11 November Martinmas. The Feast of St. Martin, Martinmas was a time for celebrations with great feasts and hiring fairs, at which farm labourers would seek new posts.
I woke to a frosted, crisp morning with a pale watercolour sky.
The bright sunny autumn had retreated and the weather has become typical November. Damp, dank, dismal and dreary. I went shopping, determined to find some colour to cheer me up. I found it on the fruit and flower stalls at the market.
As the day moved on it turned bleaker bringing with it the sort of cold that seeps into your bones. After lunch I wrapped up warm and walked across fields until I came to the top of a hill with a panoramic view
I could see the Grand Union Canal stretching away in the distance
I looked for colour and found Gorse and Holly bushes
I didn't linger - it was too cold and miserable - I made my way back home to a hot cup of tea, buttery crumpets with honey and a roaring log fire - a perfect end to the afternoon. I refuse to let November dampen my spirit.
Elaine
“Whenever it is a damp, drizzly November in my soul, I shall recall the memory of warm, sunny, late summer afternoons like this one, and be comforted greatly.” ~ Peggy Toney Horton
Lovely images especially the colourful fruit and flowers
ReplyDeleteThanks - it has been so grey just lately, the fruit and flowers were needed to brighten the day.
DeleteThere .... November isn't all bad Elaine !!!!
ReplyDelete.... your rose is still putting on a show, the scenery is just as beautiful in the Winter as it is in the Summer and what could be nicer than sitting by the fire and eating buttered crumpets .... glass half full, me !!! XXXX
I do try to be positive about November Jackie but I do hate being shut in when the weather is bad - I'm an outdoors kinda girl :)
DeleteFabulous images Elaine which have warmed me up on a frosty but so far sunny morning here. The hot drink, toasted crumpet and a log fire must have provided the perfect conclusion to your walk. Hope that you had a good book to hand too :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Anna. Yes I did have a good book to hand and after talking about the dismal and dreary days we had a lovely day today which was a little bonus - we just have to make the most of good days when they arrive don't we.
DeleteWhat a beautiful rose in that first image. A November rose! We have also had our share of grey and rainy with a few sparse snow flurries! The weather didn't stop you going on lovely walks and then to the market to cheer yourself up with colour.
ReplyDeleteHave a lovely weekend, I hear we're in for some blue sky!
Yes November roses - two or three of my bushes still have roses on them which is a little bonus - a good hard frost will see them off but they are lovely to see at this time of year. You have a good weekend too.
DeleteGorgeous photographs! I've just been for a walk around the village I live in, it's beautiful out there today.
ReplyDeleteThank you Jane - at this time of year you have to look a little harder to find something pleasing to photograph.
DeleteElaine - our November can be the same here as well. Thus far though it has been more sunny and unseasonably warm. Like you though when it get damp and dreary I cozy up by the fire and enjoy a cup of hot chocolate and a good read. Take care and thanks for sharing your lovey part of the world. Hugs
ReplyDeleteIt was lovely here today - nice to see the sun instead of the grey skies we have been having. I do make myself go out even when the weather is not so good otherwise I get cabin fever but it is always nice to come back to a warm house.
DeleteElaine, you are my favorite walker. There is much to see in the winter landscape. My birds coming to the feeder make me happy. I have bulbs still to plant, gardens to clean up and haul off (that's if I can't find someone to do it) and "miles to go before I sleep".
ReplyDeleteThank you Donna :) The winter landscape is very different but there is, as you say, always something to see if you know how to look. We watch the birds in the garden coming and going - they always brighten up the days with their antics. Good luck with the garden clean up - always something to do isn't there.
DeleteLovely post and pictures. It's certainly changed from what was a glorious autumn to a rather unwelcome one. Flighty xx
ReplyDeleteThanks Flighty. Yes, it is such a shame that the lovely autumn weather changed so rapidly but we should be grateful that we had such a beautiful one to admire this year.
DeleteI love the colour of the fruit and the flowers. A log fire is wonderful after a cold day out; it's probably one of the real pleasures of autumn/winter. Martinmas has completely vanished from our calendars now, of course 11 November has another meaning now, but it does seem a shame not to have a feast/festival around this time of year!
ReplyDeleteThey really were a bright spot of colour on a dreary day. There are so many old festivals that we don't celebrate I agree - perhaps we should start a petition to bring them all back :)
DeleteI like November more than October. My mother's birthday was in November and I always love November for that reason and still do. I like winter and fogs and bleak days and going to bed early.
ReplyDeleteI do try to appreciate each month as it comes but i prefer it when I can get out and about.
DeleteI love our version of November (May) but maybe that's because of the tea and honey crumpets - the getting chilled so I can warm up :-) I hope you get a lovely day soon. Beautiful photos, as always :-)
ReplyDeleteOctober for me was perfect this year, bright and sunny but not too hot or cold - I have always struggled with November but try to keep positive.
