Friday 2 October 2015

Hazy Days








Tess and I had a lovely walk around one of the meadows (one without any cattle grazing!) after lunch.   The air was still, the sky was blue, the crows were lazily flying around from tree to tree (have you noticed how in the country, when the swallows are gone, the rooks take over and become the dominant bird?)

Large rabbit holes have appeared in the hedge bottom - perhaps a sign that the rabbits are moving house to get ready for winter, although I think they breed almost all the year round (we don't use the phrase 'breeding like rabbits' for nothing).

The ash trees are beginning to turn yellow, both the leaves and the 'keys'; we have so many ash trees on our land I do hope we don't get ash die-back, although I suppose it is inevitable.

Tess is very kind when she is out in the fields with me; she goes at my pace and if she gets in front then she waits for me to catch up.
She rarely goes into the meadows so she really enjoyed the new smells.  Although the farmer hit the thistles hard in the Spring when they were young, some escaped and are now covered in thistledown, so beloved of the goldfinches and the reason why there are so few on our niger seed at present.

The walls are covered in moss.  The farmer added a strand of barbed wire.  Although we both hate the stuff, it does discourage the sheep from jumping up on to the wall and making their escape into the lane.   Doesn't the lane look inviting in my photograph?   While the leaves are still on the trees it reminds me of a lane in a fairy story.

 In the front garden my schizostyllus is the best it has been for a few years.   I think it must be the amount of rain we have had - the plant has managed to stand upright rather than droop over on to the path.

We are all hoping that this wonderful Indian Summer lasts over the week-end; it is many a year since we had such glorious weather so late in the year.

It is the church coffee morning in the morning - then a free week-end.   Enjoy yours whatever you may be doing.

20 comments:

Doc said...

Great photo's Weaver, I love those schizostyllus they brighten a garden up when everything else is getting tired out. I have a lovely pink one called "Big Mamma", of all things.

Cro Magnon said...

I love that picture of the rabbit hole, it makes me think of Watership Down.

sonia said...

You live in a gorgeous place!

Wilma said...

Idyllic.

Derek Faulkner said...

Beautiful autumnal photos, you can feel the warmth and stillness of the time.
Do you not feed sunflower hearts to your Goldfinches, they're a magnet to most finches.

Anonymous said...

Lovely to see pictures of your stomping ground. It is a very beautiful part of the world. Lovely Tess- how kind she is. :o)

Gwil W said...

The rooks are flying in from Russia as they do at this time every year. Flocks of hundreds are a common site, especially in the evenings. Many roost in the graveyards and in the trees by the zoo and in the wooded parklands. The last swallows would have gone south 1 or 2 weeks ago. We have similar weather to yours. Hope it lasts.

The History Anorak said...

What a gorgeous plant! I don't recognise it. I have crocosmia, which look a bit similar, but I've not seen that one.

angryparsnip said...

What a lovely walk !
Your tree lane is indeed right out of a fairy tale.
The rabbit hole id so big. Here in the desert they are very small and like Cro I thought of Watership Down.

cheers, parsnip

Terry and Linda said...

You live in a lovely, lovely place!

Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com

Joanne Noragon said...

I stopped and mentally commented on your lovely lane. It looks like a quiet stroll or a new adventure, or whatever one wishes.

Heather said...

Beautiful photos - the rabbit hole looks big enough for Alice in Wonderland and your lane is so lovely inviting one to walk along it.
The field sycamores which line the road down into our little town are turning a lovely golden yellow and there is a distinct smell of autumn in spite of the glorious sunshine.
Your garden must still be full of colour and looking very pretty.

Rachel Phillips said...

And I just went to work.

thelma said...

Lovely photos, the weather has been pitch perfect this week, a gentle glide into autumn and beautiful sunsets at night....

jinxxxygirl said...

Thank you so much for taking us on a walk with you. I plan on doing that sometime soon too and take pictures to share along the way... Mine is not as lovely as yours but it will do. Today however i'am finishing ripping out the bathroom wall! :) Hugs! deb

coffeeontheporchwithme said...

Those flowers are gorgeous. Do they go by another name? I don't think I've ever seen them before, but they are a great colour! I love moss on rocks. Beautiful scenes on your walk! -Jenn

The Weaver of Grass said...

I don't know any other name for them Jenn - sorry.
Actually Anne, close up they are nothing like crocosmia (or as we used to call it, montbretia. I have two colours of crocosmia - the common orange one and also a wonderful bright red one caled Lucifer. If you haven't got that one then the next time you come up to Scarborough call in for lunch and I will give you a root or two - it goes like wildfire (hence its name!) Thanks everyone for calling in.

Frances said...

What fun it was to go on that walk with you and Tess! You allowed me to see so many interesting sights that will feed my imagination. Thank you very much.

Simon Douglas Thompson said...

Those red flowers are a striking colour for this time of year.

thousandflower said...

We admired your Schizostyllus when we visited you a couple of years ago and I put some in my garden the next year. They didn't really like the 4 months of drought we had this year but survived. I hope in a more normally rainy year they'll do better. They are so pretty.