Between the rain showers - Coombe Wood

The flower bed near the entrance looked a bit misty under a shower of rain but the rain passed quickly and I was able to use the umbrella as a walking stick - I was feeling incredibly stiff

Walking next to the pond and heading up the path to the steps I noticed that the buds of the white cyclamens look like swans dipping their beaks to the water

One of the three cats spent quite a while keeping me company

Pink flowers still opening 

The flowers in the prairie bed have lasted really well 

Most all of the honesty pods have become papery and are dropping their seeds now

I thoroughly enjoyed being serenaded by this gorgeous little robin for a good ten minutes or so. It never ceases to amaze me that such a small creature can sing so loudly

It looks as if a "petal" has fallen off from the front of the banana flower since I was last there and another has opened on the left. I wasn't expecting that to happen. The "petals" are thick and fleshy - I found one on the floor under the tree and brought it home with me for a closer look

Raindrops were running down the flower. The stripy ribbon like structures that I saw last time seem to have transformed into dark curls

Seed pods are forming on the tree that had stripy bell like flowers - these look like miniature acorns with spikes at the top - and "cups" with points

Lovely red acer leaves

Crocosmia pods with the seeds showing

Why haven't I noticed these before? Little pink tinged balls which turn red and then open like a star with five points and have orange seeds or berries inside

I thought these had finished long ago but found a couple. I didn't notice all the cobwebs till I saw the photo on the computer screen

Back to those seeds/berries - from the other side of the tree. Loads of them dangling there. I have no idea how I could have missed them before

Looking closer

Fortunately by this time I was more mobile and could release the umbrella from its use as a walking stick and use it for its proper purpose

The rain didn't last long. Here's something else I haven't noticed before. I don't know what it looked like as a flower - it has gone beyond that stage now. I like the colour of the little purply stems

The colour became more intense on these big leaves when they were wet 

A last look at the cylamens near the fence in the car park. I love the way the new stems grow in a spiral

Raindrops hanging from each "corner" under the swept back petals

More cyclamens growing through the fence and onto the path

SNAKE GOURD UPDATE
Of the three plants that I have managed to grow the first has died completely, the second had one snake gourd growing on it which was partially eaten (probably by snails or slugs) and doesn't look as if it will survive but the third plant which I kept indoors looks healthy and has one snake gourd growing on it

Thank you very much for joining me again