18 is such a big birthday Lia - glad you were able to celebrate. My 18th was the first week of lockdown so it was a bit of a downbeat affair! My first thing is really noticing that “dry” July look which is so different from heady June - the long golden grasses, the sorrel with its dark red “starched” look - the way it crackles in your fingers when you touch it, like brown wrapping paper or lightening. Second, the wayside flowers being outdone by fennel with its halo dusting of yellow pollen - standing tall on waste ground and in community gardens. And third, an evening in a tiny tapas bar, listening to a musical instrument that is very rare - a dulcitone - play a heartstopping ode to that high point in Ashton Court where you can hear the skylarks. He named it “Skylark’s plateau” and got us all to play skylark noises off our phone in an increasing wave of sound, magical.
It was at El Rincon in Southville on their Thursday live music night - a friend of a friend called Pete Judge who plays lovely music - he’s doing some more concerts in the coming months elsewhere in Bristol. Defo worth a watch !
We celebrated a 13th birthday this week, which also feels a little like time slipping away, but we had a lovely afternoon tea to mark the occasion. Blackberries are way off here, it’s a late August treat, although when I was little it was always September and a return to school thing. And never step into a fairy ring - you’ll be whisked away by the fairies forever!
My week has been to continue eating in the garden, until the rains come anyway. . A lovely meal with homegrown potatoes, peas and broad beans. Being a little glum observing the nights getting a little shorter, but the flip side is the solar lights are on earlier.
My vote is in for your podcast, Lia! This week has been about the shock of finding myself outside in lovely early 20s temperatures and sunshine without the threat of rain every half hour. Now away for the weekend in London, where it’s lovely and warm and breezy. Hopeful of some serious gardening at home next week.
I left my vote for your podcast! This week in Tennessee included intense afternoon heat, eating the best watermelon, playing in the creek, quiet birds, loud cicadas.
The light here is starting to shift: late afternoon seems more golden than bright, and the sun comes onto the porch and into the western facing rooms at a slightly different angle. The tomatoes are bursting with flavor. Late-summer perennials are hanging in there in the heat. I ran my hand through a planting of lavender on the uni campus where I work, just to get a little aroma-/plant therapy. It’s hot and dry in the Southern US, so I’m keeping the bird bath full of cool water.
A week of celebrating flax flowers in their red petalled beauty open and close in a day -so beautiful so short a life in bloom .Buddleia flower tassels in gaudy purples full of the flicking wings of butterflies .Crocosomia against the emerald greens and giant lily pads in glasshouses defying logic in their scale and beauty -the stuff of fairytales in botanical glasshouses .A care for the environment note with the launch of the Rebel Library online a resource for reading widely the writers poets and thinkers on our environment’s future which could be optimistic ? -and sharing their works widely with friends and family -quiet lines of protest through information both inspiring and discursive 🍃🌱🌿
We took the godkids for their first visit up north (in the US) to where I grew up. This week has been all about cows and cornfields, rolling meadows and roadsides full of wildflowers, chasing chickens and fireflies, swimming in mountain lakes, languishing in a 200 year old house with no a/c, and meeting all my old lovely friends who get to live in this magical place all the time. Being here with the children is wonderful and exhausting. We are driving back southward tomorrow.
You have my vote, your podcast is such a lovely way of welcoming each month.
My three things: getting drenched on a walk in Hatfield Forest but still being grateful for the weather here amongst the terrifying news stories; finally a sunny morning which brought out a fiesta of butterflies, including my first hummingbird hawk moth; having to remind myself every morning that it may be school holidays now but I still have to work (unfortunately!)
Three things: noticing the swifts gathering in greater drifts, and knowing this likely means they'll be shortly gone; butterflies on buddleias; tithonia and rudbeckia marking the transition to the orange time in the garden
Congratulations on the podcast nomination AND keeping the surprise party a surprise!
This week we have been pondering the collective noun for courgettes ... is it a 'courage of courgettes' in recognition of the conveyor belt of preservation the harvesting leads to. Bon courage, as they say over here. Our courgette relish is tangy, tasty and taking over the shelves.
Hooray! For the lovely podcast, the big birthdays to celebrate and the blackberries. We’ve not notice ours yet here in Oxfordshire but we’re going to go out today to investigate!
18 is such a big birthday Lia - glad you were able to celebrate. My 18th was the first week of lockdown so it was a bit of a downbeat affair! My first thing is really noticing that “dry” July look which is so different from heady June - the long golden grasses, the sorrel with its dark red “starched” look - the way it crackles in your fingers when you touch it, like brown wrapping paper or lightening. Second, the wayside flowers being outdone by fennel with its halo dusting of yellow pollen - standing tall on waste ground and in community gardens. And third, an evening in a tiny tapas bar, listening to a musical instrument that is very rare - a dulcitone - play a heartstopping ode to that high point in Ashton Court where you can hear the skylarks. He named it “Skylark’s plateau” and got us all to play skylark noises off our phone in an increasing wave of sound, magical.
Oh that skylark evening sounds magical. I'd love to know who/where.
It was at El Rincon in Southville on their Thursday live music night - a friend of a friend called Pete Judge who plays lovely music - he’s doing some more concerts in the coming months elsewhere in Bristol. Defo worth a watch !
