The Last Hurrah - Sissinghurst

It looks quiet from up here on the tower parapet

but actually it was very busy

as people took advantage of another beautiful Saturday

to visit Sissinghurst before it closes for the winter.

Back home I brought in the last of the Cosmos

in anticipation of the Arctic blast being  excitedly flagged up

by the tabloids for the end of the week.

The clocks go back, the days contract

and I have taken delivery of a new chair.

(I'll show it to you later.)

I see more sitting in my future.

There has not been much of that of late.

Winding down at Sissinghurst

 And some essential maintenance.

The tower is under scaffolding for the next six months.

A cold snap at last.

I have been planting tulips 

and trying to remember what my intentions were

for Spring 2018 when I ordered them.

In other news, furniture is being eyed up for reupholstering.

A new carpet is being laid.

Light bulbs have been replaced.

Autumn is the new Spring.

Glad

How felicitous to have been born Gladys

and then to have married a Gladwish.

Why do toadstools grow so close together?

They don't need mushroom.

I'm getting on splendidly and have made much more room

in the desk drawers and filing trays.
I dealt with stationery today and found some useful stamps.

There are 29 partially filled notebooks to face up to tomorrow.
I never got on with Filofaxes but
I do love a good notebook.
Annie drew my attention to these some while back.

I'll make room.

Garnering

I am known in these parts

as a highly risk-averse person,

so when I spotted these magnificent specimens

I did not immediately think, 

'Yum, mushrooms on toast.'

In fact the aptly named Parasol mushrooms 

would have been quite safe to eat.

But later, I found some mushrooms in a field

looking so much like mushrooms in a supermarket

that emboldened by my survival of the last experiment
in 2010

I brought them home.

And ate them.

This little garning of crab apples

was insufficient for the purposes of preserving

but luckily I still have this jar from 2011

sitting on a shelf groaning under the weight 

of all the other unopened jars of

chutney, jam and marmalade.

I'll be alright for mincemeat too,

so if anyone sees me assembling the dried fruits

and sterilising jam jars,

please put out a gentle restraining hand.