The light is changing. Late August. The world has slipped over the invisible line that heralds a change of season. Early mornings now have a chill air, skies often mother of pearl or a wispy mist hangs low over the meadows.
I feel the pinch of the nights drawing in and the sun's tardiness to rise, caught in the middle in the delight of knowing autumn is here. The childish anticipation of the first firing of the log burner, woolly blankets back on the bed and saying goodbye to salads and welcoming back vegetable and gravy style dinners.
The hedgerows are full of sun ripened fruits, even though the latter part of summer has been wet and windy. The weather was kind when the blossom was out, so berries a plenty for man and beasts. It's been a plentiful plum year, which according to old weather lore states 'a plum year, is a dumb year' meaning not the best of summers.....lore that holds true this year.
In the local woods there are several wild cherry plum trees. These blossom in late February when the weather can be dire and pollinators scarce, so fruit can be intermittent. 2017 was the date on my last pot of this rare wild jam, so it's been 6 long years of waiting for the elements to line up to be able to harvest some. Nine precious jars of ruby red treasure are safely stored away for days when I need to taste sunshine on my toast...and we've already greedily eaten one.
Now is the time of fruitfulness and I have picked blackberries for breakfast yoghurt and dinner time crumbles. One return dog walk discovered a bucket of fallen apples had appeared outside a garden gate, so dessert was procured by 9 am! My raspberries have staged a second flourish, much enjoyed by me and next doors hens too.
Talking of hens we are thinking about having some again. I so miss their gentle company and their eggs of course. The next date for rescue hens near us is mid Sept so I have been getting their pen ready again. I can't wait to give a home to those poor oven ready looking creatures and I have definitely said no more than four...but we shall see!
I have been reading several books about walking. Journeys large and small, simple walks and more pilgrimage like, over home and foreign soils. What to look for, what to see. It's given me itchy feet for sure.
Locally we have the Frome valley walkway which starts high up on top the Cotswold escarpment inside Doddington park (now owned by Mr Dyson). It then trickles it's way all the way to Bristol harbour where it joins the River Avon whose source is also quite near to us in the Cotswold's. I am slowly walking this in sections, some I have traversed many times as it the river runs through our home town. Others are new to me. There is no order, no direction either, segments walked go up or down stream as fits the circular walking plan best. Exploring so near to home is a constant delight of what you will discover, even a view from a different direction can make the familiar seem exotic.
Movement is meditation, wherever your feet fall. You are forging a path through the world to either reach your destination, or to just indulge in the delight of wandering.
I find when I am cycling that my legs are eating up the miles, my eyes are drinking in the landscape around me and on the back burner my mind is whittling away at my worries and plans with seemingly no conscious effort from myself. At the end of a trip I am happily tired and I feel as if I have sorted everything that was bothering me. Result!
Lone walking has the same effect too. You may go to experience the countryside but often find your eye turned inward to the country within. And of course you experience this with any craft involving your hands but especially the yarn crafts. The rhythm of spinning, knitting, and crochet allows your subconscious free reign. It calms you, settles your spirit and balances your emotions, let the yarn whisk your worries away.
I'm working on spinning up enough yarn to crochet a simple rectangular vest....autumnal shades of course.
Indiana is comfort testing the Stylecraft Highland Heathers I'm using for her Indiana catghan which deserves its own post, so I'll save that for next time. Thank you for getting this far if you're still here, I really do mean to blog more regularly, so until then xx.
