After the rain...

 We went out this morning for our walk, as usual. This is a habit that will stand out as a good thing from the pandemic - we decided right at the beginning of lockdown 1 that we were going to walk each weekday, and barring the odd day when it has simply been too wet, or when one of us has had something happening early in the day, or the handful of days I have been away, we’ve continued ever since. It’s a great way to start the day - some movement, some fresh air, some daylight, and a chance to talk over whatever needs discussion before MrEH settles to his days work, and I try to not annoy him too much just by pottering about the place doing...whatever. 

This morning my plan was to walk with himself, then add on another few miles running afterwards. My kit was on, I walked in my running shoes to facilitate a smooth transition from one form of exercise to the next. And then, 10 minutes away from the end of the walking bit, the heavens opened. There had been a little light drizzle earlier on, but the actual “rain” wasn’t due until 10am according to the weather forecast app. The app is an inveterate liar - I know this. Today it proved it. 9.15 = deluge. Deluge to the point where I said “I’m not running in THIS!” and we squelched home. A change of clothes was needed by both of us when we got there too - as I say, a deluge! 

A few hours later though it was altogether a different story - the sun was out, the sky was blue and it was quite clearly perfect running weather! I love this time of year - the temperatures are great, far nicer to running than the sticky heat of summer. The colours are amazing, and the light too - just beautiful. So I found some dry leggings (there was no way the ones from this morning were going back on!) and some dry running shoes (ditto) and laced up and got out...to discover that my legs felt heavy, my breathing felt rough, and it generally felt like flipping hard work! Frustrating when this happens - there’s nothing you can do about it but grit your teeth and get on with it, or give up and walk home if it feels REALLY thankless. Today I was only after a gentle 3 miles to round off my week - usually I’d round it up to 3.1 for the straight 5k, but today, no - I reached the turn towards home and decided that the straight line rather than the “add a bit of distance” short diversion was in order. Of course when I got home, and looked at the stats on Strava I discovered two things - firstly that it was substantially faster than it felt, and secondly - THAT WAS WHY IT FELT SO TOUGH! Honestly - will I ever learn?! 

Robyn

Autumn Colour at Fen Drayton Lakes

On our way up to Birmingham for our Good Food Show weekend a few weeks back, we stopped off on the way to visit an RSPB reserve - it was a lovely cold crisp winter day and seemed just perfect for a walk.

RPSB Fen Drayton Lakes is a reclaimed gravel works next to the River Great Ouse in Cambridgeshire. Although not that far from us this was the first time we'd visited the reserve, which consists of a network of paths around water meadows and lakes.

As the name suggests, the reserve is in the heart of the Fens, meaning that the land is tremendously flat. The advantage of course is that the walking is easy - this would be ideal for someone with a child in a pushchair or for an adult with reduced mobility. The paths are well maintained and there is a variety or routes to be chosen from the short couple of mile loop we did, to a longer walk round the reserve boundaries. The flatness also means that the light is quite remarkable - just look at this glorious Weeping Willow glowing in the wintry sunshine...

More colour was visible from the profusion of berries, hips and haws on the trees and bushes too - this really has been a remarkable year for these!

Walking on a little further you get a stunning view out across one of the lakes - we were surprised by the number of Great Crested Grebe to be seen - although not an uncommon bird both MrEH and I were astonished at just how many were out there. Add to that all manner of other waterfowl, and there was definitely plenty to look at. We met a chap local to the reserve - a regular visitor who said that it was very quiet there that day - that he was surprised how few grebe there were in particular - so goodness knows how many there are usually!

The River Great Ouse provided more fantastic views as well - I can see that this would be lovely at any time of year too, although autumn colour is always going to be a winner, isn't it!

We turned back to the car then - as a fun weekend in Birmingham was calling us. We've already said we want to go back though - and to make a point of visiting some of our other "not too far away" RSPB Reserves, too!

Robyn

Raindrops, Roses, and Autumn Leaves...

Remember I posted the other week that we were off to a wedding? Well it was quite the most excellent weekend! We started with the short flight from Stansted up to Edinburgh, and had the Saturday exploring that wonderful city which is always a treat.

We dodged rainshowers and wandered - along Princes Street and around its wonderful gardens...

