Autumn

So we made an abrupt return visit to autumn on Saturday!  It was cool and misty and rainy and wet!  We were at Bishops' House in the morning and not surprisingly had quite a quiet morning.  We did get a few visitors, but not until later.

Meersbrook Park in the mist and rain

We were supposed to be having a barbecue at Tabitha, Gareth and Cally's house but the weather definitely wasn't barbecue friendly.  So we, they and Freyja and Simon gathered in the kitchen and had sausages and pork steaks and veggie burgers and dippy things and snacky things in there instead. And a lovely afternoon it was, despite the weather!

Summer has made a fight back now, though.  Sunday was warm and sunny.  Today is shaping up to be a glorious morning.  But autumn is making its presence felt, in a Keatsian sort of a way.  Misty in the mornings, and fruitful.

Bramley apples waiting to be made into pies and cakes and sauces

Tomatoes, onions and pumpkin

Sunday morning, early, looking up towards Grassmoor.  (Are they daleks coming over the brow of the hill?)

Raindrops on the bedroom window, glistening in the sunshine

We let the ducks out to forage in the garden

and I used some of the apples to good purpose

I was going to get out into the garden to make a start on the autumn clear up.  But I didn't.  And I still haven't cleaned the lounge room windows, which remain all smeary and sticky.  I did, however, make a loaf of bread, the apple cake, some roasted tomato soup  - and delicious lamb steaks with roast potatoes and pumpkin and various garden veg for lunch. So not an entirely wasted day!