat. Like Frank. 

 Besides which there are troughs of Sweet peas . There are miles of sweet peas .  Well,  almost miles. Frank watched me stuff seeds into the dirt. Grow . Grow. Grow. Frank  sniffs into the wind from his perch. He must sense the Doves.

Those Doves  hanging out in the cherry tree.......... opposite Frank on the roof.

 Much to Frank's dismay. He  climbs up higher ,to the top of the greenhouse. Thinking he'll be closer to the action. He croons away. 

 Smokey is wiser.  He naps on the bench. He yawns at Frank.

 And CORDELIA is the wisest of all. She  sees Frank teeter away on the roof.
"Sitting silently, doing nothing, spring comes, and the grass grows by itself." (Basho 1644-1694)

 Only the MOAI is silent about it all. Buried up to its ears in  green stuff.

 And the  prolific CENTAUREA: It now grows all the way up and around the fence.  BEE haven.The flowerheads are very much like knapweeds. Fuzzy and hairy. Like a cat, remember. Like Frank. Frank the Cat from the hill, who is having a lovely day. Waves his paws from the roof and sings....

 "Stay quiet; refuse nothing; flowers grow only because they tranquilly allow the sun's rays to reach them. You must do the same." (Juliana Krudener 1764-1824)