Friday 4 November 2016

Bewitched, Beguiled and Besotted ...

 
 


Saturday, 29th October
The village was full or horses and riders - a hunt meeting.  The roads congested with hunt followers in their 4x4's.   There is one old gentleman who always follows on his bicycle - he cycles a long way to keep up with the riders.  He must be in his late 70's/early 80's by now - fit as a fiddle.  He has been doing it for years. (shame about the quality of the picture, I took it through the bedroom window)!



In the afternoon I collected sloes from the blackthorn bushes to make sloe gin and sloe and apple jelly.


Sunday 30th October
A dull, bland day, with no weather to speak of.  The clocks were turned back and it began to grow dusk at about 5 o'clock.


Monday 31st October
After a really foggy start the sun came out and stayed out all day - so warm.  I worked in the garden spreading my home-made compost as a mulch around the plants; raked up leaves and swept paths.  A very satisfying day - a bonus day really, and I am happy that I made the most of it.  As the afternoon began to fade the fields around were hazy with blue mist.


Wednesday 2nd November
Frost overnight.  Sunny morning - blue skies.
I have taken a lot of photos this autumn - because it has just been so spectacular - I don't think I can remember one that has been so colourful, so pleasant to be out in and one that has lasted so long without rain to spoil the effect.
Mother Nature has put on a wonderful show this year and I don't want to forget it - in years to come I will say 'do you remember the autumn of 2016, wasn't it grand', and I will have the pictures to prove it.  Even the words to describe the colours are beautiful - copper, russet, amber, and gold.  I have become besotted with trees.  They way the sun shines through the leaves; the way a slight breeze sends showers of them floating down to carpet the ground.
What could be better than kicking through the leaves; finding horse chestnuts still in their cases; seeing a little mountain of perfectly formed fungi or chopping logs for winter in the sunshine. 
Yes, this autumn has me bewitched and I don't want it to end.  We have already had a frost and the temperature is dropping and the evenings drawing in rapidly - so end it must, but it has been beautiful while it lasted.



 





Thursday 3rd November
After Wednesday's early morning walk where I saw many people, riding, walking, pushing baby strollers and horse driven carts I decided that today I would prefer solitude on my walk so I followed  the WayMarkers over the fields tracing the paths that have always been used by village folk as shortcuts, via the scenic route, to their destination.  I hadn't taken this path before and was excited to see what I would find.  I found a particularly curious horse along the way.




Friday 4th November
A rainy morning to start so I stewed the last of the tomatoes for the freezer and cooked the apples and sloes and set them to drip for the jelly, but after a couple of hours the weather changed and brightened up.  After lunch I went for a walk on another footpath I hadn't taken before to see where it would lead me.



So that's it for another week - a new month lies ahead.  Sorry for the long post and the autumn overload I just can't help myself :)

Elaine


p.s.  A collage of October miscellany that didn't quite make it to the blog :)




41 comments:

  1. We enjoyed the colours of autumn at a large arboretum this week and came away with literally hundreds of photographs.

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    1. I went for a walk that normally takes 20 minutes - i arrived home one hour and 125 photos later :)

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  2. Absolutely beautiful - you capture the autumnal English countryside so well.

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    1. It has been a truly splendid Autumn this year - living where I do, you just can't fail to capture the beauty.

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  3. Thank you for sharing your wonderful autumn photos and words.

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    1. Glad you enjoyed the post Susan, thanks for visiting.

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  4. Oh what a beautiful land you live in. Sloes look like blueberries. It is much warmer and drier here. Like you new header too and a bee on a mushroom?

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    1. Thanks Donna - sloes are a little larger than blueberries and nowhere near as sweet. Glad you like the new header I have been wanting to change it for ages to something more appropriate. Nth at wasn't a bee - it was a dung fly :)

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  5. So picaresque. Who knew there are actual sloes to make sloe gin! I, too,will be sorry to see this fall end. The photos are fabulous.

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    1. Sloes must be a UK thing the hedgerows are full of them around here - they are very tart, you couldn't eat them on their own

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  6. Your week has been so well depicted with your life in the country. I agree that this autumn has been particularly beautiful, warm and long. I have also taken many more pictures than I usually do! I thought that fox hunting had been forbidden? I like the deep red colour of your geraniums!

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    1. Thank you Sandra. I can't remember an Autumn as dry or warm as this has been - perfect. Fox hunting is banned but they use a lure or something for the dogs to chase, but I have a feeling if a fox happened across their path the dogs would give chase anyway.

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  7. It's been a lovely week over here too, and now rain. We drove through the woods to go shopping yesterday morning, and the colours were superb. What a lot we now have to look forward to; the US election, Christmas, the Brexit mess. A walk in the countryside is the best medicine.

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    1. We have had rain too and it has turned bitterly cold - oh well, it was lovely whilst it lasted.

