Sunday, November 22, 2015

Sunshine And Shadows



Goodness the weather has turned bitterly cold.
The sun has shone all day long, but the wind has been horrendous, and temperatures have barely made it over the freezing mark.
A hard freeze blanketed the ground overnight, and a repeat performance expected tonight....

I thought about venturing out to the Christmas market... that's as far as I got.
Some souls are braver than others.


Saturday, November 21, 2015

Recycling Nature's Way

Each year, as Fall comes to an end, I remove the Boston ferns from the front porch.
I buy them early in the Spring from our local farmers co-operative, and with a faithful watering, and the occasional feeding, they grow into huge plants which we enjoy  all season long.
They are lush and green, and offer lots of shade, but after the first few hard frosts of Autumn hit, and the leaves turn brown,  I'll transport them to the trees and offer them to the birds as a winter refuge.

I have tried hanging them in a room and watering all winter through, it makes a huge mess, so I've given up, and resigned myself to the fact that each spring as soon as the farmers greenhouse flings open it's doors, I'm there waiting in line .......

 

 
 
 

Wednesday, November 18, 2015

And The Rains Came




We have been deluged with rain today, buckets of the stuff......unrelenting and soaking everything in sight.
The wind is howling and creating havoc.
The trees are shedding the last of their leaves, Winter is fast approaching.

Monday, November 16, 2015

Friendship Days


Monday started out dark and dreary.
I gave some thought to looking around a few shops, and seeing what is available now the Christmas season is drawing closer.
Instead, I had a visit from a wonderful friend, a dear lady who has been in my life for many years, and has shared the ups and downs of expat life together.
.
I visited her hometown when I was in England recently. A medieval city founded as a Roman fort in AD 79.
Chester and my hometown share the same county and is a popular tourist destination to thousands of visitors to Britain each year.
It's streets are lined with some of the best timber-framed architecture throughout the land.
We enjoyed a pot of tea, and Scottish shortbread biscuits, as we reminisced and giggled like two school girls.




 
 
 

Thursday, November 12, 2015

Three Teas, Please Ivy....

Almost every evening before turning in for the night, my husband and I watch Last of the Summer Wine, on Public Broadcasting Service television.

Last of the Summer Wine is a gentle, romantic comedy, which graced the British TV screens for  almost forty years. It was an inspired choice of location, for the charm of the region perfectly matches the warmth and humour of the characters, capturing the idyll of lazy summer days and the sort of amusement belonging to a long forgotten golden age.




The beautiful Holme Valley stretches down from the high Pennines along the River Holme towards Huddersfield, in West Yorkshire. Holmfirth is the main town, it offers visitors a delightful mixture of weavers cottages, Victorian hillside terraces with "top and bottom" houses, a rushing river and mills, all surrounded by breathtaking Pennine scenery.




During my trip home last month, my dearest brother treated us to a lovely day out over the Yorkshire Pennines, and a ramble around Holmfirth. We took the tour bus, and stopped at the various locations around the town, all so familiar after seeing them night after night on our television screen.




 
 




After the tour, we stopped at Sid's Cafe, and enjoyed tea and and buns, just as the characters did in the series.
"Three teas, please Ivy".

 
 

 
If you're interested in reading about the series, I've included this link.
 
 
 
 
 

Monday, November 9, 2015

No Takers

A dark November day, 
Rainy and yet surprisingly warm for this time of the year.
The leaves continue to fall.
The birds have retreated to their nests.
The geese fly south overhead.
Squirrels busily transport their overwinter stash to secret hiding places.
Wild turkeys lead their flock to the nightly roost.
A ginger kitty sleeps.
 
 




 
 
 
 



 


Friday, November 6, 2015

Slowly Changing




“The leaves fall, the wind blows, and the farm country slowly changes from the summer cottons into its winter wools.”

~ Henry Beston : Northern Farm
 
 

Tuesday, November 3, 2015

Arley Hall and Gardens

On one of the most perfect autumnal days we visited Arley Hall and Gardens. A delightful country house situated within a few miles of my home.
If you are interested in reading more I've included a link. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arley_Hall
I can only imagine the beauty of the gardens during a mid-summer month.
Enjoy.








































If you are interested in seeing photographs of the inside, here is the link to their website :
http://www.arleyhallandgardens.com