Category: seasons

October in France (again!)

But this time with The Small Persons.

Mishmash of seasons – spectacular light, weirdly blue skies, lizards, temperatures around 27 degrees, ripe quinces…..warmest October since 1945, when records began. (And the second warmest October was last year…)

A magic slice of summer, no frosts yet at all. But of course there is a downside – there are daffodils with leaves a foot high, and lilac bushes with not only leaf buds but four actual flowers….in NOVEMBER?? This has got to be bad news for next spring. Rather scary. We’ll see.

Moody weekend

Weatherwise, certainly….

Definite dampening of the spirits – but can’t believe how lucky we were to snatch a couple of hours out on the Downs – we didn’t get soaked till we were 10 minutes from home! The charming church is at Streat, near Hassocks. It is listed as 11th century, but what you can see is mostly Victorian. Plenty of traditional Sussex knapped flint around here.

And it’s not quite over yet – cheerful remnants of late summer colour here and there. And also a little swag – some brilliant pink crab apple jelly which I have failed to photograph.

February (can’t resist ing-ing)

Yes, I know, it’s the middle of March. Keep up, SpinningStreak.

 

But I’ve been busy. Fighting freezing conditions in the way I know best…

Walking over icy Sussex Downs with my lovely sister-in-law – all about the frozen dew ponds and shivering sheep:

 

Hiding away for a week in a cottage in Rye. Entertaining family members from over 90 to under one month!

 

Visiting Tenterden, Hastings Old Town, Tunbridge Wells…

 

Listening to tales of a childhood in the early 1930s and really really wishing I had recorded it…

The weather was frankly grim. The following week, of course, was almost summer – though vanished again now.

IMG_5785Three year old granddaughter’s current favourite place to visit – ‘Pirate’ park in Reigate.

Working, reading, working, knitting, working, spinning – well, no change there.

Some Serious Planning is also going on backstage – but enough – I think I might have just about caught up!