Week 42

Bulb planting; squirrel time; coral crab apple

Chasing light in the woods

Someone reminded me this week that I have written previously that the beginning of October feels like we are playing at autumn, strolling around looking deep and thoughtful in corduroy and getting a little overheated in good jumpers and lighting unnecessary fires. And then about half way through the month…gulp. Oh yeah, this is what it’s really all about. I think that moment arrived this week. The rain is currently hitting against the windows and I have a hot water bottle on my feet.

I am wearing corduroy though.

This is my weekly post in which we trace the changing seasons together week by week. We begin with a roundup of your comments of the week before, like the briefest glimpses into windows showing alternate autumn universes. And then I tell you three things I’ve noticed, and then you take to the comments and the whole cycle begins again. Please do feel free to join in by hitting the comments button at the bottom of this post. Everyone is welcome.

Here’s your Week 41:

Refilling bird feeders after the ‘summer break’ & welcoming back the bluetits, bossy robin & starlings

Beeswax candles out of the cupboard and onto the windowsill

Chickens heading to the coop to roost early

The bite of cold here in the north, the low hum of the gas heating in the dark mornings

Grated apple in my porridge

Searching for gloves, hat and scarf

QLD, Australia: the fine layer of sea salt which dries on my skin & in my hair after my weekly dip at the beach, freckles becoming more noticeable

Geese, cormorants and egrets, plus a ‘romp’ of three beautiful otters

My daughter demanding school tights rather than socks

Apple crumble for breakfast

Searching out fallen hazelnuts underfoot with my 2 year old granddaughter, then cracking them open between a frying pan base and a saucepan

Still green, with the tree canopy thinning, a sort of fading rather than exploding into autumn

Dark outside for teatime

The brown mud of the woodland path now sprinkled with golden beech leaves - each one's outline clearly visible

Surprise roses in bloom alongside mulchy leaves and mushrooms in the cracks in the steps at the bottom of the garden

The holly berries suddenly appearing

The green grocers full of local apples and walnuts still in their shells

Buying autumnal-looking wool at the market

The graceful swaying dance of the tall clumps of white Japanese anemones

Summer’s last butterflies fluttering past the window alongside a winter robin on the garden bird feeder

Eating homemade sticky ginger cake in the woods with my son and grandchildren amongst the fallen leaves and amazing fungi

An evening tawny owl duet in the fields behind our house

A riverside café in the autumn sunshine whilst tiny leaves fall on me like a sprinkling of yellow confetti

Huge red vines covering all the old buildings in Freiburg like draped autumn decoration, a brilliant colour match to the yellow, whites and blues of the shutters and buildings

Here’s my Week 41:

Bulb planting

I am so excited about this. I haven’t ever felt like my garden is ‘finished’ enough for spring bulbs. They always seem like one of those final touch things, partly because if you aren’t at least a little bit settled about what plant lives where you will be constantly digging the bulbs up or worse, slicing through them. Anyway you may remember that this year has seen me pull out actual tons of old dead box plants from my garden and do a load of planting. In the same rush of I ordered these bulbs, which not only arrived but have now been planted - no they will not languish in the cupboard under the stairs until March! They’re in! It’s lovely having them all tucked away out there, I keep standing at the kitchen door looking at their patches and smiling indulgently. I can’t wait to show you them.

Squirrel time

This blurry photograph signifies what happens every time we are out in the woods or the park now. As the tree cover thins the squirrels are more noticeable, and at the same time they are particularly active as they create their caches of nuts. The daft fluffy white dog switches into hunting mode, thundering off after them. Luckily she hasn’t ever actually caught one (yet…touch wood…etc).

Coral crab apple

My crab apple tree’s fruits go through all sorts of colour changes, ending up a stunning deep raspberry pink that shines out all winter. But I really like every stage, including this beautiful soft coral still touched with hints of green.

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That’s it from me! Except to say…

And…please leave your comments. What have you noticed/done/eaten this week that felt particularly ‘this week’?