Autumn Cottage Diarist

A Blessing Arrived at my Door Today

I thought the crunching of the gravel on the drive early this morning heralded an early delivery of a book that I had ordered…but when I looked, there was no parcel – but an envelope. Hmm – hand delivered? - must be someone handing out flyers for a local event? No such thing; I was greeted by the delightful card below – and inside – good wishes for the Autumn Equinox – from An Admirer of Autumn Cottage (and the garden!).

Out of the blue – a little package of love, an unexpected surprise to make my heart soar, and feel that suddenly, a Monday was a much nicer day than usual!

Dear friends – never be in any doubt that gestures like this make a difference. Never be in doubt that in this difficult, angry, conflicted world, there are still good, kind thoughtful people out there – and that one of them chose, today, to go to the effort of paying me a compliment, bringing me this gift and blessing my spirit abundantly.

If they read this blog, they will know who they are.

Thank you, friend – you have made my day very special.

The last rose of summer?

To the Bottom of the Garden - and Back Again

There's been a big Orange Cloud over England for the last couple of days and I was finding it oppressive - so I decided to get away from seeing it all over the Internet and the TV screen, and out into the garden for a stroll.

These are the items that I found beneath my feet in just a hundred yards or so - to the bottom of the garden...along the ditch behind the fence...and back again. They provide a little snapshot of what comes and goes - and stays at this time of the year. I think I'll do this kind of snapshot once a month.

Autumn Cottage garden artefacts - From the top...

A Pheasant feather and a Collared Dove feather. A bracket fungus.

Two snail shells. A Whitebeam leaf, curled up by the heatwave. A Magpie feather.

Two more Pheasant feathers. Three Woodpecker feathers.

A decomposing Blackbird skull. A lichened and mossed twig of wood.

Aren't these small treasures beautiful? Even the Blackbird skull, which is slowly revealing itself. I will tell you more about that another time.

A Rainy Day Sort of Thing to do…

Our resident Greater Spotted Woodpecker, braving Storm Imogen today

More than a month into 2016 and today here at Autumn Cottage we are experiencing - in the form of 'Storm Imogen' - just a little of the dousing that the rest of the UK has had in buckets over the last few months, along with exceptionally mild temperatures. Roses were in flower on Christmas day and the first daffodil buds opened two months ahead of their usual time of appearance.

But it is also dark and grey, and though the evenings are noticeably lengthening by just a little each day, the days are damp, the afternoons are twilight and the nights are still long.Pip (as always) has the right idea - he has taken to his bed until springtime. I have been asked to only wake him for essentials such as breakfast, supper and the occasional treat! The cottage stays cosy as long as we are warm (the red Stanley stove looks after the house heating as well as the cat) and I take myself off most afternoons to my office, to work on some new projects which I will soon share with you all.

I'm pleased to share the first right now, as I would like to tell all of you that Autumn Cottage Diarist has now caught up with the rest of the modern world by finding a presence on Facebook! I hope to share much more there on a day to day basis (particularly photographs) with those of you who use that social platform; but for those of you who have not yet ventured into that particular black hole of personal time, I will still be posting  longer stories here.

I hope you'll come along and 'like' the Autumn Cottage Diarist Facebook page - just click on the Facebook logo in the right hand sidebar. I'd love you to become part of the community there to share the daily pleasures (and sometimes pains!) of life here in this old house in the country in Southern England. If you visit, do give me a wave and leave a comment!!

Hibernating...and new beginnings

A Red Admiral butterfly, hibernating in the greenhouse

Christmas has come and gone - in a bit of a haze, for all my organisational skills, (which are not many!) due to the visitation of a winter bug upon me. But now 2012 dawns - if not bright and fresh, then at least mild - snowless, and wet - but inviting me to once more share events here at the Cottage with you.

Though these winter months encourage an element of hibernation for us humans as well as other living creatures, still I look forward to once again posting here at least twice weekly, greeting old friends and meeting new ones. I wonder what new adventures this year has in store for me and for us all??

To all of you who read these pages, I send warmest wishes for a year full of health and happiness. I love to read all your comments, and will always do my best to reply - even if a little tardily - but whether you leave a comment or not, I hope you enjoy your visits here  to these diary pages, recording life throughout 2012, at my much loved home in Autumn Cottage.

Happy 2012, everyone!

A Month In the Country

Half a dozen (or more) years ago, I made a blog post a day on the theme of 'A Month in the Country' - which turned out to be very much enjoyed by many readers. So I've now decided to repeat for this month of August, 2011. I'll just be sharing 'a picture (or two!) and a paragraph' a day to show you the delights of the English countryside, cultivated and wild, within my reach, in high summer. I hope it gives you much pleasure!

The beautiful border in the photograph above is the blue border in the walled garden at Mottisfont Abbey. Mottisfont has a National collection of roses, and though the rain 'put paid' to most of those a few weeks ago, as you can see, there is still a most beautiful display of other planting there, which is such an inspiration.

The italianate loggia in a corner of the inner garden

The intense blue of Agapanthus, counterbalanced by the silvery-grey leaves of the Stachys lanata behind. Inspirational!

Good Things come to Those Who Wait!

All returning to 'normal' at Autumn Cottage...as near as we  ever get to normal, anyway! Christmas and New Year visitors have been placed on trains to return to their everyday abodes...and I have spent a happy morning in town, spending gift tokens that I had received on Christmas morning. How much more fun it is to buy everything at half price!

I am discriminating nowadays in which ornamental items I buy, tending to pass them on to charity shops rather than bring many home...but these little treasures caught my eye before Christmas - so I know they were worth looking out for afterwards  (especially at sale prices! ) and the little ornamental painted wood partridges above, at least, will be staying on my windowsill way past Twelfth Night.

Hope the start of 2011 has been good for you...and that the rest of the year will be too. Thank you to all of you who sent good wishes and congratulations regarding my degree award. I very much appreciate each and every message.

Hand embroidered Indian bead and goldwork star - would make a nice key-tassel, yes?

Just a Quick Visit

Pippin & Lily by the pond

Seems ages since I visited you all here at the blog - Spring has raced into
early Summer, my university classes have finished for this year - BUT - the
semester is not over yet - a 4000 word essay lies between me and
freedom!

As you can see, Lily and Pippin are already enjoying the warmer days -
they play "jungles" in the garden most of the time (when they are not
asleep!) - And as everything is still damp and mild, the foliage is growing at
a rate of knots - making the jungle very realistic - especially here by the
pond.

I'll try to look in more often - but until the middle of June it will only be "a
picture and a paragraph - or two. Forgive me - more later (in the year!)

Down the Hatch They Go!

Into the gaping maw of Satan - the fate of those who have spent their lives up to no good, as depicted in the medieval windows of the church in Fairford.

....NOW will you give up eating all those wicked cream buns if this is to be the final outcome ?!!

Unwise Places For Pussycats to Sit No. 1.

I've had a word with her. Deaf ear, of course. Waiting for a mouse to pass by, apparently. Says that the black and white surroundings are good camouflage. So I told her "Be careful in there - what goes around, comes around - and around.....and around....and around". 

I think she's got the hint.

Merewether - Caldwell ??

Any family historians out there - who may recognise these  names?

For those of you who do not visit it regularly, my other Blog has an item which may be of interest today.