...and then we found a few of our favourite pubs - not difficult as there are so many fantastic ones! I even found my favourite Oban whisky in one, which was an added bonus! The following morning we returned to the airport to collect a cute little white Vauxhall Corsa which was to be our chariot for the day, and with MrEH at the wheel we headed North! We did get distracted at the Forth Crossing - I can't possibly go past that amazing structure without getting the camera out...

Wonderful isn't it? We detoured to stop at South Queensferry where there is a little beach, when the tide's out, that means you can walk right underneath the bridge. I've seen it from the road bridge before, and been across it on trains many times, but walking that close to it was a new experience - fantastic! We had a good wander about, and walked out on the little jetty you can see on the right of the picture above, and then, finally, headed north again towards Dunkeld, where my lovely friend Fay and her fiance were having their wedding.

We were there as helpers as well as guests - absolutely the way things should be in a "Handmade Wedding" - and our first job was a good old stomp about with the lovely Peedie & Haggis. MrEH shot off at a run with Haggis (who always has energy that needs dispersal) and Peedie gave me a look that simply said "I hope you don't expect ME to behave like that!" before we followed at a more sedate pace! Back to settle the dogs, then, and on with our other task for the day - that being to take lots of photos! (Well what else?!)  some you will already have seen on Fay's blog no doubt, so I'll just share a few of my favourites if I may...

Remember Fay mentioning their £10- bunch of Fairtrade roses? And the borrowed fairy lights? I think this shot shows both off rather nicely...

...and look - table runners and foraged table decorations all in evidence here. The vibrancy of the colours there could actually be a good indicator of the whole day - bright, vivid, and fun!

With photos of the decorative stuff all taken, and frocks changed into, off we whizzed to the beautiful forest of The Hermitage just up the road - a very special place this, and one which myself and MrEH are determined to visit again now! Naturally Fay's bouquet also contained all the autumnal colour you might expect, and came in quite handy to hide behind, too...

...whoever knew that wedding flowers could double up as hide 'n' seek props eh? Even a beautiful blushing bride needs a hiding place from time to time! She did indeed look gorgeous too - from her red wellies to her fabulous frock (vintage, naturally...well, Charity shop anyway!) our lovely lady just glowed with happiness ALL day. The Groom didn't let the side down either - dashing in his kilt, and the young adults also were stunning and handsome in turn.

From the forest we returned to the wonderful Birnam Arts Centre for some of this....

...and rather a lot of this...

...and a whole load of dancing, and chatter, and music, and fun!

What a truly magical day we all had - and almost entirely provided by the love and skills of a group of people many of whom started the day as strangers and ended it as friends - with wellie boots, and sushi, and pink fizz, and a wondrous forest, in common. Truly "Handmade with Love".

Ladies and Gentlemen, please welcome, your Bride & Groom, Mr & Mrs McB...

May the best you've ever seen
Be the worst you'll ever see;
May a moose ne'er leave yer girnal
Wi' a teardrop in his e'e.
May ye aye keep hale and hearty
Till ye're auld enough tae dee,
May ye aye be just as happy
As I wish ye aye tae be.

Robyn xx

Seasons

"What's your favourite season?" is a question that seems to come up every now and then. Hmmm....Winter maybe - beautiful snowy lanscapes, clear views where later in the year nothing can be seen through trees, scarves, gloves and hats, and the feeling of snuggling up under a couple of nice heavy duvets on a chilly night... Or Spring maybe? The first signs of new life, the woods over the way to us taking on their first tinges of green, the first mornings where the bathroom doesn't feel absolutely FREEZING, lighter jackets but still cool enough to wear scarves.... Oh, but Summer - summer is just fantastic, no? Warm weather, not having to bother to take a coat, SUNSHINE, flowers out everywhere.... And then of course there's Autumn. All that colour, the crunchiness of leaves underfoot, beautiful sunsets and stunning sunrises...the colour - Oh, I've already mentioned the colour? Crisp mornings with wisps of mist hanging low over the countryside.

We're incredibly lucky in our town and the surrounding countryside - although the town is a new Town it's been built with open spaces and colour as an integral part of the design. Autumn is probably the best time to see it - it's a positive pleasure to walk around at this time of year with every colour from green through yellow and orange, to deep, dark red.

