Sunday 25 September 2011

Autumn walk.






When the farmer set off this morning with his walking group it was pouring with rain and there was a thick mist - I thought that the lot of them were mad. Now ,four hours later, the sun is shining and it is really warm.

Tess and I had our walk down the lane. It is not easy walking as the muck leading season has begun and you do have to watch where you are putting your feet. There is a slight breeze and the early rain has meant that the leaves are pretty heavy and the breeze is blowing them off the trees. The air is full of leaves and the scent of dying vegetation (mixed with the muck!)

On the stone walls the lichen shines golden in the sunlight; the recent damp warm weather seems to have enhanced it. In the distance the tops of the deciduous larches in Forty Acre wood are already showing golden. The air is full of the sight and sound of rooks and there is a very autumnal feeling everywhere. We keep having to step back on to the verge as it is a chapel Sunday and all the traffic comes down our lane to the chapel in the next village.

When we arrive back at the gate I notice that the Cotoneaster horizontalis has produced a lovely crop of red beads to tempt the blackbirds. I do hope they leave them for a while - they make such a cheery picture and once the blackbirds find them they seem to almost disappear overnight.

In the farmyard a family of rabbits has discovered the lawn under the Scots Pine trees - as I stood in the bedroom window this morning five young rabbits were happily cropping the grass and although I suggested to the farmer that they were doing as good a job as a lawn mower, he was not impressed and went into Mr McGregor mode - so watch out rabbits - he is on the warpath!

16 comments:

Crafty Green Poet said...

oh poor rabbits! They do crop the grass nicely and their droppings are good fertiliser too!

Rachel Fox said...

We have a baby bunny living in our garden (at least we think it is just one!). Zoe got a look at it this morning but I managed to stop her from giving it chase off up the street!
x

Pondside said...

What a lovely taste of a fall Sunday that was. Over here, it's still morning, and the sky is grey. I have high hopes for sunshine, later, though!

Heather said...

Such a lovely walk Pat, even on a changeable autumn day. The berries are so cheery and I love the sound of rooks calling to eachother. I also love lichen against grey stone and your lane looks beautiful. Rabbits are such pretty creatures but I know they can do a lot of damage to gardens and am glad they don't visit ours.
The word verification is 'reward'! Most fitting for such a rewarding post - thankyou.

angryparsnip said...

awwwwwwww, Bunnies ! so cute. I love when the baby bunnies come to cool off in my bushes during the hot summer months, the cool wet earth must feel divine.

It is 78 this morning with sunny, blue skies but possible rain this afternoon the last of our monsoons I think.
So different than your very cool/cold fall weather your having.
Oh it will get up to around 97 this afternoon.

cheers, parsnip

John Going Gently said...

love your chick photos in the previous post... nice to see hens let out properly during the day

Cloudia said...

all this beauty;
and Chinese too!

Bless you my lucky friend :-)


Warm Aloha from Waikiki;

Comfort Spiral


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Rarelesserspotted said...

Its such a pleasure to take this walk with you... thanks for the photos.
XX

Penny said...

We have had rabbits in the garden too something we never had before, so the shot gun as been brought out here too. They are a terrible menace here in Oz where they have in the past been in plague proportions.

steven said...

the farmer's walk must have been lovely as well. teach him to blog weaver!!!! steven

Mary said...

Pat, pray tell us what type of wellies you wear for the mucky walks please! Are you sporting Hunters fit for Her Majesty, or do you buy less costly ones because you must wear them out pretty fast on a working farm?
I returned the Hunters after I discovered Land's End rain boots for my upcoming cruise to the sub-Antarctic. They fit me better around the ankles, are a wee bit lighter which is good for packing, and look quite spiffy in glossy black. Best of all, they were half the price!!

No rabbits this year - perhaps they moved on to cooler climes for a change, and of course there wasn't much to eat with the sun and heat burning the garden delicacies to a crisp.

Mary X

Rachel Phillips said...

We put fences up to keep the rabbits out of the crops and we pray for mixy.

Anonymous said...

What a glorious walk.

John "By Stargoose And Hanglands" said...

As the old folksong says "It's many a dark and cloudy morning turns out to be a bright and sunny day"

Arija said...

I love it when you are out and about and having fun and if you live in the country, it is bound to have an agricultural smell about it now and again. Those bunnies may be cute and fluffy but there is something to be said for bunny stew.

The Weaver of Grass said...

Thank you for replying to my post. Seems you mostly have a love/hate relationship with the bunnies.