Enjoying the Last Days of Summer

 

Although the nights are drawing in rathers quickly now, I have still been making the most of these last summer days. If you've been reading here for a while now, you won't need any reminding of my need to soak up every last ray of warm sunshine before the colder  weather is here to stay. Winters here can be long and dark, and let's just say I'm not a fan of rain. 

I'm thrilled to say that Lily's first full week at secondary school has been a positive one. She certainly seems to have settled well, which has been incredibly reassuring for me. I'll find out more next week, when I get the opportunity to speak to her teachers at the open evening. 

My return to work has also gone smoothly, especially given that my my role was adjusted, literally the evening before I went back. I don't know why I was surprised by this, but I'll not get too comfortable, as it will, no doubt, change again before very long.

The last few weekends we've enjoyed spending some time at the beach. I had a yearning to breathe in the fresh sea air, and to feel soft, warm sand beneath my feet. 

One evening, we went to Blackpool to see the Illuminations. We kept with tradition, starting off with a fish and chip supper in Bispham, then we caught the tram along the promenade, towards the Tower. It was a lovely warm evening, and perfect for watching the amazing firework display, from our bench on the pier. I may have also treated myself to some freshly cooked doughnuts. Very sugary, very delicious :)

This week I've been resting, as much as possible, following an injection into my foot. I'm really hopeful this will help relieve the pain I've been experiencing, but only time will tell. To further help with this, I'm taking an extended break from running. Instead, I've started swimming once a week, in an attempt to keep my fitness levels up. 

I've finally got around to pickling some of the beetroot. There are still quite a few left to harvest, which I will try to do this week. 

And the pumpkins are ripening! Autumn is on the way. 🍂

J. X

Catch-Up

Despite the very best of intentions, I've been a bit rubbish about posting here lately, although I'm hopeful that will change, just as soon as autumn term begins and I'm back into some sort of routine once again. I can't think that by this time next week, Lily will have already completed three full days at secondary school. She seems ready for the challenge, even if I am not :)  She tried her uniform on earlier, and I'm happy to say it all still fits. She has, of course tried all the items on as we've bought them, just not everything at once. It's quite scary how grown up she looks.

I commented on Billie Jo's blog, earlier, that I am feeling a little mournful at summer's impending end, but this year it feels even more poignant. Changing seasons in every sense. I never particularly enjoy the slow transition between summer and autumn, waking up each morning never quite knowing what the weather will have in store. Summer has felt all too short here, this year. The evenings are becoming dark much earlier now and the morning air feels cool and fresh. 

Having said that, we've actually had a really lovely summer break.  Lake days have been fewer than in previous years, but the kayak has been a really great investment. Lily absolutely loves it. Our old camping stove still serves us well for boiling the water for our hot chocolate. 

I finally managed to make good on a promised walk up Red Screes. It was a beautiful evening, and the views were spectacular. 

In between days of decluttering and decorating the kitchen, we've enjoyed walking through the fields and seeing the sunflowers.

This year, my birthday was spent taking part in The Lakeland Festival of Light. 

We enjoyed a visit to Settle, to enjoy the Flowerpot Festival.

A lovely couple of days were spent in Hebden Bridge, staying in a beautiful apartment, right on the edge of the town. 

We spent a pleasant morning walking along the river at Hardcastle Crags.

And an afternoon walking along the canal. We loved seeing the narrowboats and imagined what it would be like to live on one. After much discussion, we decided against the idea :)

We called in at Howarth on the way home. Then stopped off at Skipton, for our lunch. Chips, eaten by the canal. 

We've foraged the first ripened blackberries. They've been washed, weighed and now stored in the freezer. Some of them will be used to make Blackberry Vodka, and the rest  will be used for compote, just as soon as I've got my hands on some elderberries.

This afternoon, I've spent some time in the garden. I've pulled weeds, cut the grass and washed out the bird box. This will be allowed to dry, then I will paint it again, before next spring. The pumpkins are still growing well, and there are plenty of potatoes and beetroot left for us to enjoy. It won't be long before I'm tidying it all, in time for the winter months. 

