Winter's coming....

It's just stopped raining and a little watery sun is peeping through the gey clouds. It's rained solidly for 24 hours and is COLD. Not as cold as a few nights during the last week when the early morning temperature reached 2 degrees C and the marrow and squash leaves suffered from a slight ground frost. Thankfully no damage to the fruit.

Autumn raspberries

It's beginning to feel like Autumn - sunny but cold - and the leaves are just starting to turn yellowish. Yesterday evening I picked 2 lbs of raspberries. They've been superb this year with an early crop on last-years's stalks and large, perfect berries on tall stems now. There are still flowers being pollinated mostly by small bees.

We have some other raspberry bushes which have only just started to fruit and they often go on till November.

Can't resist raspberries & ice cream for tea but I saved some in the freezer to brighten up winter meals. Open freezing keeps them from going to mush.

Up on the roof

The weekend was hot and sunny with a gentle warm breeze - our last chance of a summer. Back to cold, wind and rain now. Still, I do remember some years when October has been quite hot ... so here's hoping!

We spent the weekend on the roof painting the new render on the chimney. At least Chas did - I'm a scaredy cat with heights but I did make my shaking legs get me up there one time because, while we have the scaffolding, it's the only chance I'll get.

These are some of the photos from our roof:

Across Yew Tree House and looking towards Griffydam

Looking across Billy's field with our two walnut trees on the right

Billy's field and the old ash tree- home to many pigeons and occasional little owl

Our garden with the rockery in the front and the summer house
almost swamped by the variagated maple

Our garden witht he dead dawn redwood looking stark and the lush silver birch on the right.
Centre front is a bamboo which each year generates several new supports for our tomatoes.