So Long, Farewell,

The summer is coming to an end.
The swifts have already left and it looks like the swallows are lining up and thinking about heading out too.

The barley is cut, and the straw baled.

It did seem like the man driving this machine was having, maybe, just a bit too much fun.

Evening and Morning

Here are a couple of photos from the same place, evening and morning.

Not exactly the same point of view, but, similar and still majestic.

Turn to the right and here is the beach, it is large. 

The tiny dots are people. 

We were not there when the tide was in, but, for these photos you can see the tide line, that is a long way for the sea to move up and down a beach twice a day.

National Trust Lyveden New Bield

Obviously a glorious day helps anywhere, however, this little place really was delightful in the sun.

This little mound, almost surrounded by water, has a spiral walk to reach the trees. 
So pretty and so understated.

Lyveden New Bield

A Few Days Away

Last week I joined a few friends for a couple of days, it was magical.

I took loads of photos as the weather was fantastic. 
As I get to them I may post a few here.


The sky was magical on our first evening.
3 views of the same beach looking west to north.

 Look at this huge beach. Again the beautiful clouds are fabulous.

The long beach. Guess the sheep are sure footed to stay up here.

Veg

Rain was forecast for today, and indeed it has rained for most of the day.
However, early this morning before the rain started I popped out and picked these.

There are a lot more tomatoes that are green or orange so I am sure that soon we will be inundated with tomatoes. 

I think we will be making some tomato soup for the colder winter days and maybe some ketchup, yum.

There are a few sunflowers flowering and the ornamental gourds are forming from the flowers, they are many and varied, the packet was right when it said 'a selection'. Until they start to set though you have no idea what you are getting.

Sunsets

The weather has bucked up and we have had some gorgeous sunsets.

Home Grown

Amazing things have been happening in the garden and vegetables are actually large enough to eat, very exciting.


Courgettes, (one got a little large) runner beans and a nasturtium flower, all good in a salad.

Carrots. the small one had a little problem, the others however are splendid.

Still small and green, hoping that these tomatoes will swell and ripen up soon.

Sadly of the 3 small pumpkins, only one seems like it will be a real pumpkin. I think that the cooler weather may have made the plant decide to put all its energy into just one fruit. 

It is a little warmer today so I am hoping that the plant will come up with another female flower and we could have another pumpkin on the vine.

One of the poor apple trees has produced a few apples. 

Sadly the blackbirds were attacking the fruit, so I picked what I could, it is a bit early for apples, but things have been a bit off this year weather wise and I felt if I did not pick the apples there would be none left thanks to the birds, who were really annoyed with me for picking the apples. I did leave them the ones they had already pecked into.

With the small plums I made some jam. 

Bugs

Here are a couple of bugs that have been helping in the garden.
A ladybird, voracious eaters of green fly. 

This one spent the night sheltering in the agapanthus that is about to open.

And this is a bee who was very kindly pollinating the marrow plant.