Subterranean Swelling

The Moon is waning

The leaves are falling

But elsewhere things are rising

We are still clearing the year’s growth from the Meadow

but a large part of it

has been razed

and we can see evidence of underground activity

Those sophisticated organisms have been there all year but now is the time

for them to stick up their heads

The fields around us, which are reseeded with mono culture grass every few years, show very few fungi in contrast to our diversity

We know that now it is the turn, beneath this surface

of annual seeds and perennial roots to have a rest ready to erupt in the new year. Meanwhile, these are in charge:

The Horse Mushroom at the end of the Rainbow

We are in between seasons. The strawberries don’t know whether to flower

or fruit

Rainbows abound

leading us to tasty finds

Rise Up

It is the season

when things erupt

pushing up from the unseen

in strange forms

and guises

It makes us realise

there is much unknown

beneath our feet

waiting to take over

when the time is right

They know what they are doing, being fungi

or…

It has always worked

Can we do they same?

October Slow Down

Half way through the month and more than half-way to the Hunter’s Moon

October continues its golden phase

keeping one foot in the closing season

while the Oak

and the Acer

try to change colour without anyone noticing.

Dragonflies still bask

and down through the Woodland Portal

so do hens

as Gilbert

and George

try to ignore the lack of feathers in their flock

“Don’t look at my back”

“What, us?”

“We will be alright soon”

“Just don’t expect many eggs”

The Australorps we hatched this summer…

…say: “It’s nothing to do with us, we haven’t started laying yet anyway.”

Haf Indiaidd

Purists insist that a true Indian Summer can only occur after the first frost. In recent years that has occurred here in mid to late November so a warm spell after that time seems rather unlikely (for the time being).

However, what John Bradbury wrote in 1817 seems to fit our experience today: “The air is perfectly quiescent and all is stillness, as if Nature, after her exertions during the Summer, were now at rest.”

The low-slanting light brings extra delight

But not everything is at rest. Certainly, beneath the Lake surface

all kinds of unknowables are taking place

It is good to see the Wasps enjoying the Ivy instead of harassing our Bees or lazily drifting into the the kitchen.

Some creatures are not so happy

moulting time is not pleasant for anyone.

The haystack is still simmering

We have had a suggestion of using this for a hot bed. We have made these from horse manure in the Spring, has got us thinking.

While we are enjoying the goldenness, we can read the runes

and are making preparations

Remission

Last time we thought we were on the downward slope. But after three days of dry warmth

we bask in the goldneness

The hedgerows are slowly shifting their palette, but still studded with Rowan

Leaves slowly turning. Red Oak

Red Witch Hazel

Acer

Seed heads explode

Bees still busy

and Butterflies browse

Clearing the Meadow for next year’s insect food is going well

But as we currently have no pig mud to absorb, the latest cut grass

is ending up in a steaming pile

We are just working out how to harness the heat it is generating.

Transition

Still harvesting

but things are changing

from sunlight

to shadow

Time to make sure our produce

is put to good use

The stock is building up, from our patch

and the hills around

All set for a cosy winter

The Rain Stops with the Camera

Showers have been torrential today. When there is a pause,

it is time to look round with the camera

Hence, our pictures don’t often show rain, just tears on the Eucalyptus

and dripping woods

where up above, the Noble Fir cones look dangerous

But there is lots of it. This is Wales after all.

Rain or shine, there is a meadow to be mown – by one man and his dog

Everything else is slowing down, which can be a good thing – this Lake flower has spent weeks evolving

and, until the arrival of the first Autumn storm, seeds hang poised

Mature apple trees are giving up a reasonable crop

and some cheap bare-root stock put in two or three years ago are doing their bit

The field next to us is normally cut for silage but due to a bumper thistle crop has been left to the sheep and the cattle

In the tunnels the Nasturtiums are trying to take over

and the figs, as always, do their best in their less than ideal situation

(although we did actually eat some last year)

Some other drippy moments from today

That’s it then

The change:

When the season turns here there is no going back

Time to fill up the stores

And capture the summer sweetness

Our bees will be mainly staying at home too, having given us a small offering

to sweeten the time ahead