Thpooky October

Pumpkin soup

Spooky Cathedral Close at night

My toady friend trying to get away from my over zealous speedy weeding

The ritual carving of the pumpkin 

In October I mostly:

- was bitten by midges on the head whilst gardening

- started wearing my attractive boiler suit to work

- did lots of charity shopping

- listened to Radio 4, especially like Desert Island Discs and Woman's Hour

- started knitting a scarf

- raked leaves, planted bulbs, cut back shrubs and acquired rock hard biceps

- spotted a cattle egret next to the cows in the field behind the bungalow!

- made curried carrot soup and pumpkin soup

I loved the Helianthus in our front garden

Lots of colour still around

Sunny dog walks,

admiring nature

and trying to find Eddie's ball in the leaves

I made coffee muffins with Esme.  

I even dragged her on a walk!

Frank has been good

and bad!

A new venture for us was a trip to the Bournemouth 'Arts by the Sea Festival'.  

The 'Cockatoo Art Bar' 

- a 1965 Morris ambulance with a revolving birdcage on top for spontaneous shows

A solar powered cinema!

The 'Umbrella Tree'.  A moving installation set to slightly eerie music.

'Kitsch & Sync' were a quirky dance, theatre and performance company

They were hilarious

A member of the audience got roped in to the show!

This installation was made out of drinking straws

and the 8 metre long 'Message in a bottle' by Lulu Quinn was made from recycled bottles that had been washed up on the beach

After having a dance to one of the live bands and a go on the fruit machines we strolled down to the beach to watch the sun set

Such fun!

Lots of people were admiring the extra gorgeous sunset caused by sand from the Sahara in the atmosphere 

Bit overcast but still love the view of Gold Hill in Shaftesbury

where we had great fun with our friend Basil snurging around the charity shops

Ooh, sun has come out!

This was a charity shop haul from Wilton - I adore my new tartan waistcoat and don't care if it makes me look like someone from 'Monarch of the Glen'

We have had the usual autumn fog - Eddie?

But on the whole it was very mild

I'm off in to the sunset for a blog break now to knit my scarf, read my many books, light the fire and batten down the hatches for winter.......

Ta ra for now!

'Soon there will be three souls in the house: himself, his dog, his hawk.  The thought thrills him.  He loves this house.  He calls it his workman's cottage, his badger's sett, his refuge.  Outside, light and leaf shadows move on the high grey gables.....'

                                                                                  - 'H is for Hawk' by Helen Macdonald

June - Festival fun and the art of layering

June was a bit mad.  We were out 11 nights during the Salisbury Arts Festival fortnight!  We saw:-

1 x photo exhibition

2 x choral concerts

5 x films

1 x folk group

1 x jazz group 

1 x play

The weird and the wonderful

I particularly liked the play/dance performed in a lift in the Cathedral Close but unfortunately I couldn't get close enough to take a photo.

I'm not entirely sure what this is!

You could actually squeeze in to this lighthouse and watch a film on a tiny screen.  I was too embarrassed.

I didn't know whether the elderly gentleman was a member of the audience or part of the act?!

We also enjoyed a 7 mile guided walk along the Chalke valley, exploring the various churches along the way. I hadn't realised how many famous people are buried in this area.  Cecil Beaton is buried in Broadchalke.

Anthony Eden is buried in Alvediston

We had time for a quick pint at one of my favourite pubs - The Horseshoe, Ebbesbourne Wake

I wish I hadn't worn my wellies - it was so hot!

It was a relief to cool down in the churches

William Golding is buried in Bowerchalke

Time for a dip

The watercress beds

I liked the look of this garden

One night during the Festival we attended a film 'noir-athon' - 3 films back to back, the last one finishing at 12.30pm!  I only saw the last two.  The final film was called 'Insomnia' and I fell asleep!  This was not helped by the fact that we had been in London during the day singing in a lunchtime concert in St Martin in the Fields.  Talk about burning the candle at both ends......  It was worth it to sing Zadok the Priest and hear the organ - phwor.

We walked from Waterloo to Trafalgar square - too hot to use the tube

We had lunch in the crypt of St Martin in the Fields

We had strange weather in June, one day 12 degrees and hailing, two days later - 23 degrees.  No wonder we need to wear so many layers in this country.  Oh, to be able to predict the weather for more than 2 days in a row!

Alium by the patio

Frank has brought us many presents.  We've had shrews, mice, a headless bird in a walking boot, a big brown furry rat squished in between Sarah's sandals and a starling under the sofa.

Butter wouldn't melt.......

Poppies in the garden

Peony in the front garden

Osteospermum

I managed to overwinter my geraniums successfully

Cucumbers growing in the greenhouse

One weekend, we visited the Bishop's Garden Party in the Close.  I found loads of books for a bargain!

You could have a ride in a Bentley

or pet a camel!

I have loved being outside more, getting grubby and eating 'al fresco'.  That is when I'm not throwing Frank's presents in to the field behind with the dustpan and brush (now known as the 'shrew flicker').  

Long may the summer continue