World-wide, I've read, it's been the hottest year since records began. A bitter pill to swallow then, that here in the NE Highlands of Scotland, the sun has been so shy to show itself ALL YEAR!
The warmest spell of days has been in early September, when it's been hotter - and for longer - than any days in the whole summer. For example, a hot summer morning could never be relied on to continue into the afternoon, and other days would only turn out lovely & sunny from 5pm onwards.
My garden flowers grew in bursts of colour only to be dashed by sudden wet & cold days. So leaves and stems grew in the dampness with the flowers getting overshadowed - hidden - and then damaged by the rain.
Also, one morning, I noticed that the mass of newly hatched songbirds suddenly disappeared from the garden, and I've yet to spot their return. So far, I've only caught sight of one wren and one robin.
The wide ivy hedge, once full of chattering families of sparrows, is completely empty. I don't go with the explanation that a marauding sparrowhawk is to blame, because the local birds are used to dodging a resident sparrowhawk, that has regularly patrolled the village, since ever I got here.
And there are still large groups of rooks, gulls, jackdaws and pigeons on roof tops, with swallows hoovering up insects on the upper levels - so I don't think lack of food or bird flu are responsible either. Just a mystery, I reckon.
And then I spotted another strange thing: from there being an absence of butterflies all summer, to there being hundreds of Peacock butterflies on those warm September afternoons. It was on a walk with the dogs up Aldie Burn, that I saw them massed on some scabious flowers. Then, imagine my surprise & disbelief when I spotted a Comma butterfly amongst them. Just one, but such a rare sight! Not common in Scotland, and certainly not common so far north!
Did it get blown in? Who knows? I returned 3 weeks later and was delighted to see it again in the same place, on the same wildflowers. It had survived another particularly wet & cold week, when I'd had to don my winter parka, and had even considered gloves!
This year, I've only daubed on suntan lotion once; I've never spent an afternoon reading outdoors; I've never enjoyed a meal al fresco; I've never worn my cropped jeans, or a sun-frock, or a sunhat; my legs are still peelie-wallie and milky-white; and my face and arms are more weatherbeaten than suntanned. What a to-do!
And now those few warm September days have given way to haar & heavy rain. I notice the temperature is back to 11 degrees C.
Thankfully my logstore is full.
But my foraged jam supplies are pitifully low.
Autumn fruits have been disappointing with only the newer blackberries plumping up - the first berries just shrivelled up & died. Likewise, the rasps never grew, and remained small and few-and-far between. The blaeberries, fruiting later, fared better, but the lack of sun has made them bitter to taste. I expect it will be a similar story with the elderberries.
I've had to buy shop-bought fruit for my Christmas liqueurs. Hopefully the British plums will be sweet. At least those sassenachs got a bit more sunshine than us!
I don't know whether it's 'cos of the unseasonal weather, but I've taken a gie for Fair Isle knitting. I've already made 3 beanies & a pair of fingerless gloves. I know you will be picturing fine-detailed Fair Isle patterns, but I've been knitting with Double Knitting yarn, which makes the designs chunkier with more of an Icelandic look.
I've been fascinated with the colour-combo decision making, and the patterns allowing for colour to be subtly changed from row to row. I love working with colour!
And I've been sneaking in an extra row throughout my day. I've read that Shetland knitters had a Maakin' Belt that they wore like a front-facing bumbag. It was made of leather and pierced with small holes for the different colours of yarn, and also to support the needles, so they could knit whilst walking around doing their chores. The ultimate in multi-tasking, eh?
I can barely look at the telly for fear of dropping a stitch. Being an inexperienced knitter, my only recourse is to run back multiple rows in order to recover the lost stitch. How disheartening it is to cancel out challenging rows that have already been knitted, to have to then knit them a second time!
A doggie update... Hebe-the-dog and Hector-the-pup are now quite good friends in a terrier-sorta-way.
There's a lot of growling and toothy play - usually when one of them has the only toy worth playing with - despite there being other popular choices in the box!
Hector-the-pup has grown taller than Hebe-the-dog but she is still in charge at home. Whereas outside, Hector-the-pup is the adventurous one - jumping over ditches then running at full pelt through heather and God-knows-what - maybe even sharp logs and tree stumps. Shouting, 'Watch yer legs!' has absolutely no effect on his direction or speed.
There is a wide grin on his face and mischief in his eyes as he darts about, crouching low to ambush an unsuspecting Hebe-the-dog, who is usually walking nonchalantly beside me.
I usually notice a flash of white as he streaks around but Hebe-the-dog is height-challenged so gets a right good fright when he races towards her - just as he intended!
Having dogs is highly amusing!
Except on wet days, that is, with smelly dogs and dripping coats and a soggy kitchen floor. Then they 'swim' about on the kitchen mats - feet extended back and front like stretchers - in an effort to dry their bellies, before I can even track down their towel. They always look like a couple of seals to me. But without their in-water elegance, of course!
Talking of 'elegance' - to me the cursive flight of the swallow makes them the most elegant bird. Yesterday I saw a gang of them on a power line. It looks like they'll soon be heading south. And with their departure is the sure sign that summer is well & truly over and us-Highlanders can expect more wet & windy days to follow.
So it's time to load up the log basket; make soup & hotpots; read a few books; catch up with friends; make jam & Christmas presents; and work on art ideas, of course! I've got a couple of ideas for the latter rattling about in my head.
So there's no time to snooze away Autumn. It's by far my busiest time of year!
Must dash. Catch you later : )
