Fruity Mellowness

Now that the summer is officially over and the weather seems to agree with that, I may find a bit more blogging time, in between trying to tidy up the garden and all that other stuff I should have been doing. But I have been blackberrying again and took some photos and did a couple of little montages for your delectation and delight.
It is amazing how much there is along the old farm track that leads from our lane to the new estate and Tesco's I have to admit to feeling rather smug when I see little punnets of blackberries for over £1 for about 4 ozs when I have picked 3 lbs for free
The last lot of bramble jelly didn't last long as it was too lovely with yogurt, or on top of the stewed apple, so this time I will put it in proper jars and hide it until Christmas. One or two favoured people might even get a dollop for a present - now won't that be something to look forward to!
The photos are HERE at Not Cute and Not Funny as they show up better on the wide format.

Woodbridge in the drizzle

I've been for a walk in Woodbridge again and this time I remembered to charge the camera battery, and to put it in the camera, and to put the camera in my pocket. I worked in Woodbridge in the late 1980s and again in the late 1990s. I used to go walk about at lunchtime, sometimes along the river, which is mostly where I have been today, sometimes round the residential roads looking at front gardens. There are some nice houses in Woodbridge, and some grotty ones, but I guess that's what most places are like. There's a market there on a Thursday, and some good independent shops too so it is worth a visit.
Today was not the best for taking photos as it was drizzling and a bit cold but I wrapped up warmly and walked fairly quickly. Once I got away from the busy part of the river walk it got quite grey and spooky and there was a curlew calling and it was very therapeutic
By the way, if anyone can tell me how to put photos side by side rather than one under the other I would really like to know!

What is it about sparrows?

I went for a walk this afternoon as I had been slaving over a hot computer all morning and had a really sore back. It was a bit windy to go through the woods so I went along the cycle track that follows the line of the original farm track and went and saw my second favourite tree and said hello (Cue song "I talked to the trees - and then they took me away")
In the hedges there is often a flock of sparrows. Now where I used to live we had huge flocks of sparrows, maybe 30 or more, but here we never get any in the garden and I miss them. So I stopped and watched the sparrows in the hedge. I stood very still and after a while they came and watched me and it made me feel very happy. So what is it about sparrows that is so cheerful?

wooooo hoooooo

That's my attempt to make a noise like a ghost, didn't really work did it. Anyway, we went to Sutton Hoo again this afternoon and I took 63 photos and had a jolly good walk. OH borrowed the buggy for the bit of the walk that it can manage and then after tea and cake he went in the exhibition hall and I went for a walk down a couple of the less beaten tracks. This photo kind of sums up one aspect of the place but I got some lovely tree pictures too which I will share in due course. The trees are not really turning that well this year but some have a bit and maybe in a week or so they will look better. Hubby reckons it will be too cold for him to go soon. I had a top up practice in his car too, just getting my brain round driving the automatic from time to time means I don't worry about the possibility of having to drive it in an emergency. It's a lot bigger than my car too. So all in all it's been a great weekend

A lovely day

My plan for doing lots of work at home while I could forget about office work for a couple of weeks have not quite gone according to said plan and so yesterday I made the decision to stop trying and have a couple of days rest. As we don't travel far we decided to go to Sutton Hoo (I may or may not have achieved a hyperlink at this point) which is somewhere we go a lot. Hubby can borrow a motorised buggy as pushing a wheelchair round there would be well nigh impossible and it's somewhere that we both find very restful when the school holidays are over and we are no longer in danger of being mown down by screaming kids. Mind you, in term time you can get caught by the occasional crocodile. Anyway, we got there for an early lunch and then went for a walk and I found a place to sit and try and sketch a bit while H sat and read The Week and took my photo on the sly. The sun was very bright and hot but pleasingly tempered by the light wind, it was quiet enough to hear birds singing and the trees did that thing they do in the breeze. The first time we went there it was a dull damp day and quie spooky as there was no one else there but now it is a bit more popular I doubt we will catch that atmosphere again easily. No matter, it is still a calm and serene place to go. I have been for a walk through the woods (buggy not up to that path so he has to go and have another cup of tea) but didn't today. So we both sat on the veranda with tea and cake and people watched for a while. I forgot to go in the second hand book shop this time - might leave a few Book Crossing books next time I am there.
Then to cap it all I came home and found two new followers on my blog - what more could a girl want!

Dawdling

Went for a long walk today along the cycle track that goes all the way to Tesco's (and back again)This follows an old farm track for part of the way and so there are some really nice bits of hedgerow that look very old and a few huge trees, plus all sorts of wildflowers and birds. We saw a sparrow hawk being mobbed and a lot of blackbirds and some cheeky cockney sparrers (I suppose they are Suffolk Sparrows here)and we dawdled. Frankly the world would be a better place for a bit more dawdling.