30 pounds of Damsons and an Autumn walk . . .

There is no doubt about it, Autumn has arrived early last year. In fact, there were glimpses of it back in the end of July. It is no great surprise really, when we had high summer in April and the garden has been totally out of kilter ever since.


Anyway, it gave my soft fruits and tree fruits a good start, and I picked 30 lbs of Damsons this week. So far, I've given some to friends, and made a Crumble, and started off some Damson Gin, though I need to get another half bottle soonest. I will make Damson wine this weekend, and cook the rest up and freeze them.

I managed to fit in a short walk on Wednesday afternoon, and got OH to drop me off on the way back from the PO:


Above and below, lovely chunky Welsh Cob broodmare and foal.


The old farmhouse with its wonderful backdrop of Black Mountain.

I chose to walk this in reverse, as it's a much flatter route!

Looking across Carmarthenshire fields, and below . . .


The last corner before the steep downhill bit to the valley bottom.

One of the last Foxgloves of summer. They seem to flower from beginning to end of summer, the first few peeping out in late May/early June (they were early this year because of that heat-wave in April and May), and the last little fairy bells heralding the return of Autumn (early this year for similar reasons).

There were lots of bees this side of the valley. On our side they are conspicuous by the absence.


Looking across towards Horeb.


The Sweet Chestnut was amongst the earliest trees to put out leaves, and flower, but it is always the first to turn as well, and the road and verge beneath it were already bearing the first fallen withered leaves.


"Fox and Cubs" is the country name for this wild flower. It is also known as Orange Hawkweed.

White Himalayan Balsam, which looks far prettier than the pale and mid pink varieties.

It is so difficult getting a "different" view of our river . . .

The fruit of the Wild Arum Lily (Lords and Ladies) by an old long-abandoned cottage where a carpenter once lived.



Yellow Hawkweed growing on a verge.

I actually managed a little jog along here. If I am to start doing this regularly, however, I definitely need to invest in a very good sports bra . . . or run before dawn . . .

Scalloped rocks where the river carves out gobbets of stone slowly over the decades and centuries. Each spate carries down small rocks and water-worn pebbles which get deposited in the scoops in the bedrock, and then carries them on downstream and leaves them at the pebble beach where we used to skim flat stones when the children were younger.

There is a Dipper on the rock towards top right. He/she wasn't curtsying, but just looking intently into the river. A pair of them nest under the bridge every year.


A colourful display, as always, down at my neighbour by the river.