Is there a better time of year than autumn to go walking? I'm not sure there is. Not too cold, and yet not so warm that you get all hot and sticky within minutes.

The ground might be a bit sticky and slippy but nothing that ordinary walking boots are going to get phased by - I'm happy to wear wellies when gardening, but I'd have to be honest and confess I'm not a huge fan of walking any distance in them. Leaves getting stuck to the mud is a bit annoying though - that I'll grant you.

Then there's nature's harvest of course - where gardens tend to be more productive through the summer months, the countryside is in its element just about now. In the last few weeks we've gathered rosehips, haws, blackberries, plums, crabapples, sloes, elderberries and walnuts. Oh, and a Hazelnut. Not a great year for those. With just the addition of some sugar and some time, we've now got jars of jams, jellies, syrups and sauces, and a freezer loaded with fruit to take us through the winter months.

It all looks so stunning too - vibrant reds, glossy blacks, and the finished products from the deep purple blackberry jam to the beautiful delicate pale pink of the rosehip syrup. Just as marvellous lined up in the cupboard as awaiting harvest in the countryside.

So - which is my favourite season? Hmmm....can I get back to you on that? Better still - which is YOURS?

Robyn

For Today...

FOR TODAY

Outside my window...darkness is falling, along with a gentle drizzle.

I am thinking... that as so often happens, I am trying to do too many things at once, and as a result am completing none of them!

I am thankful... that I have some fantastic friends - all of whom can add something of value to a debate or conversation.

In the kitchen... the bread machine will be on shortly, with dough for rolls for our lunches this week.

I am wearing... cow-print PJ bottoms and a warm, cosy fleece which cost me the princely sum of £1 in a charity shop!

 I am creating...This blog post!

 I am going...Absolutely nowhere! It is Sunday evening and I am staying right where I find myself. Warm & cosy.

 I am wondering...Which of my several "jobs-on-the-go" I should go on to next...

 I am reading... "When I heard the Bell" - the story of Britains second-worst peacetime disaster after the Titanic - involving a ship I bet none of you have ever even heard of - the Iolaire.

 I am hoping...for good weather next weekend for my trip down to Devon to see my Mum-In-Law.

 I am looking forward to...My trip down to Devon next weekend to see my Mum-In-Law!

 I am learning...to play the clarinet. Again. It would have been easier if I hadn't given it up for the last 30 years.

 Around the house...it's quiet - MrEH is out picking rosehips, sloes and crabapples. The cat is sleeping.

 I am pondering...Whether "pondering" is the same as "wondering", and if so, whether the question 6 above this one, and this one itself, should have the same answer?

 A favorite quote for today...Honestly? I'm not good on quotes. Sometimes one leaps out at me, but only sometimes - I don't have a fund of them handy for every occasion!

 One of my favorite things...The fantastic autumn colour around us at the moment.

 A few plans for the rest of the week: Work, clarinet lesson, fab train journey to Devon.

A peek into my day...

Why not join in with your own "For Today" over at The Simple Womans Daybook


Robyn

Autumn colour...

I love this time of year. I don't really have a favourite season as such - I like Summer for its warmth and the hope of blue skies and sunshine, days out, camping trips and eating ice cream by the seaside. Spring of course - seeing the countryside wake up, green shoots and fresh, crisp mornings. Winter is cleansing somehow - there is something reassuring about being warm inside while it's absolutely freezing outside, snuggled under a thick duvet or walking through the countryside tucked into a thick coat, cosy scarf & warm boots. Autumn though...autumn truly is special, with something to appeal to each of our senses.

Sight - the blazing reds, yellows and oranges of the leaves turning on the deciduous trees contrasting  with the green of the coniferous, and the grass surrounding them. Sound - dead leaves crunching under foot. Taste - toffee apples, treacle toffee and sausages in buns! The smell of bonfires, and the touch of soft raindrops on your face.

I'm lucky to live in a town where much emphasis was placed on green spaces when the town was being designed. It means that at this time of year, everywhere you look there is incredible colour, and a simple walk from here to the station, for example, is an absolute joy. The pictures I've added to this post were mostly taken in a stroll through the Town Park on the way to the Rugby Club on Saturday. MrEH needed the car (his is off the road at the moment) and I had no hesitation whatsoever in agreeing to walk over later, because I knew what a pleasure it would be. In fact, I got so distracted taking photos I missed the kick-off of the match - oops!