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  8. What a great pictorial celebration of this special Autumn season Elaine - one to cherish and enjoy.
    2016 has truly has been a memorable Indian Summer.

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    1. Thanks Rosemary - certainly an Autumn to remember - long live Indian summers :)

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  9. As this enjoyable post and lovely pictures show it certainly has been a memorable autumn full of wonderful colour and memories. Flighty xx

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  10. I am that you couldn't help your self. Autumn is wonderfully gold and bright. We have yet to have a really hard freeze; in fact, it has been warm with no moisture and the news tellers are beginning to say the "d" word--drought. I hope not. I loved the curious horse. He may have wanted to get out walk with you. Do the riders still actually hunt fox? I can imagine the congestion on your country lane with all of the activity. You had a great week, wishing you another.

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    1. We haven't had any decent rainfall either Ann. It is getting much colder now though and lots of rain clouds - I think it is on its way. Fox hunting is illegal but the hunt still meets I think they lay a trail for the hounds and horses to follow. Neighing you a great week too my friend.

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  11. That´s why we go on holidays to England every year: It's the countryside, the footpaths through the land, it's a horse country but also a dog country and all together that is nature at its best. Autumn and spring are for me the most wonderful seasons. Hunt meetings, also so very English, we almost don't have them here, there are too many protesting animal activists in our country. Nevertheless, I love the beautiful foxes despite the havoc they may cause in henhouses, however, I also love traditions like hunting.
    You will understand I enjoyed your great post on the English country side very much. Fun to see your husband wood chopping, my F. does the same.

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    1. I know you love England almost as much as me :). The countryside looks beautiful at the moment, but then in my eyes it always does. We have grown up with the hunt riding over the land, but it doesn't mean I have to agree with it, a bit barbaric.

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  12. It has been a very beautiful autumn this year, golden and magical in many ways:)

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    1. Absolutely Rosie the best I can remember for a long time.

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  13. Lovely post, I agree it's been a beautiful autumn and I've enjoyed it so much too, Jane x

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    1. Thank you Jane glad you appreciate the season as much as I do.

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  14. Have you thought of putting together a coffee table book of your Photos? They and your descriptions are lovely.

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    1. Thank you Mary Ann what a kind thing to say.

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  15. The sunniest and driest autumn here too Elaine. Rutting stags rather than the huntsmen though. I love your diary format.

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    1. Sadly, it's all about to change - so much colder today - ah well, it was nice while it lasted.

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  16. I just love to see all your photo's, especially at this time of year - the colours are so gorgeous
    Mmmm sloe gin and sloe and apple jelly!!!

    Have a good new week ahead

    All the best Jan

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    1. Thanks Jan. The sloe and apple jelly turned out really well and nowhere near as tart as I thought it would be.

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  17. Ah Elaine - it does look like the fall of 2016 will be remembered. All your photos are beautiful and I never tire of seeing your gorgeous English countryside. Like you I am in love with the light that hits those fall leaves and lights up the woods ever so elegantly. Hope you have a wonderful week. Hugs!

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    1. Dear Debbie
      It certainly will be remembered - unfortunately I think I have cursed it by writing about it as the weather changed dramatically and it has turned really cold and the weather forecasters say snow is on its way :( Hope you have a good week too.

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  18. A lovely selection of autumn photos. Autumn has been spectacular this year - with so much sunshine to enjoy the colours. I love the sight of the sloes. We've had none around here and so this will be the first year for a long time we won't have sloe gin at Christmas. We will miss it!

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    1. Thanks Wendy. We still have a bottle left from last year but I can't resist picking them when I see such bounty - luckily it doesn't go off :)

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  19. Hello Elaine,

    Never ever apologize to your faithful readers for a "long post", especially one about autumn, my favorite time of the year. Your photos do the season justice beyond words. Simply marvelous!

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    1. Thank you CD much appreciated - I too love Autumn as you may have noticed :). Sadly the weather has changed this week and it feels like November - hey ho!

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  20. Oh it does look so golden all around you! What a treat to see these images. There is nothing like kicking through the leaves at this time of year is there? The Apple and Sloe Jelly sounds interesting. Sarah x

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    1. It really has been glorious and golden but sadly the good weather has vanished. The sloe and apple jelly turned out rather well, not tart like I expected, a bit like bramble and apple jelly.

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  21. Hi Elaine,

    Lovely images as always......they really show the season so well.

    I do so loathe the hunt. I know there is a hunting ban but foxes are still killed, and I never really understand why. I know it goes back centuries but..........

    Good to see the elderly man following on his bicycle. I hope I will be as fit at that age:)

    I wish my garden was clear of leaves. It takes me several weeks to clear them. Having mature oaks all around the garden you can just imagine how many fall. This year I will not be clearing them, have decided to let nature take its course and see what happens :)

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