Berries ...

The recent change in the weather brought us enough wind and rain to see the end of most of the glories of Autumn that have occupied so many of my blips recently, but back in Benmore Gardens in the peace of the closed season I was amazed to see so many varied berries in some parts of the hillside. This is the best selection - they're more subtle than the leaves, but there are pink berries here, and red ones, and brown ones and some stubborn golden leaves for contrast. I've chucked in an extra of the pond as it assumes its winter colourings, though there are still some remnants of red on the tree on the island.

Earlier we'd been at this German taster class we've been trying; it's such fun and the people are entertaining and the teacher delightful. I still find it amazingly hard to retain new words, but ones learned long ago from random sources keep popping up through the mud of my brain.

For any followers of my hypochondriac journey, it may be of interest to hear my latest distraction therapy for the poppadum-attacked throat: I smashed a toe into the floor today (don't ask) and the pain and subsequent bruising make me think I may have succeeded in breaking it ...