J. X

At Home

 

It's funny that even though I have more time on my hands than usual, I'm finding it trickier to post. I think it's down to having less structure to my days, and little concept of real time. I'm struggling to remember what day it is. Not that I'm complaining, as that will all change in a few weeks, when school starts again for the autumn term. Just this once I have been remarkably well organised, and Lily has everything she needs to start secondary school, including the 'right' kind of bag and coat :)

Yes, I used the word 'autumn'. Although the days are still delightfully and most definitely summer, the evenings are becoming that little bit cooler and certainly darker. Along with my upcoming birthday, the middle of August also signals the arrival of late summer here. Rowan berries are beginning to turn a vibrant red and blackberries will soon be ripe enough for picking, but as always, I will be clinging on to my favourite season for as long as I possibly can.

This year, I have spent quite a bit of time de-cluttering the house. Whilst on my summer break, this has gathered pace and I am now noticing a significant difference. In the kitchen, all the cupboards have been emptied and sorted. Items that haven't been used for some time have been discarded - well, sent to the charity shop - and the walls have received a fresh coat of paint. It looks so much better already, but I will be giving it a second coat of paint tomorrow, then hanging my new blinds. I really need to put down some new flooring, but that might need to wait a couple of months. After that I will be starting on Lily's bedroom, but I will be fitting this in as and when I can. One step at a time.

Both cats have been spending a lot of time outdoors, enjoying the good weather. But at home, when she's not guarding my clean laundry, Mog has found herself a new sleeping spot, on top of Lily's (yet to be de-cluttered) toy box. Boo, on the other hand, has taken to sleeping on top of the hob! He is the sweetest cat, but certainly not the brightest.

The garden is beginning to looking a bit weary now, and although the hydrangeas are still looking fabulous, many of the flowers are past their best. I've already harvested and enjoyed some of the potatoes, and the beetroot will need pickling soon. The lemon trees are still doing well, and the experimental pumpkins are growing fast. Who knows, I might be carving a home grown one this Hallowe'en. 

J. X

A Week in The Lakes

Last week, the weather was nice and sunny, so we enjoyed a lovely week in and around The Lakes. 

Our first visit was to Buttermere, more specifically, Rannerdale Knotts. In order to avoid the crowds, and the heat, we went late afternoon. This turned out to be a good plan, as we didn't have any issues with parking and we only passed a handful of people up on the fell. I imagine it would have been a different story had we been there earlier in the day. It was a lovely walk, and the views over Buttermere were spectacular. The one thing that I hadn't planned for, however, was just how hungry we would be afterwards. We are far more used to walking in a morning, taking lunch with us. So on this occasion, and as a special treat, we enjoyed dinner at the hotel in the village. It was a really lovely evening, and another Wainwright ticked off. 

The following day we went to Ullswater. This was actually where we were meant to go on the previous evening, until I had a last minute change of mind :) Again, it was another late afternoon visit, but this meant that I could get on with some jobs during the day. Lily had great fun in the kayak, while I tried my best to relax and rest my foot, which unfortunately, is still causing me a great deal of discomfort. 

Midweek, I had an appointment at the hospital (about my foot), then met up with a friend, who I haven't seen in a while. We enjoyed a walk by the river, a drink and a good natter. We didn't exactly put the world to rights, but we gave it our best shot. 

The next day, we were back at the lake, and this time we were much better prepared. We went out in the kayak, and we also swam for a while, before cooking sausages on the camping stove. Delicious!

Towards the end of the week, and with another fine day forecast, I thought it would be nice to fit in another walk. This time we went from the village of Mungrisdale, taking in Bowscale Fell and Bannerdale Crags. It was a steep climb up through the bracken, and it was tricky to negotiate the path in some parts, but once we'd reached the other side, it was fairly straightforward. The heather is in flower now, which is always lovely to see. It was a great day for walking, but very chilly on the summits, and even on this summer's day, we were very glad of our down jackets. Back in the valley, we quickly became much warmer, but we were able to cool off in the beck, before making our way back to the car. 

J. X