DeleteBeautiful colours at the fruit and flower market Elaine. That must have brought a smile.
ReplyDeleteNovember can be drear......I find it a silent month and very atmospheric.
There is nothing like a good walk in the cold to make home seem so inviting. The log fire and tea is my idea of heaven.
I had to wait till the 'shouty man' on the stall turned away before I took the shots as I thought he might say ' if you're not buying anything then ..gger off' :) Yes, on a damp, miserable day it is always good to get back home, the fire doesn't take long to get going - and if you have a good book as well as a cup of tea - well, what could be better.
DeleteSo funny.....I am always a little nervous when I use my camera in busy places.
DeleteI would love to take photographs of the elderly. Their faces have so much to tell.
Our local farmer has a face that tells a thousand stories. He is a quiet, reserved man, so I have never felt able to ask the question 'may I take your photograph'
These colourful fruits and flowers cheer us up on these dull days. The scenery in your neighbourhood is great as always is, but I know when you go outside for a walk it brightens your spirit again and again. It is never boring.
ReplyDeleteI do make an effort to get out every day - even, if sometimes, I don't really fancy it - you're right it does brighten my spirits - whatever the weather. Always something to take your mind off things.
DeleteNovember is my least favourite month. All of winter is yet to come and the days are still getting shorter. January, with the New Year full of hope and promise of a new season, I start to perk up again!
ReplyDeleteAh, a woman after my own heart :)
DeleteIt has turned dank and dreary after our wonderful autumn hasn't it? The long dark nights get to me I'm afraid and like you I seek light and colour. You certainly found some cheer on the market stalls:)
ReplyDeleteThe change happened so quickly didn't it. But I guess we knew it had to come some time! Oh yes, I do seek the light and colour. I don't suppose there will be much of that for a few months - hey ho!
DeleteWow the second picture is amazing! It was a joy to see the colour you found despite the dank,dull November day. Sarah x
ReplyDeleteThanks Sarah - luckily as the sun hit the field I happened to be in the right place at the right time - then the sun went in as quickly as it arrived, back to grey and dreary.
DeleteWonderfully cheerful pictures to accompany an misleadingly evocative title! I've been enjoying our local mists which hug the ground so you can look down on the white course of a river or a hollow in the landscape while standing in sunshine.
ReplyDeleteHello Lucy
DeleteSorry about the confusion :) It's a good time of year for all sorts of weather - I know what you mean about the mists, I love the way they hover below the trees making them look suspended in mid air.
Well done for finding so much colour (that holly!) and thank you for sharing it Elaine.
ReplyDeleteThere is always colour to be found if you know where to look for it isn't there. That holly bush was amazing I will have to go back and try to collect some for the Christmas season if the birds don't strip all the berries off first:)
DeleteIt certainly was drizzly when I went out earlier ... so what a joy to turn on my computer and see this glorious post.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much Elaine,
All the best Jan
A bit of colour does lift your spirits doesn't it - it is still pretty dismal here, although they say it's going to be very mild tomorrow - have to get the bikini back out again ;)
DeleteOh, but I love a dove gray days! Our winters have greens and colors all around, so much so that I crave the starkness of Colorado winters. We're still wearing shorts and sandals most days. Winters aren't what they used to be. Thanks for the uplifting photographs.
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by Linmer - our climate is very different to yours - we have four definite seasons and know what to expect of November I think the grey skies would soon loose their fascination for you when they appear everyday :)
DeleteBravo for your attitude. Grey, dank days can really reduce my spirit, especially with the thought of a long winter ahead, so your positive approach and successful hunt for colour is something that I should take on board!
ReplyDeleteIn previous years I have suffered from S.A.D. but a couple of years ago I made a conscious effort to get as much daylight as possible, walking in all kinds of weather - it did make a difference so I continue to do it - I still don't like November though.
DeleteElaine, how did you get the color in the first photo. It is beyond mystical and magic. A sure cure for SAD. When I visited the UK during my traveling years, I was always most astounded that instead of the large one-stop-shop-all huge super markets that we have here where you can buy everything from in store baked goods to motor oil shoppers would go from the butcher to the baker to fruit stand to shop for the day's meals. And the flowers shops on every corner. I loved it. Your photos are gorgeous and romantic.
ReplyDeleteHi Ann
ReplyDeleteDid you mean the photo of the field - that is exactly how it came out - the early morning sun after the frost, hitting the field whilst everything else was hazy - in the right place at the right time. Yes, we still have markets and little shops, so much more a pleasurable shopping experience.
A log burner certainly drives away the gloom, sitting in front of mine is having the same effect on me as I type!What a lovely set of pictures, we need that fix in November. I just loved that second misty pic!xxx
ReplyDeleteI agree Dina, the cheerful glow from the fire helps when the days are grey and dreary.
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