Summer Moments {six}

☀ I'm not sure that I can really get away with describing this photo as a Summer Moment, but I'm going for it anyways. This was a rather wet walk along the canal on our first morning back to school last week. Please don't look at the leaves on that tree, please just don't acknowledge the shades of Autumnal red and gold.

☀ A quiet moment after the aforementioned wet walk to school. I came home completely soaked to the skin, stripped off, put on a fresh set of dry clothes then made myself a coffee. Ahhhhhhhhh.......so good. Note to self - get kitted out with a proper raincoat and some lovely footwear that does not let in water.

☀ 7.30pm, popping out to sling an empty wine bottle into the recycling bin and noticing how drop-dead gorgeous the early evening sky was looking. Dashed in to grab my camera to capture those cutesome little puffs of cloud sailing over head in a hurry. It was windy, the build up to a bit of a storm, and the word "scudding" most definitely applied to those clouds.

☀ A large tray of garlicky, herby, oiled-up veggies waiting to go into the oven to roast. It makes me smile, this tray - it is my marriage right there in vegetable form. Bright summery peppers and courgettes for me, more earthy celery, potato and carrots for him. Broccoli and red onion for us both. It's like Summer meets autumn in that tray. They were delicious by the way.

☀ A Friday afternoon, 2.30pm. We were sat at this wooden table outside the cafe drinking a coffee and sharing a slab of seriously good chocolate brownie. The sun streaked down and warmed my face, briefly reminding me that it still feels like summer. We had been out for a delicious pub lunch with my lovely in-laws, stopping by here on the way home for a little bit of additional post-lunch finishing off. I usually find chocolate brownies a bit much, but every so often that sticky, clarty chololateyness just hits the sweet spot like nothing else.

☀ A jug of summery stocks on my table, lighting up the room with a burst of colour and a waft of distinctive sweet/spicy fragrance. I think it must soon be dahlia time? I don't walk past the market stalls at the top end of town as often as I used to, but I must not be so lazy and go see what the Plant Man has in his pavement buckets this week. I'm sending out positive dahlia vibes!

☀ Ahhh, my beloved blankets, doing a sterling job of looking messy and delicious all at once. How I love them! They are so well used and adored here, especially with how cold the early mornings and evenings feel right now as we haven't yet put our heating on. Just looking at them makes me feel warm and cosy - so much feel-good right there on my sofa.

☀ Another rather un-summery image, but this wet, soggy scene has been mine twice a day this past week as I've walked to school and back in the rain. So much wet has fallen from the sky lately. I'm still wearing flip flops when I can get away with it, but they aren't the easiest thing to walk in when they get wet. The ice cream boat is still opening at weekends throughout September, so we will try and make time to pop down and enjoy one last delicious cone before they close up for the year.

☀ Little B dug out an old colouring book this week, and his enthusiasm and joy prompted me to treat him to some new colouring pens that he could call his very own. Both the book and the pens are superb and I can highly recommend them if you have Little People to treat to such things {this book, and these pens}. 

☀ More stewed fruit was concocted in my kitchen this week, using up a some apples gifted to me by my neighbour and half a bag of fairly ancient frozen Summer Fruits which I dug out of the freezer. Oh the colour of it is quite delicious, so impossibly bright pink. I'm optimistically calling it Summer Fruit Compote and dolloping it into little bowls of creamy Greek Yoghurt to feed to the Little People after dinner. I'm sure they would prefer chocolate, but we are attempting to encourage the return of healthy food habits following a very slack summer of eating a considerable amount of rubbish.

☀ The beautiful view from the end of my street before we descend the steep hill down to the canal side. I never, ever tire of gazing out over the hillside, it pleases me as much now as it did ten years ago when we first decided to buy this house and make this town our home. Ten years. I can hardly believe it.

☀ Just six more days until the Autumn Equinox on the 22nd of September, and I don't think there will be chance for me to squeeze out much more of the Summer now. I've loved putting together these posts - such a sweet record of ordinary family life unfolding during the past couple months. I hope you're enjoying whichever season you are in, whether you are slip sliding into Autumn, or skipping towards Spring. Take note of the small moments, they mean so much.

Here are links to all my 2017 Summer Moments posts....

☀ {one} ☀ {two} ☀ {three} ☀ {four} ☀ {five} ☀

 

 

Comments

[Charlotte.]

Beautiful pictures and memories. Would love an ice cream boat. We had your sausage with sweet and sour vegetables on Monday. It has become my go to recipe when I need a quick, nutritious, and delicious meal.

[Monse]

Cada vez que veo tus mantitas me animo a empezar una, son pura alegría de colores. Un saludo.

[Lindsay]

I've really enjoyed this series. Looking forward to your Autumn moments! 🍁🍂🍁

[Pom Pom]

They DO mean so much, I agree. I love the feeling of evening sky and air when I go out to dump something in the bin. I love your photo!
Yes, do get a good raincoat and some effective boots. We don't even need those here in Colorado and sometimes I wish we did. Sounds kind of fun!

[Susan Smith]

Lovely post and yes autumn for you and spring for us here in Oz, though today has been the first day in about 2 months when it hasn't either been cloudy, raining, windy or cold & sometimes all at once. I do like seeing your view from the hill & to think I was there at this time last year & looking forward to meeting you at Yarndale, but alas you were on a break. Hope you get some dahlias & your compote looks delicious. Take care.

