It has certainly turned cold, but it hasn’t stopped people from standing outside every evening last week letting off fireworks.
At the risk of showing my age, I remember when fireworks were only allowed on November fifth or the day before or after if the fifth fell on a Sunday. Then the attraction was the colours rather than the noise.
This year the bangs have been louder than ever, and at times, made everything shake. Ruby has, at times, been unsettled, but has coped fairly well, although she hasn’t wanted to go outside for a toilet break.
I worry for those animals who are terrified, especially those living outdoors. The horses that provide our manure – of which more was delivered last week – have really struggled.
At the allotment, Martyn gave the grass paths their final cut of the year.
I weeded the garlic and winter onion bed.
At home we planted spring bulbs in the tubs on the patio.
Last year these were dug up and eaten by an unknown animal, so this year we have covered them with netting. No doubt this will be no defence if the marauder is determined.
The medlar tree in the garden has been loaded with fruit. It’s been an exceptional year for tree fruit. It’s a pity that we don’t like to eat medlars. We tried them once and they tasted of very overripe apples.
Before you eat them, they have to be bletted which is a polite way of saying ‘go rotten’. Maybe we didn’t get this process right as some describe the taste as delicious.
Medlars are an ancient fruit dating back to the eighth century. They were thought to have been brought to Britain by the Romans.
The medlar features in literature through the ages including in the work of Chaucer and Shakespeare. The fruit has been given many nicknames. One of the politest being ‘cul de chien” or dog’s bottom.
The medlar remained a popular fruit until after the Second World War when it disappeared from sale. It’s now described as ‘a niche plant for eccentric gardeners’ so I guess we are officially eccentric.
One meal from last week that used a selection of our own vegetables was a rice dish containing red chilli, red pepper, peas, runner beans and broad beans.
We had our weekly walk at Nostell.
I took my ordinary camera to Nostell in an attempt to capture birds on the lake.
My main aim was to get shots of the wigeon which are always in exactly the same spot on the lake. The images were better, but still not great. My camera was at full zoom and it was difficult to hold it steady. I should use a tripod but to be honest I really can’t do with all that fuss.
The grey bird above on the left is a juveile male. An adult male has a brown head as shown in the photo on the right. The bird in the same photo that has its head under the water is probably an adult female.
Ruby waits patiently for a game of chase with one paw raised ready for a quick take off.
I tried for some action shots, but she is so fast. Maybe I need to try again using the sport setting.
A selection of dog friendly National Trust properties are offering Pooch Passports again this year.
I think the idea is to boost their visitor numbers over the winter months. We were once told, that at this time of year, especially when the weather is poor, that if it wasn’t for dog walkers, they would have very few visitors
Each time you visit a different property with your dog, their passport is stamped. Ruby has four stamps. After gaining six she will be given a pack of treats and if she manages twelve she will be given a little badge to hang on her collar. It has been a good way for us to discover new properties as all those participating are listed on the passport.
On Thursday, we decided to set off early and visit Beningbrough Hall in the morning and move on to Fountains Abbey in the afternoon. We hadn’t been to Beningbrough for a while as we like to take Ruby for a long walk and it doesn’t offer the opportunity for this, which is why we decided to combine our visit with Fountains Abbey.
We settled in the car, and when Martyn set the satnav, we were informed that Beningbrough was closed.. We thought that maybe this meant that it hadn’t yet opened for the day, but just to be sure, I checked on my phone. That was a wise move as we found out that it didn’t open on a Thursday at this time of year.
A quick change of plan and we set off to Wentworth Castle for the morning and on to Kedleston Hall for a long walk in the afternoon.
There was still mist in the distance when we arrived at Wentworth.
After a short walk we set off for Keddleston Hall.
It isn’t long since our last visit, when the lack of rain meant the weirs were less impressive than usual. The recent rain has certainly remedied that.
Although there is still lots of autumn colour, some trees have now lost all of their leaves.
After all the strong winds of late I am surprised that the leaves have hung on for so long.
Sheep always seem to find Ruby fascinating. She just stares back.
Just to finish, Martyn has been playing with AI and come up with this.
Can you guess who it is?
On that note until next time stay safe and stay well.
I have never heard of that fruit. It’s history is fascinating. I absolutely lovevthe dog passport idea. I know there has been a park hike passport for people in the winter. Love the bird photos. Thanks for sharing.
We are hoping Ruby gets twelve stamps this year, Bonnie.
Yes, autumn is gradually losing its colors, Sue. Beautiful photos, Ruby is running very fast. The AI drew Martin and Ruby in the garden. Soon we’ll be doing everything with it!
Ruby is certainly fast Nadezda. It can be difficult to know what is real with AI.