After the Storm

At the end of last week, with the threat of the incoming storm and high winds, I made sure I prepared the garden, securing the planters and moving the potted trees to more sheltered positions. And thank goodness I did. 

The rain began late on Friday and continued during the night. It rained and rained. We planned to hunker down on the Saturday morning, then Lily had a party to attend that afternoon. The rain continued and the wind picked up a pace. It wasn't until after we'd set off that we realised  how heavy the rain was, when we saw just how high the river had risen. Large tree branches were being washed along with ease and the water was already over the bank in places. 

With a seventeen mile journey ahead of us, we had already checked the road reports before setting off and were hopeful that as long as the rain eased, then everything would be fine, but the further we went, the worse the weather became, so with the roads rapidly turning into small rivers and local businesses beginning to put up their flood barriers, we made the decision to turn around and return home. Naturally, Lily was disappointed, but it wasn't worth the risk. Even if we had managed to get there, with the state of the roads, there would be a strong chance we wouldn't have made it back again.

As is often the way in these parts, the following day could not have been more different. With hardly a breath of wind and the sun shining (along with the desperate need to get some fresh air following the previous day of being holed up indoors), we pulled on our wellies and set off for the woods to immerse ourselves in some seasonal colour.

The sunny weather made for a beautifully warm afternoon, although the ground was covered with leaves and sticks and it was clear from some of the pathways where the stream had washed out the day before, a line of silt and twigs indicating the water level at it's highest. The ground was still very waterlogged, with a huge puddle having appeared in the woodland clearing which, of course Lily discovered first,  much to her great delight. 

There was plenty of leaf kicking, acorn gathering and prodding at various fungi with sticks,  then as we emerged from the woods, the difference between the two days couldn't have been more apparent, as we spotted a hot air balloon on the horizon.

As always, it was lovely to see the cheery display of pumpkins on sale at the farm shop, although I resisted buying one for the time being. Maybe next week.

J. X

Autumn Colour

Autumn is marching on apace, and the surrounding landscape is quickly turning an array of russet and gold as the trees prepare for the winter months. It is the season at it's best and Mother Nature certainly knows how to put on a wonderful display.  Last weekend saw a sudden drop in temperature here, but following an early morning frost, the days were mainly bright and clear, if a bit breezy.

Naturally, the woods were calling to us, so we put on our wellies and made our way through the open fields towards the sheltered canopy of the trees.

Besides the wind rustling up above, it was so quiet in there, any sounds muffled by the damp carpet of leaves and moss on the woodland floor. Every now and again we stopped to look at some weird looking fungi, a particularly attractive leaf - me, or stick - Lily. And we were also on the lookout for some Hazelnuts, which we did manage to find and will plant soon. In previous year's we have gathered conkers and acorns on our autumn walks, which have since grown well in the garden. We might even have our own little forest before long.

The following day we headed into the Lakes, to Brothers Water. The strong wind saw clouds race across the sky, with leaves showering down upon us like confetti. We were relieved to be wrapped up well against the cold, and after a short walk along the length of the shore, soon returned to the shelter of the van for a picnic lunch, but not before we had passed two very brave ladies who had just returned from a swim in the lake! At this point my hands were beginning to feel very cold, as I had removed my gloves, which had been left smelling less than sweet after a meeting with a very persistent and friendly  farm dog.
Thankfully, our return home took us right by the National Trust cafe at Aira Force, where instead of taking any more photographs, I happily warmed my hands around a mug of delicious hot chocolate.
J. X

A Busy Weekend

Although autumn officially arrived last week, these last few days it has become much more apparent. When I step outdoors, it now looks, feels and smells like autumn. That cold, damp earthy smell that only occurs at this time of year, occasionally tinged with the faint aroma of wood smoke from a burning fire. The air feels much fresher now, and just this morning I was scraping frost from the car windscreen. The walk to school is paved with fallen leaves and acorns.