[CJ]

I've been in my house ten years next month as well. I do love your pretty canalside, always so picturesque. A fair few drenchings here, and I'm ignoring any yellow/red foliage. Still plenty of summer flowers up on the common, and even a dash of sunshine today. I'm calling it summer. CJ xx

[Teresa Kasner]

I love your school run walks by the canal so I get to see those amazing canal boats. I'd love to spend a week on one of those. I think the color pink of your stewed fruits is aMAYzing! Maybe you could get a new Stylecraft color like that made. :-) Enjoy your last summer days. ((hugs)), Teresa :-)

[Kimmy]

An ice cream BOAT?! This is why I have to read your blog, Lucy... to know that such things even exist! What a delight. LOVE all your gorgeous pictures and the accompanying descriptions. You do have a wonderful flare for writing. Like you, I treasure the simple things in life so much and often stop to take photos of the sky or anything else that strikes me as beautiful. It's bun revisiting them from time to time.

We have had the hottest summer on record here in the San Francisco Bay Area with many days near or over 100 degrees F (38 C). I'm quite sick of it and ready for a considerable cool-down and some RAIN. We did get 15 minutes of rain last week after many dry months. Too bad we can't exchange some weather right now. But I won't complain due to what people in Texas, Florida and other parts of the world have been experiencing. Thanks for always making me smile with your colorful cameos.

[gracie]

Oh what a lovely walk. Thank you for taking me along.

[Tineke]

Same here. My Rhus typhina disectrum is turning red. I'm not ready for it I told her but she's shameless showing her orange, yellow and red off.This seasons are loved by me but this wet summer was to short to warm me enough for the cold season to come. But alas, let's change the clothes in the closet for warmer ones. Sigh.

[Anna]

To the 'grand old lady of 60' your comment was so wise - thank you for making me realise how parents influence their offspring without even realising it.

[Astrid]

I enjoy the time that I can drink my coffee or tea outside.
So if the sun is shining I'll sit in my garden.
Just like you , look at the clouds , follow the bees busy in the lavender bushes , a lot of butterflies dancing around the flowers.
Here is a lot to see , even in a "small" world.
In the evening under one of your blankets , a candle burning , a book or some crocheting and my small world is beautiful.
Succes with preparation Yarndale.

[Ellen Preston]

Just love reading your blogs and seeing what you do in that beautiful country.
I live in Western Australia, we are in spring and our gardens are looking lovely with flowers blooming and roses starting to shoot with lovely new growth. The crops in the farming community are still green in area's. We didn't get a very wet winter this year so some crops aren't to good. I would love to live in a beautiful countryside like you have there. Maybe one day, one day... thank you for sharing you blog and your beautiful makes. I can't make up my mind what to make first from your lovely patterns. The yarn is just lovely looking, can't wait to use it. 😊 May I ask how you wash or dry clean your rugs?? Thank you, yours in yarn friendship, Ellen 💖🌻🌷💐🇦🇺

[Angela-Southern USA]

Ah yes, the season is changing! Roasted veggies, one of my favorite meals, I like sweet potatoes added as well. The color of your compote looks very much like the Kompot (fruit juice) I canned recently. A taste of summer in a bottle.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/craftygal/37068810076/in/dateposted-public/ Best of luck with Yarndale this year!xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

[Elsie]

You had me with flip flops in the rain. I don't give mine up until the snow touches my bare toes.

And to the grand old lady of 60, your comment read like poetry.

[Laurence]

May be we could have Autumn moments now? I've really enjoyed these windows in Yorkshire. Thanks for posting!

[Carol]

I blame all the wet windy weather on Irma!!

[Lucy, Kent ~ England]

I know you find autumn and winter difficult Lucy, but as a grand old lady of 60 (ok, I know it's not really that old, it's just that due to various issues my body is nearer 90 than it's chronological age) I'd like to offer you some advice. Like you I was a Spring/Summer person and throughout Autumn/Winter I wished for the other seasons. 10 years ago I lost my beloved SO without warning (in April). That made me take stock not only of how fleeting time is but also how we need all the seasons in their own right. Those rich autumn colours are a beautiful balance to pastel Spring and bright Summer. That first warning nip in the air reminds our bodies to slow down after the frenetic energy of Summer. Shorter days mean less time outside, but more chance of family time. Snuggled safe from the elements with a heap of love crocheted blankets and a chance to play, craft together. Winter snow, not fun for us oldies brings youthful laughter in snowballing, sledging and making snow people & pets, but most of all happy memories.
Your attitude to the seasons Lucy, will be perceived by Your Little People and in turn passed on to their little people. Please give them the gift of celebrating each moment, each season for as long as they can. I do love your blog and as I am for the most part housebound I love to see your photos and be transported back to the days when I too was able bodied. Thank you for sharing your talent and your love of colour. Lucy

[Elisa]

I love how you describe your blankets! They are really lovely. And the ice cream boat sounds so fun. My son would love that. :)

[ChrisTine]

J'aime beaucoup revoir cette promenade le long du canal, calme et colorée, à chaque saison et surtout en automne. Bonne journée.

[Hilary gray]

Love hearing about your days, see you soon at yarndale x