December Rains

Four days of continuous rainfall, water standing ankle-deep, I'm beginning to think a pair of webbed-feet would be fitting.

It's difficult to achieve any outdoor chores in inclement weather like this, unless of course you are fortunate to own a  sturdy Mackintosh, wellington boots, and a large rain hat.

Luckily the temperatures are mild for this time of the year, just yesterday a new Geranium bloom appeared, even after several hard frosts earlier in the month.

Mother Nature seems to have her months all higgledy piggledy.

Row, row, row your boat......

 

 

 

 

 

 

" The best kind of rain, of course, is a cozy rain.

This is the kind the anonymous medieval poet makes me remember, the rain that falls on a day when you'd just as soon stay in bed a little longer, write letters or read a good book by the fire, take early tea with hot scones and jam and look out the streaked window with complacency. "

~Susan Allen Toth, England For All Seasons

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.

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 .......

 

 

 

 

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.

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.

 

 

 

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.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Last_of_the_Summer_Wine 

 

 

 

 

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.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

 

 

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