We’ve been battered by wind and rain and it’s been decidedly chilly. Mornings are cold now and it’s dark by seven pm.

It’s time to add a little warmth and good cheer so log burners have been enjoyed while the house has been shaken to the core by howling wind and lashing rain.

Apples are now littering the garden and are being devoured by hungry blackbirds, while rose-hips are gleaming in the ancient apple tree.

I bought some oil lamps online which instantly make the place feel cosier.

My problem with online purchases though, is that I don’t always read the small print. These oil lamps are only four inches high and there was me thinking I was buying full sized ones! They only take a drop of oil which keeps them burning for four hours. Still, they should look sweet on the Christmas table.

The geese are now back in their thousands, their cries sound so melancholy as they fly back and forth each day.

Honey fungus is appearing in multiple large clumps which does not bode well for the trees.

Hubs and I had our flu jabs this week, in what I can only describe as a small, windowless cupboard in a pharmacy. It all seemed to take an age; I couldn’t wait to get out of there. Last time I had a flu jab I had the flu for two months straight!

I’ve enjoyed a long chat with our resident rosella at the rescue…

and was almost deafened by one of our lovebirds. When these birds shriek they set off every bird in the aviaries.

And Finally…

I’d forgotten…

  1. How much littl’uns love cupboards and drawers

2. How quickly paint can utterly trash everything

3. How tractor and bus drivers wave at children!

Until next time, stay safe out there.

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41 Comments

  1. Love those fungus! Beautiful than ours here!
    You are so brave! I don’t think I could take a flu jab!
    Lovebirds just want all the attention, I suppose?
    Ha ha! Your littl’uns is so very cute!

    • I am a huge fungi fan, I always look forward to seeing all the different varieties each year. I don’t think anyone likes needles which is funny given they don’t really hurt. It’s just the thought of them isn’t it? Thanks Jade.xxx

  2. So nice to see your granddaughter being adventurous and curious! And I also enjoyed that photo of your garden from above – it did look a bit cold and wet but so very pretty.
    Amalia
    xo

    • Thanks Amalia. She would love your handmade toys! It’s still raining here. Sighs, still we have the log burner.xxx

  3. I am just catching up with some blog reading. I do hope that you have not been ill after your flu jab. It was really wet last weekend wasn’t it, we were out all day and got soaked. Your grand-daughter looks like she is loving that painting! It does make a mess when they are little doesn’t it.

    • Thanks Sustainablemum. Goodness yes, we have certainly had some wild wet weather. Tiny children sure know how to dispense paint!xxx

  4. I haven’t had a flu jab in decades… Hope you don’t get sick from your jab! Certainly with wild winds and earlier sunsets and rain, your cozy fire looks most welcoming. We are still climbing down from 112F last week and rain would be… nothing short of a miracle at this point!

    Loved seeing your little one expressing her artistic side. Now you only need her to express her tidying up side 😉 That last shot of the colorful bird — that’s the one shrieking?? Still, it is a beauty to look at.

    • So far so good re not catching the flu, but then I’m not in contact with anyone except hubs so fingers crossed. Well after reading how high your temperatures are I really hope that miracle comes about. I feel quite faint imagining that heat! Haha, yes, if only kids cleaned up after themselves. She was shaking the paint off her hands and it was flying simply everywhere. I’m still coming across blobs of paint a week later! Oh yes, that little teeny tiny bird has a very loud shriek! It curdles your blood. Thanks Anne.xxx

  5. So much fun exploring for the little one!

  6. Well, believe it or not, I’ve collected miniature oil lamps over the years. I’ve sold a good number of them, but still have a few — all of them old, and most of them art glass. In fact, I have a couple of Clarke’s Cricklite fairy lights from England that date back to Victorian times, and I have one that was a nightlight or hospital lamp. It’s the most gorgeous emerald green glass, and only about three inches tall. I wish I still had all of them, but I don’t miss them until something reminds me of them — like your post! Many only stayed in cabinets, though. I like the fact that the ones I have now are on display — and used.

