Today I am another year older and wondering on where life is now leading me. I’m not fearful or anxious for myself as I still find awe and inspiration in the small wonders that surround us but I am fearful of what children may miss in our sadly depleting world. An App or new smartphone feature is no replacement for that first encounter with something new in the natural world.
Life at Hempstead continues to inspire, surprise and amuse. Autumn has seen the biggest puffball grow to be joyfully consumed by my mate Clive and his 2 boys, Rowan and Finlay. Sliced and fried, I have to agree yummy but though tempted I couldn’t post the photos that showed the similarity of the base of the puffball to another kind of bottom!
I am not the only gardener to remark on the amazing fruit crop, apples, pears, sloes, damsons, blackberries which bodes well for wildlife food but if its a harbinger of a hard winter, God help us!
Fruit and flowers should mean butterflies and lots of other flying insects and yes I’ve had some surprises in the garden.
After living at Hempstead for 26 years I never expected to see a new butterfly species let alone a new species on a plant by our back door.
10 minutes later and an old favourite dropped in.
Unbelievable as it might seem we suffered our first frost of the season on the 1st September which I took to be another indication of how strange this year has become.
Sometimes fungi are directionally challenged…..
And sometimes runs to the dump have an accidental stowaway….
Happy Birthday me! And just for the beauty here’s a very late jewel
