SUMmer...........autUMN

 

Within the matter of about a week, summer appears to have disappeared, and autumn moved on in. Gone are the heady days of waking up to a warm house, and setting off into the rising sun for work. I'm wearing jeans every day for work now instead of shorts. It's a strange and kind of prickly sensation, when ones legs have been exposed to the elements for so long. I'm even having to wear two t-shirts at once! The mornings are mostly grey sky, and there's that crisp chill in the air. It is indeed very strange that only a fortnight ago I was looking at grass that had dried to a crisp, and everything else was green. Yesterday I found myself blowing an autumn leaf drop all day. I suppose it's all been sped up a little by the trees drying out so much. Still, hopefully it means that the massive job of all the leaf clearing will be over a little sooner than usual.

 

 

We are still going out to get wild blackberries for the freezer. On heading out to work last week, I happened upon a lovely and quiet country lane in the middle of farmland, and spent a lovely but much too short spell there filling up a hard hat with some fantastic fruit. I was working, and so frustratingly had to leave, but took Amanda back at the weekend, whereupon we had a romantic and happy four hour picking session. There were so many, and when we had been along the whole lane, it was all I could do to stop Amanda turning right, and heading up another. We had to move on you see, as it's coming up to chestnut time of year. Normally falling and ready to eat during October, we thought that maybe they would be early, what with the summer such as we've had this year.

 

It was only a ten minute drive away, and on parking the car, we set off into the usual spots to find them.

 

But alas, try as we might, the trees were holding on to them for a little while longer for now. They were indeed laiden with chestnuts, but just not letting go. Try again next week, maybe after we have turned right on the other lane for a while.

Not wanting to return home just yet from such a place close to our hearts, we walked, we talked, we got a little lost at one point. We also at times just sat alone in the silence, with only the bird sounds. There are still heavy issues weighing, that I feel will never be solved, people and life eh?

 

But this is the working week, it's Tuesday morning, very early, it's grey and windy outside. We have youngest daughter staying over for a couple of days, and she is still asleep. Amanda is asleep. Celia is asleep. Crikey, even Hobie and Misty are asleep! Just one gardening bit to share, and it's the front garden of one of the cottages we look after at Mudeford. Two very small areas either side of the front door, but I feel worthy of sharing as they show just what can be achieved if one only has a postage stamp garden.

 

Finally, going back to Hobie. He's getting older. Strangely though, in his younger years he has always been incredibly passive where intruder cats are concerned. Always the one to back down, he would usually react by vomiting in the hallway, or killing the rug. This year has seen a new Hobie. He waits on the garden table for intruder cats to chance past him, whereupon he drops down on them, and a violent fight ensues, and always with him fighting to the bitter end, whatever the cost to himself. He does always win, but our lovely Hobie is just getting too tired for it all. He lays like this for hours sometimes.

 

Bye for now.