Robyn

Frugal Friday...

There is no question, we've said goodbye to summer and autumn is now making its presence felt. We've changed for our mid-weight duvet on the bed, and are remembering to pull the blind down in the bathroom overnight to avoid it being cold in there in the mornings. The thermal roller-blind we have in there wasn't particularly expensive, but it saves us needing to heat the room in any other than the coldest of weather so has probably paid for itself already in the one winter we've had it in place.

We've had some great fun this summer - in fact we seemed to go through most of it with plans for every weekend! Of course though that level of living life to the full does have an impact financially - we've still maintained our overpayments to the mortgage mind you, those get prioritised - but our personal savings and the accounts we have specifically to budget for getting out and about could do with some TLC. We'll make the most of a quiet couple of months now to recharge not only our own batteries, but the financial ones too, to ensure that by the time we need it, there is some cash in the "fun fund" again.

Some areas of expenditure naturally ease up at this time of year - we don't tend to be away so much as with the rugby season in full swing Ben has matches on saturdays and I am usually there too with the camera gear. The photo kit was pricey to buy in the first place but other than the occasional memory card or replacement batteries running costs now are pretty much zero. Matches are mostly fairly close to home and there are sometimes car-shares with other players too to cut down the diesel cost a bit. I eat lunch before I go, and as I'm driving I generally stick to soft drinks in the clubhouse - in fact in the depths of winter, after 80 minutes on the touchline, you want nothing stronger than a cup of very hot tea!

If we're looking for something to do on a Sunday, we have our RSPB and National Trust memberships - we donate to the RSPB monthly, and I quite often visit our local reserve to get a lovely walk in the fresh air. As members, even the parking is free! Having paid for the privilege it would be silly not to visit the places!

One area I am looking at cutting back on this month is our spend on food. We have a Tesco "Clubcard plus" account which means we get extra clubcard points on what we spend using the card. Each month the account is fed with £150 and all our food and cleaning materials for the month come from this. Shopping at Tesco itself is paid for straight on the card, whilst I can use it at cashpoints to withdraw money when I want to shop elsewhere. I have two "£2 off when you spend £20" vouchers to use this month so I will do two shops of that amount to get the benefit - those will be when I buy things like washing powder. Other than that we will buy as little as we can, and raid the freezer, larder and storecupboards to make our meals. I drew up our meal plan for the month today, and that will evolve through the month as I raid the freezer. At some stage I will spend £10 on meat in Morrisons - nearly all their meat stocked is British, which means it meets higher welfare standards than it might if it came from elsewhere. I'll look for the cheap cuts - beef skirt, lamb breast, pork cheeks - and will then batch-cook to get the best value out of what I've bought. We have lots of sausages in the freezer at the moment- bought when they were on special offer a couple of months back, and the other weekend's roast chicken was stripped off the carcass after we had our sunday lunch from it and has been portioned up into the freezer - it made a chicken curry for Friday night, and we have another three meals-worth to eat yet!

Are you cutting back ahead of the winter too, and making the most of what you have? There seems to be a lot of "no shopping" and similar challenges around at the moment - I'm not unrealistic enough to think this will work for us - nor would I want it too, I like my fresh fruit and veg! - but I do intend to cut our expenditure as much as I can, I wonder how we will fare?

Robyn

Just one month...

...but what a lot we crammed into it!

Mosaic made via Big Huge Labs Mosaic Maker

Robyn

It pays to ask...

We were out collecting in my Avon books on Sunday, nothing unusual in that, but nearly tripping over a large, fallen, yellow fruit on someone's path is a little exceptional. Looking up we quickly realised that it had come from an overhanging tree which was positively laden with more large, yellow fruit. Quince! Instantly recognisable, and all the more when we smelt them, a beautiful fragrance all of their own - apparently they make excellent car air fresheners as they shrivel, rather than rot, and will perfume the air delicately for ages. I returned to the house, apologised for bothering them, and asked if it would be OK to take some of the overhanging fruit - I think they were quite pleased to be asked! (Probably saves them having to constantly go round and clear up windfalls!) We have 2kg of them....and now have to decide what best to use them for....jelly? Something like a fruit cheese? I think I've seen a jam recipe somewhere. I shall probably pop over to The Quince Tree Blog and take a look at what she has done with them...