    It looks so autumny there. I have noticed the shortened days, but we’re still in summer, and praying for an end to hurricane season. There’s another bad one coming, and friends in Louisiana are in its path. We’ll see.

    Your photo of Lil’ Urchin and the paint brought back my finger painting days. I can even smell that paint, right now!

    • That’s amazing, Linda! I’m sure your collection of oil lamps has dwindled, but it sounds so interesting.

    • Goodness, how fascinating re your oil lamp collection. You really must write a post on them, I’d love to see pictures. I love oil lamps too and have quite a few, the light they cast is lovely. Good to know you use all yours now. Here’s to the end of your hurricane season, they always look terrifying to me. Ah yes, finger painting memories never fade! Thanks Linda.xxx

  7. I still miss all the geese that we used to see when I lived in Ainsdale, the noise when they fly over is so evocative. We are still getting battered by the wind and rain and wonder when it is going to stop. Everything looks very cosy in your house, the dogs know exactly where to lie don’t they.

    • I get how you miss the geese, they are such an integrated part of autumn aren’t they, I especially love seeing them at dusk, their cries sound so melancholy then. Animals are very good at finding the warmest spots for sure.xxx

  8. We had some spring storms and snow down south. It looks like things are settling down now. You are preparing for winter up your way. Covid still rampant up your way.t, Our borders hold out. Take care.

    • Glad to hear your weather is settling down. Here’s to your numbers remaining low. Thanks Peter, you take care too.xxx

  9. I so love all of your photos ! Buddy looks so comfortable by the fire .. our Sophie has a cushioned box by our gas fireplace and she soaks every drop of heat in when it is on.
    I have to stop and read your previous post (I do things backwards all the time ! LOL) because that sky picture looks amazing !
    We have geese heading away for the winter … hundreds of them.
    We have been lucky with the weather so far … but yes, cooler and it is darker sooner too.
    The little one is adorable but I understand how the mess can seem like perpetual motion once it starts ? LOL
    The oil lamps were a great idea … even in miniature they look sweet .. mellow yellow and orange lighting is so darn cozy to me .. I love it !

    • Thanks Joy, lucky Sophie, sounds like she rules the roost! Perpetual motion is a wonderful way to describe the mess paint causes! We have had some wonderful sunsets lately, one minute the sky is orange and yellow, the next pitch black. There is something wonderful about orange and yellow lighting isn’t there. Enjoy your geese before they leave for patures new.xxx

  10. I think we were spared the worst of the weather. We had a parakeet in the garden a few weeks ago but couldn’t catch it. I don’t think it was a wild one so I hope it is still doing OK. We still have to book in for our flu jabs. Something to look forward to.

  11. Oooooh, Buddy: what a perfect lovebug cozing by the fire. And your sweet, sweet and growing babe and her boxes and paints. How lovingly you’re coaxing and tending her imagination. 🙂

    The rosella and lovebird are so brilliantly colored! I can only imagine the passionate (?) songs they share with you.

    I do love the winds and rains of autumn, and how charmingly your oil lamps brighten the rooms, Dina! I want to sit down beside Buddy and enjoy all the magic. (I did the same, in reverse: I ordered what I thought were very small bags for laundering “necessaries,” –O.K., bras–and received bags large enough to launder my house. What the heck??!)

    I haven’t gotten my flu shot yet; thanks for the reminder, although I think I may have had it this past weekend…still pondering how I could catch whatever I had while in lock-down. (Sounds like a country music title.)

    Blessings and joy on your week. Warming up back to summer temperatures here. Sigh.
    xoxoxo, K.

    • Thanks Kitty. You can’t beat conversing with birds, they really listen and talk when you stop talking. How I wish you could visit!!!We’d soon put the world to rights. Oh goodness, your laundry bag fiasco had me laughing.I hope the flu shot went well. Yes, how on earth can you catch anything when you’re not around people. Hubs and I haven’t had anything since the first lockdown. A little social distancing goes a long way when it comes to avoiding bugs. Love and hugs to one and all.xxx

  12. Your home looks lovely and warm, away from wind and weather. I can almost hear the geese in those grey skies. I do the same sort of thing with online purchases, never read the fine print or the details.
    I have been painting with my little granddaughter this week. As a parent, and a teacher I think painting requires about one hour of preparation for the adult, and five minutes of fun for the child! (still worth it of course, grandmother will do anything!)

