At least it’s meteorological autumn which is the version that seems to match our weather down here by the sea in Dorset so it’s the one I use even though the solstice isn’t for another couple of weeks. It’s also my son’s birthday, which probably explains why he’s always been one for storms and rainbows. There again, he should have been born on Halloween, so things could have been a lot worse.
It’s been a time of endings and beginnings in other ways too, because the big old rosemary bush that seeded itself in our garden wall and came from a plant that I grew from the sprig of rosemary that was in my wedding bouquet finally gave up on life. So I cut it down, which took ages, and it went to my lovely across the lane neighbour for his smoker and I have lamb burgers to look forward to, as well as a whole new area to play with.
There was a lot of cutting up and sweeping up and a bit of grief for all the times I sat under it, but along with that was the knowledge that I knew it was coming so I now have four little plants sitting on the wall that came from cuttings from it. In the spring I’ll take more cuttings and so it will go on. The RHS recommend replacing it every five years so this saw more than twenty, which shows how right they were to say it thrives in poor soil because it didn’t have any soil! So they’re in gritty compost and I’ve kept the branches sticking out of the wall. That’s partly because I’d have to rebuild the wall if I took them out, partly because the cats love it as a scratching post and it’ll look pretty with little round solar lights hanging from it and mainly because I am, as you long ago worked out, my friends who I haven’t yet met, a total and unashamed romantic with a mile wide slushy streak.
The rhythm of the year is changing. Leaves are starting to fall and here in the UK, the children go back to school this week so the tourist season will wind down gently. I know that without tourists we wouldn’t have so many of the lovely places I enjoy and I do try to be welcoming but I can’t deny that there’s a little bit of me that does a happy dance when the Quayside quietens and I can explore without crowds and the risk of contagion. And yes, I do know that Covid isn’t serious for most people and they deserve to be able to live their lives, but it is serious for me so my life has gone in a different direction.
It’s definitely not a bad direction though, so I’m looking forward to apple pie and quieter shops and snuggling indoors and moving from quilting to embroidery. On Thursday, I sat by the Harbour wall (actually I had my feet up on it) and finished embroidering my second summer crazy quilt. I got into doing these when I started the Amy Hammond book, Crazy for Death which will be published on Thursday, and when I look across the Bay I can see where the village of Windy Bay would be if it was real. The first book in the next series about them is out on Thursday too and it’s called ‘A Place to Call Home.’ There’ll be much, much more about that on Wednesday, but till then enjoy the end of summer or the start of spring according to where you are and steal a little time for yourself… And I just happened to see the SS Sheildhall from one side of the Harbour as it sailed round to Bournemouth for the Air Show so on Friday we went and sat in the sunshine up at steamer point (which seemed appropriate) and watched it from even closer.
Today’s pictures are of the Shieldhall and the new area of my garden. Aren’t I lucky to live where I do and have the life that I do? Compared to that, what I don’t have seems very unimportant.
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