Robyn

Busy day...

...and a highly productive one, too. I have a list of jobs that needed doing at some stage between today, and Monday - a good many of them kitchen related, so decided to use today to get ahead with some of those.

We take lunches to work rather than having to buy expensive pre-made sandwiches, so are always looking for fillings for rolls which are not only tasty, but also economical. This definately ticks both boxes - it is a smoked mackeral pate.



A pack of T*sco value smoked mackeral fillets (£2.09), half a pack of the same brand soft cheese (40p a pack), a teaspoon or two of wholegrain mustard, a splash of milk, and some seasoning. Blended together until smooth-ish. You don't have to obliterate every last lump, but a mostly smooth pate is better. Delicious, and around 30p or less a serving.

Lidl have been selling Butternut Squash at 89p a kilo recently, so I've bought a couple of good-sized ones, and always had a pan of soup in mind for one of them. I have a recipe for butternut soup *somewhere* - my lovely Sister In Law made a delicious one when we visited them a while back, and I know the recipe was shared, but I couldn't find it, so this was a "wing it" job. Fry two onions - chopped, in a little butter (I used ghee as I have a tin of it in the fridge) until soft. Add stock - I used a block of frozen chicken stock that was in the freezer and a Knorr Stockpot "cube" - and the diced squash. Pour on just enough water to almost cover, some herbs, tarragon works well, and a couple of bay leaves, and seasoning, and leave to simmer. Once everything is soft blitz with a hand blender until smooth, then stir in a generous dollop or two of greek yogurt. This will do our lunch tomorrow, and possibly tea on Sunday, or one batch will get frozen.



It's been a fantastic day here - beautiful bright sunshine and so warm again! I spent a bit of time on the balcony generally tidying up, as it seemed a shame not to be out there appreciating it. I also spent some time out there reading - I'm re-reading this series again and it's completely unputtdownable. Again. *grin* If you've not read them, then do. If you have read them, read them again, but don't bother asking to borrow my copies, these are NOT for lending! In between times I mooched about and picked what will be pretty much the final tomatoes. There are a few still hanging there, but I will probably pick those whether still green or not, on Sunday.



Gorgeous, aren't they?!

Robyn

Undecided...

We are having an Indian Summer, apparently. This afternoon it was warm enough that I was outside wandering about in short sleeves, and feeling slightly too warm in fact. very odd for late September in the UK. Far more familiar to us was the sight that greeted me when I first peeked out through the curtains this morning:



FAR more autumnal, I think you'll agree? And being beautifully modelled by our lovely tree., which is just starting to turn to all shades of red, gold and russet. With that in mind, I set the slow cooker up overnight to batch cook a load of base-mix for Chilli - just finely chopped beef skirt, tinned tomatoes, two green and one red pepper, several onions, thyme and some smoked hot paprika. Topped up with some water and added a couple of beef stock "cubes" (not oxo, but the Knorr Stockpot reductions which I find excellent) and then left it bubbling away quietly to itself overnight. By this morning the meat was tender and the whole flat had a fantastic aroma travelling through it. I thickened it up with a little cornflour and a couple of handfuls of oatmeal and then portioned it out. It made 4 meals for two of us, and one single portion all of which went in the freezer, and another portion for the two of us tomorrow which is in the fridge. Just add red kidney beans, cook some rice, and that's a home cooked "ready meal" for those nights when, after a long day at work, you want something hearty and tasty and QUICK.



In the background you can see the jars containing last nights project - a chutney using some of the vast number of apples we've foraged, along with our home grown beetroot, some rather elderly swede from the fridge, and quite a lot of onion. Also in the background of the picture is the slow-cooker (fresh from it's excellent chilli-cooking adventures), and our fabulous wooden chopping block which lives out on the worktop and is constantly in use. Also half a jar of spiced pickling vinegar which has been in the back of the storecupboard waiting to be used for about the last year. It smelt just as good as we remembered, and was just what the chutney needed!

Robyn

Feels like...

...Autumn. There's a real nip in the air today, and it's gloomy enough this evening to need lights on in the car. It won't be long until there are leaves everywhere to be crunched through and fabulous shades of red, yellow and orange everywhere.

Robyn

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