Walking through our wild garden today, I realise that I’m seeing more daddy long legs than butterflies and moths flying up, as the grass is disturbed. Time moves on. I love our long grass patch and all the bugs it attracts. Often encounter frogs, hopping ahead of me to escape my lumbering feet. There’s not just grass in the mix. Plenty of hawk’s eyes, at the moment, offering swathes of yellow among the green.

Time to get ready for the colder months. I’ve been plotting and planning a longer growing season. I love the taste of fresh food. I’m always spoilt over the summer months, and forget to do any winter planting. Not this year. I have beetroots, leeks, cabbages and tasty salad leaves to plant.

Tomatoes and peppers are turning a lovely, rich red in the greenhouse. We’ve been eating the outside tomatoes. They haven’t quite reached the quantity of more than meal portion yet, but when they do, I’m ready to make pasta sauces and ketchup.

Figs are still going strong on our tree, as you can see in the top photo. I shall miss my fig jam, fresh from the tree, each day.

Two apple trees are finished. Mainly the produce eaten as crumbles. One tree failed. I think the lack of rain hit at the wrong time. The last one fools me each year. I think there are no apples and then hidden among the leaves are enough apples to fill baskets and wheelbarrows a plenty.

I’ve noticed the rabbits (yes, the rabbit family is still with us) munching on the apple windfalls. Must have been too much for one small bunny. Hopefully the joy of eating the apples and nothing else. It was jumping and frisking around, as if invisible firecrackers had been set off underneath it, one morning, that only it could hear.

Two pumpkins so far. Maybe more, but I’ll leave these until the first, cold night wilts the leaves, and we’ll see if there are more. I daren’t venture into the middle of the patch to find out. Not after encountering a noisy, but unseen critter, hiding in there, one evening at dusk when I went out to shut up the henhouse. Either frog, hedgehog or demogorgon. I’ll let your imagination take its pick. Mine did.

As for the pumpkins, they are unharmed. I grow the ones that are perfect for pumpkin pie, because I love pumpkin pie. They can still be carved, although I’ll bet my bottom dollar that the children will persuade me to take them to the pumpkin farm as usual, at half term.

Apart from the garden, the week has been busy. I knitted a dishcloth, as I needed another. Best kind to clean surfaces, I find.

I went to the dentist. Managed to arrive early, by accident, of course.

Me (bursting into the dental reception): “Sorry, I’m cutting it fine.”
Receptionist: “No, you’re an hour early.”

Bliss! An extra hour. I spent a lovely hour pottering around the town. I don’t got there often. Managed to tick of a few bits and pieces I had to do.

Anyway, clean bill of dental health. And only two minutes late for my appointment.

Successful day, as I dropped in to see my parents too. Picked up my two old, hockey sticks, so that Youngest can practise at home and I will inevitably get bruised shins from helping him. What’s that saying? No kind deed goes unpunished. Something tells me I’m not going to be quite so quick on my feet since last I played. I’m hoping I haven’t lost the technique.

We’ve finally settled into routine. This year, I’ve organised a set time, after school, for everyone to do homework or extra study. Makes the house quiet for them all, which is hard with the age gap. It encourages them to put the time in. Boundaries were tested, but I think we’ve made it work for everyone. Also set up a system to reward good marks in tests. Sounds draconian, I know, but we needed to up our game.

I’ve organised our Christmas theatre trip. Way ahead for me (see dental trip). We’re going to see the Christmas Carol in Bristol. Just need to make sure I remember the safe place I’ve stored the tickets, when the time arrives.

That was my week. “Extra” seems to sum it up. Hope you’ve all had a good week and have fun plans for the weekend. I’m joining in with Anne’s Word of the Week linky.

There is nothing quite like the deafening sound of silence, that falls, once the children go hoppity skip back to school, for a new academic year. Especially after a long summer at home. This Tuesday was our day. First day back to school.

Fourteenth year of being part of this “back to school” vibe. Not counting nursery. I feel like a veteran. It’s the last year for Eldest teen. Gulp! It’s true. After this year, there will only be two school children in the house. Fortunately, like all the stages, we’ll be ready. We always are.

Back to this year. Haircuts ticked off the list. Uniforms were sorted out at the beginning of the holiday, but we still had bags to do. No shoe shopping this year. I repeat, no shoe shopping. Seems their feet are slowing down. Last year’s shoes still fit and, I think helped by my Sunday night polishing regime, have survived.  Although I suspect Youngest will need some new ones soon.

Youngest is now in year 8. Middle Teen is starting her two years GCSE courses in year 10. Eldest teen is straight into studying with her final year of A Levels in year 13.

In other news, my fridge is no longer emptying at quite the same rate, during the day. Acceptable levels are being maintained again.

As a last night of the holidays treat, we headed to Bath to the crazy golf. Somehow, we had missed out on going this holiday, so seemed a fitting way to finish off the holiday.

I got my first ever hole in one. I may retire at this point in my career. Go out at the top, as they say. Not sure who actually won, as I’m yet to add up scores. Somehow the scores were not so important (says she with a hole in one), than family time.

Walking back to the car, we took in the Royal Crescent. It is a gently curved sweep of 30 Georgian, terraced houses. It is impressive. I think there are only 6 or 7 of the houses in my photo. Our cottage was built in the same period, and really looks a lot more humble than these.

If you’re into your period dramas, then you’ve probably seen the Royal Crescent as a backdrop for a number of scenes. In fact, do you see the yellow traffic cones? They were there to stop people parking as another film crew were due the next day. Bridgerton for Netflix.  I guess the residents get used to it.

I’ve been out in the garden most evenings, using the harvesting apron I made a few years ago. Makes collecting beans so much easier, than repositioning a trug or basket along the lines. The sweetcorn has come to an end. Courgettes/zucchini are bountiful. My tomatoes and unicorn peppers are ripening, so I’m starting to pick them. I’m collecting a bowl of raspberries and blackberries most days.  Fruit crumbles every other day.

I have a couple of big pumpkins, I’ve spotted so far. The flowers are still popping up and the bumble bees are loving them. I found two in this faded bloom. I could see one gently stroking the other.

The red tailed bumble bees are all over the runner beans. They’ll buzz gently around me as I pick the beans. Strangely peaceful companions, I find. I like to think we are working together. They set off the process with the flower and I deal with the resulting bean. Team work. I think they understand I am no threat.

Joining in Anne’s Word of the Week linky. I’m going with the word “return” as my one for the week.

Pebble found on beach. Felt like I was holding history in my hand.