Autumn Days

There are many reasons I enjoy writing my little blog. It is especially important in  times such as this, when it feels like all I do is eat, sleep, work, repeat. Weekdays seem to blur into one another with rhythmic ease and  my weekend activity becomes less as the sun sets earlier each day and the nights grow longer. During these dark evenings it's lovely to have a reminder of the bright sunny days and to be reassured I do still get the opportunity to spend plenty of my time outdoors, even if sometimes it feels otherwise.

Recently we have seen some beautiful sunny days. Not enough to dry out the well trodden muddy fields and tracks but enough to enjoy some walks without the need for waterproofs, which at this time of year is often unheard of. 

Disappointingly, with the announcement of the second lockdown, our planned visit to Hill Top didn't get to happen but, having remembered to book in advance, last week Lily and I spent a lovely morning in the grounds of another National Trust property. It was lovely to see the change of seasonal colour throughout the gardens and we enjoyed a hot chocolate along with some delicious home made banana and chocolate loaf at a secluded little spot, overlooking the pond. It felt good to sit for a while in the warmth of the sun and it was hard to believe there had been a heavy shower of hail a few moments earlier.

Hallowe'en was a quiet affair this year, but we still carved our pumpkins and displayed them in the window. This year more than ever before I've been determined to be much less wasteful, and so I made a very tasty risotto with the flesh of the pumpkins and I can definitely recommend roasting the seeds. They don't take a lot of time to prepare and make for a delicious snack. It would have been very easy for me to have eaten them all at once but they do store well in an air tight jar.

On Bonfire Night we wrapped up well and went out into the garden to make some pretty patterns and write our names with sparklers. We could hear fireworks being set off in the distance but there didn't seem to be anywhere near as many as usual, which must have come as quite a relief for many pet owners. I was still anxious, however, as Mog headed out of the cat flap as always, completely unconcerned by them.

Last weekend, on another gloriously sunny morning, we went for a short walk up Gummer's How. It's always been a favourite little climb of ours, especially as for minimal effort we get rewarded with some of the most beautiful views across Windermere and the Lakeland fells. There was barely a breath of wind and we spent quite a while simply sat overlooking the lake, enjoying the view.

A few days later than I intended, I made some treacle toffee. It is something I always love to have at this time of year and is so quick and easy to make but, for some reason, I just hadn't got around to it. It seems to be a common theme with me lately, in that I seem to be constantly playing catch up. With this in mind I have recently turned my thoughts towards Christmas 🎄 and, in an attempt to be slightly more organised than usual, I think I need to start some planning. 

J. X