Ah I know Pete Judge - also a friend of a friend!
Ah naturally .. Bristol such a small world. I wonder if we may ever bump into eachother or anyone else from this lovely community by accident ?!
That would be nice!
Wow!
We celebrated a 13th birthday this week, which also feels a little like time slipping away, but we had a lovely afternoon tea to mark the occasion. Blackberries are way off here, it’s a late August treat, although when I was little it was always September and a return to school thing. And never step into a fairy ring - you’ll be whisked away by the fairies forever!
Thank you! Useful to know... will try and tell the dogs.
My week has been to continue eating in the garden, until the rains come anyway. . A lovely meal with homegrown potatoes, peas and broad beans. Being a little glum observing the nights getting a little shorter, but the flip side is the solar lights are on earlier.
Have a lovely week everyone xx
My vote is in for your podcast, Lia! This week has been about the shock of finding myself outside in lovely early 20s temperatures and sunshine without the threat of rain every half hour. Now away for the weekend in London, where it’s lovely and warm and breezy. Hopeful of some serious gardening at home next week.
thank you so much for the vote!
I left my vote for your podcast! This week in Tennessee included intense afternoon heat, eating the best watermelon, playing in the creek, quiet birds, loud cicadas.
Thank you! x
The light here is starting to shift: late afternoon seems more golden than bright, and the sun comes onto the porch and into the western facing rooms at a slightly different angle. The tomatoes are bursting with flavor. Late-summer perennials are hanging in there in the heat. I ran my hand through a planting of lavender on the uni campus where I work, just to get a little aroma-/plant therapy. It’s hot and dry in the Southern US, so I’m keeping the bird bath full of cool water.
A week of celebrating flax flowers in their red petalled beauty open and close in a day -so beautiful so short a life in bloom .Buddleia flower tassels in gaudy purples full of the flicking wings of butterflies .Crocosomia against the emerald greens and giant lily pads in glasshouses defying logic in their scale and beauty -the stuff of fairytales in botanical glasshouses .A care for the environment note with the launch of the Rebel Library online a resource for reading widely the writers poets and thinkers on our environment’s future which could be optimistic ? -and sharing their works widely with friends and family -quiet lines of protest through information both inspiring and discursive 🍃🌱🌿
Do you know The Flax Field - a poem by Thomas A Clark Su? Worth seeking out - it’s beautiful.
No ! But thank you so much will look this poem out 🙏🌱
I’ve just checked Su and it’s actually called The Blue of Flax
Blackberries are already starting to ripen up here on the North East coast! Earlier than I've ever known 🤨
I’ll have to go up the lane and see how the many brambles in our neck of the woods are doing Clare!
I’ve not found any yet 👀
We took the godkids for their first visit up north (in the US) to where I grew up. This week has been all about cows and cornfields, rolling meadows and roadsides full of wildflowers, chasing chickens and fireflies, swimming in mountain lakes, languishing in a 200 year old house with no a/c, and meeting all my old lovely friends who get to live in this magical place all the time. Being here with the children is wonderful and exhausting. We are driving back southward tomorrow.
Fireflies! What a delight, especially with kids.
-Fingers stained with blackberry juice! Right now they’re still a bit tart rather than sweet…
-my cat lying on the sun lounger, fur warm from what little sun shines on these unusually unsummery days 🐈⬛
-only now have my tomatoes started to turn a bit red! If only there was a bit more sun!
You have my vote, your podcast is such a lovely way of welcoming each month.
My three things: getting drenched on a walk in Hatfield Forest but still being grateful for the weather here amongst the terrifying news stories; finally a sunny morning which brought out a fiesta of butterflies, including my first hummingbird hawk moth; having to remind myself every morning that it may be school holidays now but I still have to work (unfortunately!)
Thank you so much for the vote! Yes that work/school hols juggle is never fun is it...
Voted!
Three things: noticing the swifts gathering in greater drifts, and knowing this likely means they'll be shortly gone; butterflies on buddleias; tithonia and rudbeckia marking the transition to the orange time in the garden
Thank you Wendy! Yes I've been noticing the swift thing too, though now can't hear them at all...uh oh...
Blackberries are a bit slow to start here but the dahlias are out now which makes me so happy. I love the big, bright autumn-y ness of them.
Congratulations on the podcast nomination AND keeping the surprise party a surprise!
This week we have been pondering the collective noun for courgettes ... is it a 'courage of courgettes' in recognition of the conveyor belt of preservation the harvesting leads to. Bon courage, as they say over here. Our courgette relish is tangy, tasty and taking over the shelves.
Also enjoying the blackberry glut! With Beth Jean Houten's lyrics in my head 'blackberries stain their hands and their lips'...
Watching scruffy fledglings at the window bird feeder.
A tiger moth fluttering round the garden, oh and my first ever cinnabar caterpillar munching away.
Oh and latitude festival, our first with a little one, magical sunny and soggy times x
Hooray! For the lovely podcast, the big birthdays to celebrate and the blackberries. We’ve not notice ours yet here in Oxfordshire but we’re going to go out today to investigate!