August bit and bobs

At the top of the dead ash tree behind our stables, birds often like to roost.  Here is one of the Red Kites which fly over our land and the farm around it.  It sat there for quite a long time - long enough for me to run downstairs and fetch my camera anyway!

One night recently, clouds lit by the setting sun (though these are east rather than west).

BLACKBERRIES!  I've picked and frozen about 6 lbs so far and there will be lots more joining them.  I will make jam with some when I am not too busy.  I like having a few jars in the cupboard to give as thankyou gifts.  You would think, after this summer's drought, that the berries would have withered away, and indeed some on very dry banks have done that, but generally speaking the crop is amazing this year - HUGE berries, though of course, the very biggest are out of reach.  I cheated today though and when I found some out of reach amongst the Elderberries at the bottom of the yard (by the stream, which is running again now), I got out the lightweight steps and climbed up on those to pick them.



I knew we were going out yesterday, but for some reason I didn't think there was anything happening before our 1.30 p.m. appt. in St Clears.  I was up early-ish, and so I started off a loaf of bread in the Panny, and came upstairs to do a blog post.  Then I got distracted when I went blog-hopping and I went into sewing mode when I read Rhonda-Jean's latest post over on Down-to-Earth.  I am sure you have followed the link and will see what took my eye (with long dark autumn and winter evenings creeping ever nearer) - yup, it's that cute felt bunny made from a pattern from Posie Gets Cozy.  I couldn't resist, and bought myself two instantly downloaded patterns - Miss Juniper Kitty and a knitting pattern for a dress for a rabbit .  At this point I had better confess I also went Amazon shopping and bought myself a book "Making Luna Lapin" who is, unsurprisingly, a felt rabbit.  The book has lots of clothes patterns to dress Luna in too.  I guess it is a rush of blood to the head . . . 

Anyway, there was I, getting all excited, downloading the patterns with one hand, waiting for photos to load to my blog, and in the midst of all this, having a game of Tetris on FB (or rather, "Blocks" as I think they call it).  Keith put his head round the door and said, "Ready to go then?"  Of course, he could see I was jolly well NOT, the rotter, so it was all go as we had to meet up with our friend Mike two counties away (OK, corner of one county and into another).  The computer was abandoned, and I hastily chucked the well-risen dough from the Panny into a jug, covered it in cling-film and put it in the fridge, hoping it wouldn't be at the door to meet me when we got back.  As you can see, it was thinking about it!!

So tea last night was a his and hers pizza, and I turned the other half into a crusty little Coburg loaf, brushed with beaten egg to make it wonderfully golden.  (The bread dough btw, is the half and half Oat bran mix I use.  Yummy.)

So, that was a very quick round-up of events.  Today it has been raining off and on, but I managed to pick some more blackberries from the bottom of the yard, strigged a few Elderberries too and did a quick egg fried rice for tea.

Our eldest daughter and her partner arrive tomorrow for a week or so, and I hope they get some good weather returning, especially as they fancy a couple of days' camping by the coast.