This last weekend we have been busy. Good busy. And it has been such a heartening change from spending our time catching up with chores which have been missed during the working week.

On Friday, with the promise of a calm, clear evening, we made a last minute decision to go to Blackpool to see the Illuminations. It's been a few years since our last visit and it's been on my list of things to do for a while now. We parked at Bispham, and after a delicious meal of fish and chips (and a glass of wine for me!), the sun had already set, the Illuminations had been switched on, and we made our way through the colourful lights and tableau displays towards the Tower and Central Pier. As luck would have it, we arrived just in time to see the World Firework Championships, so we made ourselves comfortable and watched as the sky was lit up with a spectacular display set to music.

Expecting to be a little weary from the previous evening, we hadn't made any plans for Saturday, but the temptation of a walk in the fresh air was too much, so a picnic was packed and we set off once more, towards a nature reserve on the coast. It was very breezy down by the shore, the wind whipped at our hair,  and along with the constant roar of the waves, at times it was difficult to hear each other speak. We enjoyed some obligatory pebble throwing and climbing of  sand dunes and Lily managed to return home with a significant amount of sand in her pockets and boots. I should probably realise not to expect anything less by now. 

In contrast to all that sea air, on Sunday we made our way to Grasmere. A restorative finish to our weekend, it is always such a lovely place to visit and never fails  to provide the most beautiful backdrop for a walk . A gentle stroll by the lake followed by a warming lunch in our favourite cafe, with some seasonal hot apple and cinnamon to drink. The autumn colour in the landscape becoming much more obvious now, and the pathways through the woods are carpeted with leaves. We collected a few conkers from the side of the lane to add to our growing collection.

J. X

Settling in to Autumn

In sharp contrast to the heavy rain and blustery winds of last week, autumn has officially arrived, bringing with it some sunshine, blue skies and crisp, cold weather. The darkness of early morning has given way to a beautiful but very chilly day, and Lily was most excited to announce 'Mummy, I've found my breath!' as we walked through the village to school.

It has been two weeks since the beginning of the autumn term and Lily has slotted back into the regular school routine once again, which is such a relief, although, I wish I could say the same for myself. I've been finding this whole transition period a little unsettling. I am aware I'm juggling a few extra balls this year but it's taking more getting used to than I originally anticipated. I think I just need to have faith in myself, be a bit more patient, and hopefully everything will eventually fall into place. With a bit of luck, I will be left wondering what I was so stressed about in the first place.

We are still getting out in the garden at every opportunity. Lily is using it mainly as some kind of a mud kitchen with her bucket and spade! In between clearing away small piles of mud, I've trimmed back the hedges that I wanted to get done before the winter months, and have been harvesting the tomatoes and beans on an almost daily basis. Thankfully they all managed to withstand the heavy winds. Remember the failed strawberry plants? Well, one out of the nine of them looked OK, so rather than bin it, I moved it into a large empty pot, and it has thrived and filled the pot with runners. I will have to wait and see if it provides us with any fruit next year.

Indoors, I've been busy turning the tomatoes into delicious meals and soups, I can hardly keep up with them since they started ripening. The sofa throws are being used as the evenings turn cooler, and we are gradually adjusting to the shorter days. I've picked up my crochet again, as I really want to try and get Lily's blanket finished before winter. It feels lovely when I'm working on it, nestled in the comfort and warmth of the wool.

Recipe for tomato soup:

50g butter
2 chopped onions
2 cloves of garlic
2 tablespoons of plain flour
1 litre of vegetable stock
1 kg tomatoes
2 tablespoons of tomato puree
Fresh basil

Melt butter and gently fry the onions and garlic until soft.
Add the flour and mix well, taking care not to let it burn, then gradually add the stock, stirring all the time.
Add the tomatoes, tomato puree and basil and allow to simmer for around 30 minutes.
Blitz with a hand blender then sieve to remove any pips and pulp.

J. X