Saturday 25 September 2021

Autumn Equinox, time.

 The days feel different now, as the day length reduces.

It is a dissatisfied uneasy feeling as I wake before dawn. Changing the clocks will put everything upside down again! At least for a while..until the last Sunday in October...we will only be 12 hours behind New Zealand, which will make Pirate's phone calls to friends easier! No need to guess if he is too early or late!

The cultivated blackberries are giving us about half a kilo a day, we are eating and freezing plenty..plus the wild ones we forage too.  I need to pick some more elderberries as blackberry and elderberry jelly preserve is planned. Also apples for juice,



and keeping too if we can find the right ones.

Pirate has had a reassuring call from the head doctor in our local practice...but we still need that call from the specialist nurse next week.  He is still Mr Grumpy...but it will pass!!

We are watching the fuel situation carefully. It should calm down in 48 hours..after all you can't hoard fuel like loo rolls! It's worrying though, with some neccessary journeys coming up. 

We can't quite make South Wales without a fuel stop..or rather we possibly could, but that would leave us arriving with the tank lower in fuel than is comfortable, especially in an older vehicle.

Therefore one journey might have to be foregone.

10 comments:

Tom Stephenson said...

Everything that we were told would happen if we voted for Labour is now happening under a Conservative government who imposed 10 years of austerity just to help the situation. Sometimes I just cannot contain my anger at these self-promoting charlatans.

Fresca said...

"a dissatisfied uneasy feeling"--I'd written about this too but hadn't thought about the effect of the change of season--thanks for pointing that out.
Best wishes for you and Pirate in this new time!!!

The Weaver of Grass said...

Those blackberries look delicious - absolutely bursting with juice.

Rambler said...

It's anybody's guess how many blackberries I would have harvested this year because someone. . . a stocky little bod . . has been scrumping! I only realised when he (Benji, my Bichon Frise dog) came in with a distinctly purple chin. I sneakily followed on his next tour round the garden and took photos! Evidence!
On a visit to a friend's home, we sat in her garden to drink tea and enjoy the birdsong and guess what? Benji discovered some fallen apples - the crunching gave him away - and he was only allowed the one he'd started on. Mainly because I couldn't catch the little devil to get it off him.
I'm wondering whether to make some crumble topping to feed him now. . . .

gallovidian said...

I've yet to head out here to investigate the foraging opportunities, but looking forward to next year for that; in the meantime, I've bought an elder tree for my wee garden :)

It's times like these that I'm glad I don't drive, whether the "shortages" are real or hyped by the media.

Debby said...

I am having a horrible time waking up in the morning because it is still dark. I am glad for pirate's reassuring phone call.

Susan Heather said...

Those blackberries look so good.

Anonymous said...

As you well know G R we are now on the better side of that time change I do however feel for you as I dislike the winter and the darkness, we seem to be getting more rain now that it is spring however that is helping Auckland and its mass population to water.
We have an orange tree that is just ripe for picking right now but there are too many for one person so the chicken is getting a few she loves them, the avocado tree is sagging under the weight I picked one a few days ago which is just about ready to try, I wonder will it be good the fruit on the tree is getting so big with all the rain it needs to be cut off.
Your black berry's bring back memories of a boyhood in Yorkshire, they look just lovely.

gz said...

Anonymous I am envious..I know that Pirate is in the right place to get treatment now...but our hearts are in NZ.

Mrs L there is no shortage..only that caused by panic buying..there is no shortage of HGV drivers who have taken the extra qualification ADR for being a tanker driver.
Rambler Pirates late Labrador loved brambles!!

Tom, we despair.

Joanne Noragon said...

Lovely blackberries!