last of the summer wine

a comma warming up on an apple at Old Solomon's Farm, Latchley, and below the view looking up river towards Old Solomon's farm (on the Cornish side) and Weir cottage to the right on the Devon side. At long last the weather has turned warm and fine, just as we are heading off to Canada. Spot and the rest of the OHG will be house sitting for us with Ruth so this will be the last blog for a couple of weeks.

not quite Provence

a field full of sunflowers in Venterdon, looking south towards the church, and Kit Hill in the distance. And the lane in its autumnal livery against a blue sky providing another example of Nature's painting.

honestly autumn is here

the seed pod of honesty (we expect lots more next year)

 the clash of colour of spindle berries, according to Flora Britannica one of the few violent colour clashes in our native flora

and our rowan tree bulging with berries

little beauties

some eyebright (and canine hoof) still flowering, and a little footbridge across the stream below Old Mill, near Luckett

not much colour now

all of a sudden the colour has gone out of the meadows which have become a sea of brown knapweed seed heads and the occasional flash of creamy meadowsweet and pinkish white angelica. Nevertheless the goldfinches are gathering into small flocks or charms and will feed on the seed heads through the rest of the year.

Cassie

not long to go now

on sad days

there are no poppies here, but these wild flowers on the rocky path up hill can stand in their stead, and there is light ahead.

handel bars?

Thus at the flaming forge of life
  Our fortunes must be wrought

The Springer Spaniel at Treburley nestling under a chestnut tree showing the first signs of autumnal colour.

hints of autumn

wild apples and hawthorn berries presage the arrival of autumn, alas.

and just to add a bit of colour

the last of the summer butterflies (tortoiseshell, red admiral and peacock) on knapweed and heather

a chance encounter

today, unusually, we came across several deer by surprise, probably because the wind was in an unusual direction. This little female roe deer was very slow to notice us and gave me time to take several photographs despite the dogs