Skip to main content

Mists and Mellow Fruitfulness

September arrives in mist
Having won the ‘pinch, punch, first of the month’ battle for the first time in ages, I get up to make tea to find a truly autumnal start to the month with mist obscuring Cardigan Bay. Eight years of living in the Welsh countryside have made us acutely aware of the changes marking the passing seasons. Over the last week, the colours of the leaves have changed on a daily basis; the wash of green is now tinted with reds and golds and the hedgerows are jewelled with berries. Country living’s also opened our eyes to the possibilities nature’s abundance offers. After the success of our elderflower champagne – which has added a real note of celebration to summer evenings - we went out last sunny Saturday, to gather elderberries and blackberries to make red fizz to brighten up the darker nights.
We're keeping an eye on those sloes!
Taking a few elderberries from several trees
Elderberry fizz in the making!
Given I have extreme Tomato Phobia, I stayed out the way when Tom used our crop of tomatoes to make chutney...
From this...

... to this
But I'm always happy to see our sweet peas...


In other news, first reports from the Little Family in Canada are all good, Tom’s leg is healing and I’ve now run 164 miles in training for my Cardiff Half! On Sunday, I learned that just because a 12 mile run is training run doesn’t mean it should be treated lightly! A two hour run in the sunshine with very little water and using isotonic drink for the first time did not end well. A useful lesson before the race!

Comments

Jane Lovering said…
All looks lovely! I now augment dog walks with blackberries, and your blog has acted as a reminder to me to go down to the bottom of the garden and check the damson trees. Ah, Autumn, so wonderfully prolific, shame it has to be followed by winter!
1 September 2014 at 06:22
Flowerpot said…
Yes I'm gathering blackberries too - that chutney looks amazing, and good luck with the run on Sunday. Sweet peas are my favourite x
1 September 2014 at 09:45
Clare Chase said…
Lovely atmospheric post and pictures! Really glad to hear things in Canada are going well, and very best of luck on Sunday.
1 September 2014 at 10:53
Preet said…
Autumn is rapidly encroaching on Summer. The fruits look lovely and I'm sure will make a fantastic drink.

Glad to hear the family is doing well and so is training!
1 September 2014 at 13:03
Irish Eyes said…
Not a tomato person myself, I have to admit, unless it is in chutney or sauce...well hidden from my taste buds...we have a good run of blackberries too, and OH has been enjoying them with ice cream for the past couple of Sundays. The foxes grab the lower branched berries, while we get the ones they can't reach. Tom's chutneys look lovely and tasty.
Isn't it amazing how early the colours are changing? We have holly berries that are fully ripened, and with our luck, every bird within a twenty mile radius will leave us without our usual Christmas decoration. It has been years since I have seen so much fog in the bay. We would really appreciate it if you didn't try to kill yourself running without hydration. We need more blogs and books!
2 September 2014 at 05:23
Frances said…
Chris, I'm glad that Tom's on the mend, and the Canadians are doing well, and you now will be careful on those preparatory runs.

Now...on to thanking you for all these gorgeous late summer into early autumn scenes. It's fun to compare what you've shown with what I've been seeing in Central Park.

Wishing I could go berry picking, though. xo
2 September 2014 at 06:24
Chris Stovell said…
So true, Jane!

Thanks, Sue x

Thank you Clare - the race isn't until the 5 October.

Chanpreet, we can almost watch the leaves turning now!

Oonagh, many thanks for your good wishes - I'm being more careful now! x

Frances, it is interesting to compare our neighbourhoods, isn't it? I always love seeing the photos on your blog. x
5 September 2014 at 02:55
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Happy Endings, New Beginnings

Blended families come with conflicting loyalties and at Christmas time nearly everyone has somewhere else they feel they ought to be. Throw partners into the equation and it gets even more complicated. Since Tom and I aren’t especially hung up about Christmas we’re happy to let our children go with the strongest flow, but I have to say it was a great delight to have the girls and their partners staying with us this year. When such moments are few and far between they become very precious. My stepsons weren’t far from our thoughts either, not least because we had the very happy news on Christmas Day that my elder stepson and his girlfriend had become engaged. Congratulations Dan and Gill, here’s wishing you every happiness together. Tom and I end a year that has seen the fruition of many years work, both of us crossing important thresholds within weeks of each other. I’m really looking forwards to seeing Turning the Tide published next year and it’s been so satisfying, after al...
22 comments
Read more

My First Book Signing!

It’s a fine, dry day and there’s an Italian market in the square outside Waterstone’s. Good for a book signing? ‘Bad,’ says Tim. The stalls are blocking the view of the shop and the fine weather’s keeping everyone outdoors. Hmm, that must be why they’ve only put one small poster up for my event, I mean why waste the Blu Tack? Tim demonstrates handing off the marauding hordes After much refolding of a black tablecloth and a rummage around for some books, I’m invited to take up my position at the author table somewhere between ‘fantasy and horror’, children’s books and a poster of the next author, Bobby ‘Iron Duke’ Windsor who’s signing on Monday. Once Tom, Lily, my lovely daughter, and her partner, Russ, are all sure I’m not going to run away, they leave me to it, taking it in turns to make sure I’m all right and bring me tea. Very soon, I notice a small boy watching me. When he returns with his family I learn that he would like to be a writer. His method, he tells me, is to rewr...
41 comments
Read more

Since You've Been Gone

Well, Ma Mère, There have been so many times when I’ve gathered up all the little shiny moments I’ve collected during the day, ready to present to you in our evening phone call and then I remember all over again that you’re not there. But, Mum, so much has happened since you’ve gone - maybe you know, maybe you don’t - that I’ve decided to write to you instead.  A few days after you died, we sold our house! After all those months! We even joked about you rattling cages somewhere. At first, nothing happened and then suddenly everything happened at a breathless pace and the next thing I knew I found myself driving (yes, me, driving!) along the M4 to Bridgend and the Time Capsule House, the one you said you and Dad would have bought. I remarked, when we first viewed it that if it was meant for us, it would come to us. Over a year later, when it had been under offer twice, we moved in. Oh, Mum, you and Dad would have loved this house; it’s peak Seventies and the decor - the pampas ensu...
5 comments
Read more