Dream Country Chat

AUTUMN

One thing about doing my 4 mile run every morning is that I really notice nature. Throughout the year I spot the differences in the smallest of plants, the colour of leaves, the changes in textures.

 

Some things just scream 'Autumn!' with their bright fire like colours. they are like sparks amid the fading landscape, they could burst into joyous flame at any moment. They are there to remind us that although winter is coming in fast, there is still life there amid the darkness.

 

Chestnuts nestling in their spongy cases, packed tightly together for safety and comfort. From the outside they are hard, dull and looking past their best. But break into the shell and the glowing chestnuts appear, with a depth of colour that painters can only marvel at.

 

Nature is a lady of surprises. She should be all golds and reds at this time of year, but no, look carefully and you can still see some of her summer softness. Lavender flowers that will die with the first frost are still holding their own just now and playing host to tiny garden friends.

 

Rain gives things a patina and gloss that displays details normally lost to us mere mortals.

 

Houses for fairies who should always live in colourful places. They choose spotted toadstools and weird purple mushrooms like these. No fairy would live in a suburban semi, she must live with Grand Design on a miniature scale.

 

There is so much to see when you look around. Throughout this past year I have taken photos on my run nearly every day. Many photos just don't make it past the cutting room floor, but others are filed away in my folders of times. They are testaments to change, they are notes to myself that I have actually got out there and noticed them. I wouldn't have done that had I not been running. I hate the running (yes you have heard me moan on that subject more than once) but I love what I have gathered from it, size ten jeans (on a really good day!), hundreds of photographic memories, and ideas. Oh yes, I think when I run,  sometimes my ideas even work, not often, but sometimes.

So today I thought I would just show you some photos all taken on my run over the past few weeks. To me they are 'Autumn', maybe not the standard magazine type Autumn shots, but they say 'Autumn' to me.

What says 'Autumn' to you?

Karon x

FIELD OF HOPE

At first glance it is a sea of mud, a nothingness, just dirt. You see it as the stuff that is trampled all over the floor throughout the winter. It's the stuff kids love to play in and Mums hate to have to wash out of their clothes. It is that stuff you just know you'll fall flat on your face in if you have to cross it.     

                It is mud        

                                              or is it? 

  

Not mud for long. One week later and the shoots of new life are already popping up and striking out towards the sun. Just two weeks ago this was the field of golden barley. It was shorn, it was ploughed, it was finished, it was mud.Now it is coming back to life. It is all new, it has strength against adversity (weather and crows) and it gets better every day.To my mind it is my field of hope. From nothing to something, from an ending to a new begining.I didn't know the field had been replanted, so when I ran past and saw the sprouting green-ness in the sunshine, it was so unexpected. It made me smile, it made me think, it gave me hope.

What makes you smile, what gives you hope?

Karon x

SEEING RED

Mother nature is the 'Lady in Red' just now. She is swirling her gypsy skirts of the richest red velvet and spreading colour all around.

 

Is this the red of anger? Oh no, this lady wears her reds for ripening,

 

from deep purply reds, to bright orangy hues, all are reds in various stages of red readiness.

Leaves going from green to gold to stunning crimson, they are ready to fall and  the tree move on to the next stage of life.

Berries, berries everywhere. Fruits for animals and humans alike, the very stuff of life.

From the gentle flowering rose of summer, the strength of the rosehip bursts through, the seeds for the future encased in royal red.

I feel real joy in red, the coming together of months of work in nature's body, within her self.

This is rampant red, now after all her simmering of summer she is ready, she is RED!*  *  *These are all photos I have taken recently on my run round the lanes here. I seem to spend more time stopping and snapping than pounding the road. Just shows I am not a complete stressed out nutter all the time.  It is just sometimes that i really see red!!

Karon x

DOUBLE FIGURE DATES

Oh my goodness, the 1st of October already. I remember when I was at school and always feeling a buzz of excitement when the date changed to the tenth month, double figures, just that much closer to Christmas. Now I panic and think, christmas, fairs, stock, have I enough, no, panic, panic, panic....

But you know, it is bit strange this year. Here I am,  with the usual Christmas fairs ponderings on stock, will there be enough, how much to make, will there be too much, all the usual stuff. Add into the mix the new trade orders. Now anyone knowing me would think that this would automatically have yours truly in complete tail spin exhibiting the true colours of the well bred panicker - and this we all know is what I am - a panicker of the first water. Someone who can panic on a John Cleese/Basil Fawlty/Monty Python type scale. Rosemary will attest to this having witnessed me trying to build a display stand on Saturday morning!

It is strange. I have a 'I'll do my best' feeling, not my usual 'Oh help, how will I cope' panic mind set.  

I almost feel detached in a way. Good Lord, don't tell me I am growing up at last and becoming a mature and organised person - heaven forbid!!

My Dad used to talk about 'Time in motion', taking time to work out what to do when, what can get done and fit in, working out how to fit everything in without doing things twice etc. I have always thought of his 'time in motion' theory over the years, never managed to put it into any sort of practice.

I'm not going to tempt fate and say I am organised and confident this year, no way. Maybe the fairies are helping me a bit here and there, you never know.......

By the way, thanks SO much for all your lovely comments re the fair at the weekend, your good wishes etc were so much appreciated. Also thanks for the nice comments re the fairy story yesterday - a kids story book, oh how I wish. I would dearly love to write and have writing (any sort really) as part of my workaday life, would love it to be my work in fact. But just how do you go about doing this? I don't know, I have no idea on the practicalities, just the ideas on the fun writing bit. So anyone out there with ideas on how to actually get into it, go on, let me know.

