Harvest Festival

The rain stopped, the sun came out and I had a productive time in the garden. I picked the last of the blueberries, gathered in some cranberries, blackberries and lots of grapes, and this little harvest will shortly be juiced with a few windfall apples. The apples are super tasty this year too and our two plums were also exquisite. Six quinces sit fattening on the tree and we're going to have a good crop of medlars too. There are also masses of cobnuts. I'm not sure how you tell when they are ready to pick or what you do with them when they are, so advice would be wlecome.

No swim yesterday though I ventured down to the water's edge and chickened out. It was grey, the water was murky after the rain and it was full of little blue jellyfish that looked dangerous. Today though - it was clear and still and freezing refreshing! Swallows skimmed overhead and shrimps nibbled my toes, and I went at a fair pace twice round the buoy .