    • Thanks Gerrie. This is certainly the time to get cosy indoors. It makes you wonder how many people buy the wrong things online… Oh how true re the painting, yes a lot of effort and mess for five minutes fun, but well worth it! xxx

  13. Buddy looks super cosy. It is a great picture!

    My flu’ jab is coming up. Hope yours is kinder to you this season.

    Your oil lamps are going to be very economic to run. 🙂

    The plastic container cupboard has always been available for little ones to explore, pulling out everything at least three times a day. It meant other drawers and cupboards in the kitchen and elsewhere, now I come to think on it, were left alone.

    Where did little hand prints go? She’s got a nice line in swirls. xxxxx

    • Thanks Menhir. It will be interesting to hear how your flu jab goes! Oh yes, those lamps sure will be economic to run, it’s hardly worth the effort of filling them. A cupboard full of plastic items is a really good idea. Oh, the hands went everywhere, especially all over me as I grabbed her and dashed to the nearest sink.xxx

  14. Lovely post and pictures. It’s been the same here the past few days.
    I had my flu jab in the medical centre car park. A long chat with the rosella made me smile, as did the waving tractor and bus drivers.
    Thanks, and you too. xx

    • Thanks Flighty. Goodness who knew people would end up having a flu jab in a car park? I’d prefer that to a cupboard though.Glad to have you smiling.xxx

  15. Love all you indoor scenes of cosiness although outside I can imagine the stormy conditions.
    Thankfully, they’ve died down here and all is calm once more. I think the little oil lamps are rather magical. Nice to get a glimpse and description of what’s going on at the animal rescue and pictures of little’un enjoying her artwork! Take care. Hope you have a good week.

    • Thanks Linda, we seem to have had ten days of wind and rain, the ground is becoming extremely sodden. I still can’t get over how small those lamps are! Still, they’re a novelty.xxx

  16. I think your oil lamps look kind of cute. I’ve heard of people buying items of furniture online only to discover when they arrive that they’re sized for a doll’s house, haha. Yes, the nights are drawing in now, it’s not my favourite time of year and I find myself already hoping that spring hurries up and comes again.

    • Thanks Jo. I can imagine it would get old fast filling those tiny oil lamps. Buying online can be so hit and miss, I’ve bought all sorts of odd things, sometimes I accidentally buy two of the same item which can be a pain as I hate sending things back. I hate it when it gets dark at four o clock, I really dread that. xxx

  17. I love your little oil lamps, your Christmas table will look extra cosy. We’ve had the effects of Storm Alex too. Sadly, our neighbours chose this week to go on holiday to Wales – I fear it may be a bit of a wash out. We also lit the stove for the first time this season. Anything to dispel the autumn gloom at the moment. Love the photos of Lil’urchin in her snazzy leggings! xx

    • Thanks Veggiemummy. Your poor neighbours! Rain sure does destroy a holiday. Log burners are just wonderful aren’t they, instant feel good factor and guaranteed gloom dispellers. Haha, yes, I love those leggings too.xxx

  18. lowcarbdiabeticJan

    Oops! Sorry about your miniature oil lamps!

    I so enjoy seeing the photographs of your adorable grand-daughter.
    LOL! She’s enjoying the painting.

    We’ve had nothing but rain this weekend!
    The Autumn leaves are looking decidedly soggy!

    Hope the new week will be a good one for you.

    All the best Jan

    • I was amazed when I saw the size of those lamps! I can imagine filling them will get old fast. It’s still pouring down here, sodden leaves are everywhere. Thanks Jan.xxx

  19. Love the pups enjoying the fires! And the strings of geese. We continue to be exceptionally dry, so your rain and lashing wind looks quite welcome. I had to laugh at the miniature oil lamps–I think we’ve all had similar experiences. Enjoy your autumn, winter is coming!

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