golden days ...

Saturday
After a dull start it turned into a beautiful day.  Worked in the veg garden clearing the beds; weeding the paths and generally tidying up.  At about 4 p.m. the sun goes in and I bring the washing in off the line; still a little damp; the sky starts to cloud over.  I watch the day come to an end ; the birds leave the feeders to find a roost for the night; the garden becomes silent.

Sunday
Oh what a difference a day makes on this sceptred isle of ours.  Yesterday, doors and windows flung open to a warm autumn day - today, the sky is gloomy and gunmetal grey; the rain pours down in an unending torrent; splashing in bullet-like drops against the window sills, sounding of machine gun fire; fast and repetitive.  Not a bird to be seen in the sky or garden; they are sensibly waiting for the rain to stop; sheltering in the still-leafy trees.  Then an hour or so later the clouds disappear; the sun shone and everything was golden.

Monday
A bright, sunny, chilly, windy morning.  Two magpies flew into the garden but didn't stay long; exotic-looking birds, but with a harsh, cackling call like a coven of witches. One for sorrow; two for joy, as they say.
Still bright and breezy in the afternoon so I put on my adventurers hat and went exploring down in the hollows behind our house.  I found the bridge that crosses the stream and went into the thicket of scrub.  It rises quite steeply, with leaning, wind-blown trees and old dry twigs that crackled and snapped as I stepped on them.  Brambles snagged at my coat and whippy growth stung my face as I pushed through.  It felt like a secretive place where foxes would come to eat their kill or shelter from the weather, where pigeons come to roost and rabbits dig deep burrows. I almost felt as if I was trespassing on the wildlife's private domain so I didn't stay long.



Tuesday
Went for a wander round the village; took a few photos of the leaves turning; horses and riders - everywhere had a wonderful autumnal hue; blue, blue skies.



Wednesday
A breezy day perfect for drying the washing outdoors.  Spread horse manure on the veg beds and fresh bark on the paths. All ready now for planting next spring.

 

Thursday
Went shopping - a warm day - I wore a light coat but didn't really need it.  Bought some more bulbs, a mixed pack called Woodland Glade; containing fritillaries, chionodoxa, scilla and miniature narcissus ; purchased some half price shallow containers to plant them in.

 

 

Friday
A soft, hazy start to the morning - the cows seem reluctant to get up and get on with the day. In the afternoon I walked down the road as far as Foxons Lodge, an abandoned farm.  The hills, fields and hedgerows all around were looking splendid.

 

We have been watching an amazing natural history programme every day this week on BBC One -  EarthFlight - stunning photography - a birds eye view of the world.  Wildlife photographers have my total respect for this amazing series.

Finally,  all the summer containers safely tucked away in the greenhouse for winter - loving the profusion of flowers and colour.

 

And that's it for another week - where does the time go!

  "It was a beautiful bright autumn day, with air like cider and a sky so blue you could drown in it." ~ Diana Gabaldon, Outlander

Elaine