Photos today are of a tree on the lane yesterday. Just one patch of golden leaves amid the green. By next week the whole thing will be golden. Autumn is here, October, the tenth month, double figures, Christmas is coming, Santa Claus etc, oh goodness I have gone back in time again.....................

Karon x

FINDING FAIRYLAND

Sometimes if you are out in the morning nice and early and the weather is just perfect, you will see where the fairies sleep. Their little hammocks stretch delicately between leaves and twigs on hedges and shrubs. They are up and about, but their little beds are still to disappear in the morning sun.

When I run in the morning my mind does tend to wander. If my feet wandered like my mind I would be in great shape!  Anyway  I am sure the little fairies are about these days. It is not just their little hammocks you can see, I have seen houses and gardens too.....

A tree hollow holds a home if you look with care, come on in....

A tiny toadstool on mossy island set inside the hollow. Perfect protection from gusty weather.

Some prefer high rise housing.

A tiny new born tree on top of a fence post, perfect fairy housing.

Look around and you will see them everywhere. Little miniature islands where only a fairy could live.

They like special tiny white flowers.

Sometimes they leave things behind, a delightful feather cape dropped casually as the sun came up.

So tread quietly, look carefully, they are all around.

Karon x

THE YUM RUN

All wrapped up for the lovely weather conditions.  Idgy and Harry taking the air before t school bus arrives. I shall resist the temptation to moan about the weather.

Actually not too bad, dry enough to get on with the run and multi-task by taking snaps on the way.

Bit of a foody run yesterday. I managed to steal a plum from the tree down the lane, then came across lots and lots of yummy brambles (aka blackberries).

Pretty to look at.

Even better to eat.

Enjoy your day

Karon  x

LATE BLOOMERS

Remember the other day I moaned (who me!) about the lack of bluebells in our little bluebell wood up the lane. Well I guess l was just a tad too early for the pretty blue ladies.

Here they are in all their glory. A carpet of blue in the dappled sunlight, perfect.

We wandered about for ages, just soaking up the blue.

So happy to see the bluebells.

Thanks for your lovely comments re the house and photo shoot. I'm so glad l had the photo shoot to motivate me to get that spare room done, it was one of those things that just kept getting pushed to the back burner. Then when someone came to stay l would clear things out and promise myself that l would sort it out 'this time'. Well now it's done and l have even put big plastic storage boxes under the bed to hold the clutter l know will end up in there.

Enjoy your day.
Karon  x

BATHED IN BLUE

A bit late posting this morning but l had to trot off to HQ first thing this morning and have my breakfast croissants and coffee on the deck. The sun is blazing away so happily out there, l just had to start my day with a blast of sunshine.

Away from the sunshine, in every shady corner of the garden, the bluebells are still nodding their pretty heads. I do love bluebells, and the pink variety too, they always make me think of slightly tired garden fairies, nodding their pretty heads as they dream in the shade.

Just up the lane is a little wooded copse, every year it is full of bluebells and is a glorious sight to behold. however this year it is covered in tiny white harebells instead. Tho pretty in their own right they are not a patch on the bluebell carpet. It seems strange that none have come up this year. Almost as if Mother Nature has been doing the Spring cleaning and whipped up the old carpet and replaced it with a new one.

Note to Mrs Nature - some things are best left alone.

Another busy day planned. Idgy having her birthday outing to the bowling and then Penata party.  I must away and fill party bags and resist temptation to eat all the sweeties.

Enjoy this amazing sunshine and have a lovely weekend.
Karon  x

BARKING MAD

 

Sorry to disappoint all the dog lovers out there, it's tree bark I'm mad about.

I really notice the trees as l run in the mornings. Some have scales like old crocodiles.

Some are smooth with little lichen islands sprouting out all over them.

Some have hidey holes that must be homes for all sorts of creatures. This is when Beatrix Potter mentality springs into action and all the furry creatures are suddenly wearing Victorian clothes and rushing around like people.

And some are just old and mossy with pretty flowers around them. They are restful, interesting, and a good way to slow down the mind and take you away from the bustle of reality.

Go on, have a look at some trees next time you are out and about, they aren't just woody sticks with leaves on top, they are interesting too.

Might have to start talking to them...................

Karon  x

FERN BRITTISH

Everyone who follows this blog knows l run in the mornings, you also know that l am not a natural runner and don't get all excited and think 'Whoopee running again', no l more or less drag myself out there and thank God when l can stop at Wendy's for coffee en route. Having said that l do find that l really enjoy noticing things while l run (it stops me thinking about how far it is to that coffee or back home) and this week it has been ferns.

Ferns, how boring you might think. Well maybe not. These prehistoric plants really do look beautiful in their varying stages of being. They start as this green and brown fuzzy ball, all tightly curled and standing in line like soldiers waiting for the Queen.

Then they unfurl (nice word that, unfurl, has a good sound to it) and you get all these mini fern shapes coming out. They are the most amazing acid green when they are new.

They just make nice patterns l think.

They grow all along the lane. They pop out from the stones of the dry stone walls.

They even grow in trees here!!!  This one (and its pal the tuft of grass) are growing out of a tree about ten feet up. These guys get everywhere.

Okay, thats it, fern fixation over for the day. Off to run and see if l can find something else to drone on about..........

Happy Friday
Karon   x