Summer back again

Amazing weather, out walking on the Mynd in summer togs, for the first time in 7 years.
Just spent week on new leaflet for our next John Lewis range. If the weather hadn't been so good I don't think we would have been able to do any of this photography. Also due to be launched in South Korea too, very exciting. Click on image for larger size.

Bitter sweet

Dark before 8 o'clock, wood smoke on the chill air, and the bitter sweet song of the robin, who resolutely sings through the dark, cold months.
Still there are the lighter moments, visiting the growing duck family in the meadow behind the house. Father duck is an Indian Runner, mother a squat white one and babies looking very sweet, if a bit dim.

Hurrah for the hoverfly!

My small but heartfelt tribute to one of the undeservedly underestimated insects. The adults sip delicately at nectar from our garden flowers and their larvae eat aphids and other sap sucking nasties. They come in many and various forms, but all (I think) do their very clever hovering mid air for a period of time, then whizz off at great speed to return to just about the same spot with no apparent visual markers to guide them, really quite amazing to watch.
Click on image for a closer look.

Autumn is here. The swallows and house martins are gathering in great numbers to leave us, dahlias are looking lovely in the garden and the plums (Marjorie Seedling of course) are ripening very nicely.
But I am so sad that summer is over, and much as I convince myself that the trees turn beautiful colours and the mushrooms are delicious I'd like more sun and heat.
This summer though was good and we managed to eat our way through our broad bean and pea crop plus most of the salads and an astounding quantity of Cambridge Favourite strawberries before our holiday, which was very satisfying. Now the runners are going great guns and the autumn raspberries are looking hopeful.