August was wet, windy and rather chilly. I know it's bad when we've hardly eaten outside, let alone get the old barby going. Apparently it has been the coldest and wettest August for three years with an average temperature of 13.9 degrees!! Parents up and down the land must be cursing the mini-heatwave we are having now the kids are back at school..... Spring and Autumn are definately the best seasons in the UK.
We went to Hengistbury Head with Sarah's Dad at the beginning of the month. I much prefer it to Bournemouth - no hoards of holiday makers, no icecream vans - just wild coast, gorgeous.
Bit windy!
A lot of the plants, especially the sunflowers, have been flattened by the wind and the tomatoes are really late in coming on.
I love my red sunflowers - this one escaped the weather
I rescued these for indoors
Sarah tending to her babies (with Classic FM on the radio of course)
These short Teddy Bear Sunflowers are gorgeous and don't blow over!
Have been inspired by my Mother's garden.
This is what our garden will look like when we have retired....
Big Dog likes the smooth lawn
We had a bracing walk near Potterne to nose at people's back gardens
Drew's Pond - I love this place
My Mum was right not to wear wellies - my feet were steaming!
The countryside is looking autumnal now.
The combines are frantically working from mid afternoon until midnight
I don't know how the tractor keeps up with the combine when he is driving in a cloud of dust!
Big Dog in a wheat field
We've been swapping veg with the neighbours.
Welsh Bill with his unusual tomato!
We are on our 10th barrel of beer! There are 40 pints in a barrel - what does that say? Who cares, it's sooooo nice. Sarah has progressed from kits to malt extract brewing now.
The resident scientists inspecting the brewery
I've been making chutney with all the courgettes -
Alys Fowler's Ploughman's Chutney - 5 jars
Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's Courgette Glutney - 10 jars
Courgette Glutney
Our bungalow sounds like an ancient Alchemist's house - what with the chutney lids popping and the beer blubbing away. It's strangely comforting.
Sarah tried a new bread - Cholla Loaf. Delicious! It is a Jewish loaf and despite the richness of the dough it's really light. It has a sweetness due to the milk and sugar and is traditionally served on the Sabbath. Good for breakfast or tea, sliced and buttered. We had ours at tea time with butter and jam. So yummy.
A plaited teenager and a plaited loaf
It's been a quiet month. Now we are back to traffic jams, college drop offs, choir and avoiding anything to do with Christmas! I saw an advert for a Christmas fair in September? Agh!
Oh, favourite aquisition this month - takes me back to the 1970's - sigh.....
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