September - a quiet month

September was warm, sunny and s l o w.....  

I've enjoyed hearing the straw in the fields 'pop' as it dries in the sun, watching the seagulls following the tractor and plough in the field behind the bungalow, listening to the witchy cawing of rooks and waking to eerie, misty mornings.  What I don't like are the daddy-long-legs flying up your legs - ppppfffffrrrrttttt.... and the HUGE spiders!  We have to leave all the plugs in the sinks and check the shower curtain every morning at this time of year.  We've also put conkers in every room but I am sceptical as to whether they keep spiders away.......

'

Walks - 

We've seen fungi at Hare Warren.  This one is poisonous, likes coniferous forests and can grow up to 4 cm high.

Snaketongue truffleclub - good name....

And, one of my favourites - the puffball.  It can grow up to 8 cm high and it's ripe fruit body opens at the apex and releases spores.  I can never resist the urge to give them a gentle kick to see them puff! It likes deciduous and coniferous forests and is edible.  It has a mild taste when young similar to radishes. I'm certainly not going to test that fact with my awful efforts at identification!

Common puffball

I am still struggling with my lack of botany skills.

Dove's foot cranesbill? - not sure....

Likes waste places and cultivated land.  

Used to treat gout, colic, aching joints and heals open cuts and wounds.  

Found April - October

Common mallow.  Perennial 1 - 3ft tall.  

Likes roadsides and waste places, especially in the South.  

Found June - September

Deckchair + basket + flask = bliss

We sat on the beach and had a picnic at Hengistbury Head

I had a snurge along the water mark

I've enjoyed lots of little walks around the village.

I like this lamp post - I keep expecting to see Mr Tumnus from Narnia standing underneath it!

Soft autumn light

Strange padlock I saw hanging from a tree - what is it for?!

I've looked for more interesting shapes

And seen signs of autumn everywhere

This cottage used to be a pub years ago

Nice haircut

A quiet village street

Over the stile

Through the kissing gate

Foooooood, mmmmmm - 

I'm going to miss home grown salad in the winter

We made 'Truly Tomato' soup out of my 'Covent Garden' recipe book

It had apple, celery, carrot and red pepper in too and was delicious

From left to right:

Rosella (my favourite - masses of flavour)

Sweet aperitif

Lidl - cute light bulb shape but lacking in flavour I think

Santonio - nice kick

We also made courgette and tarragon soup to try and use up some courgettes!

Trip out!

My friend Eleanor took me out for coffee (and the best millionaire shortbread I have ever tasted) at Beaton's teashop in Tisbury - very decadent.  Tisbury is a small town but it has everything that you could need - a mainline station to Waterloo, beautiful shops, a butchers, a deli, a pottery shop and a gorgeous florists that will make you swoon with its heady aroma wafting out on to the pavement....  I could live there.

Beaton's book shop and tea room

At home - 

I've dried my lavender - I'm going to make a nice, smelly pillow with it to help me zzzzzzzz.

Glass stopper found in the garden

Our neighbour's grapes are hanging over our fence - shame

Nearly time.....

The tobacco plants have gone on for ever and still smell heavenly at night

Our neighbour, 'Welsh Bill' has a walnut tree - I'm drying this one on the window

My fellow bungalow girl is making beer

Whilst I have been upcycling old t-shirts with my wonky patchwork

Ez and I have been having fun with paints.  That's me walking the dog up the hill on the left!

This month Frank has been mostly walking around the house with a carrier bag handle around his middle, chewing wires and hiding in desk drawers.

Frank having one of his calmer moments

My mum bought me this chicken.  

I was going to use him for food scraps but he is far too handsome.

This month we have been thinking mostly yellow and orange.....

The highlight of the whole month was finally getting a piano.  It sounds lovely.  I've been practising a lot more and strangely, it is so much easier to play than an electronic keyboard.

Our new cottage piano - love, love, love.......

Its nice to be able to pick your own flowers

and leaves - the strawberry leaves are so pretty

I like looking closely at things

Scrummy lichen and moss

Mr Bull looking at me - at the end of our garden (gulp!!)

Big dog keeping an eye on things

The yarrow in the front garden is flowering, to keep with the yellow and orange theme

Sarah's mum grew these from seed and kindly gave us some when ours died

My classy white plastic chair in position for a bit of sun worshiping

Misty mornings

Turning in to sunny days

The runner beans and tomatoes are becoming fewer and the weather is now changing (wind and rain on its way) but we have moved the sofas closer to the fire (in to our so called 'Strictly Come Dancing' formation) and have had another log store built so we are ready to batten down the hatches once more.  

Here we go!