High Days and Holidays

Kids love the outdoors...

Is there anything better than a good English Summer? When the days are long, the weather is fine and warm and the whole country seems to resonate with music - festivals, local outdoor events and garden music systems; the air is filled with the aroma of barbecued food and the roads are rammed with patient traffic edging towards the coast.

This summer seemed to be quite long, the days have appeared to be endless and the nights warm and short. This is the benefit of bright, sunny skies for weeks on end during the middle of the year, and I hope that we have made the most of it. I certainly have fond memories of this summer and my January 1st holiday in Madeira not only fired me up to make the most of our garden this year - vegetables and flowers, but I have been able to see the benefit. Unlike last year, we have been dry and fine for almost all the summer. The lanes have not been waterlogged for the entire summer, the vegetables have had more than enough sun and the grass has been cut at least every week, often every 5 days. We have been able to walk in the woods at 9 o'clock in the evening and still see all around us and also at 4 in the morning - had we wanted to!

Bumbling bees fumbling in the foxgloves, tractors kicking up the dust in the late summer sun or sunlight sparkling off trout dimpled waters - these are a few of my favourite summer things.

late evening sunshine....

We had a wonderful evening filled with music, food and good company and raised some money for Frankie's niece Anna who needs a new communicator, in the process, that is a memory that will stay with me for a long time; the darkness slowly sneaking under the marquee, candlelight gradually taking over from the late evening daylight as the singer/guitarists stood and kept us entertained with music that seemed so apt for the occasion that it folded over us like a warm, comfortable blanket.

An evening of music, food and good company

The fishing has been affected, naturally, the trout staying deep and, whilst not uncatchable, difficult to locate and tempt to the fly, but longer evenings mean later rises of dry flies and this last minute, late light flurry can be fun and produce one or two welcome fish.

Summer walks were spectacular...

Winter seems far away, but Autumn is just around the corner and I love that Season too and I look forward to all it brings. But I will not wish away this summer, I have spent hours upon hours outdoors and although my garden - reclaimed woodland at best - will never look cultivated, be weed free or win any prizes, I have been very pleased with the outcome of the slow start in a very cold Spring, I have loved every vegetable, every flower and every sunny, blue skied day - long may it last - but I'm not afraid of the year's end, just happy to look forward to a new beginning.... 

Tractors kicking up dust in the late summer sun...