A day of saying goodbye to the summer

 



I can pinpoint exactly when we said goodbye to the summer this year. That last day of brilliant sunshine, heat and sheer joy to be sitting out on a Sunday and seeing friends and neighbours. It was four weeks ago today, and the weather has really changed since then.

 

It was the day of our village meet up...a new addition to the annual rhythm of village events. Apart from church services, normally there's four starting off with the Pancake Party, the Barn Dance in high summer, Harvest Supper and Carol Singing. Being a small village in the middle of the English countryside, we like to keep to the old traditions.

 

But this year Kate suggested a late September meet up , to be held on the village green. Nothing too fancy, a small marquee on the teeny green, everybody was to bring a picnic lunch, there would be a barrel of real manly ale for all the men in  the village and the women would bring their own wine. Oh, and Willie's band would be playing, and we would hire in a couple who serve gorgeous cream teas from their vintage Citroen van.

 

Well that was the plan, which so very nearly went according to plan, but there was a hiccup. The weather. Possible heavy rain was forecast, so we all decamped to Willie and Kate's courtyard. And what an inspired idea that was..it was the perfect venue for a magical afternoon....

 

 



 



Most brought a picnic

 

 
 
 
 
 



But the cream tea van still did a roaring trade....

And there were so many quiet places to escape to and have a natter and a cup of tea...

There were games for the children, but most of them just wanted to run around the gardens,

or sit and watch the band.

Now Willie has a band, he plays guitar and harmonica, and sings, and that was one of the reasons the venue for the get together was changed. The band were going to play on the back of a cart and plug into  Barbara's house on the green. But no one wanted the band to be electrocuted during a heavy downpour...

Especially not when Greg Pearle, Willie's friend was singing. That's not to say we would have sacrificed the rest of the band you understand . But Greg....ah,  he's special.He was staying in the village  for a few weeks , he'd entranced us and had made us cry in church the week before with the gravelly passion and pathos of his voice . And he melted my heart again, that afternoon in the sunshine as he sang some of his own material and some covers..

And as the afternoon went into early evening, no one wanted to the afternoon to end....

besides there was still time to catch those last few golden moments

before it really was time to leave

So, the last day of summer....and it's only as I write this, I realise there's no photo of Kate, whose idea sparked off such a magical afternoon. Mind you, she was hither and thither and didn't stand still for a minute. I only hope she enjoyed it as much as we did.

Today's track has to be, must be,  from the wonderful Greg Pearle, .featured here with the amazing John Illsley from Dire Straits  -it's from the album they made together back in 2008. Sit back, and just enjoy "Shine".....I love it.

 

A summer walk



Whatever the time of year, there's some lovely walks around our village....no matter what the weather or the season, there's always something new to see, to smell and to hear....

 

Boo is always up for a walk....come rain come shine....even when it's freezing cold, she'll carry on regardless. Yesterday though, for the first time ever, after half an hour she was practically begging me to walk homewards....at 31 degrees, it was too darned hot.

 

We walked down the lane...and immediately met the lovely  new neighbours who were relaxing in their garden which lies sideways to the road. Over the old brick waist high wall, we shook hands, exchanged pleasantries , Boo was admired, and we walked on.

 

On the way down to the church, I met my friend, who for once, wasn't smiling.Roxy their  Staffie had been injured, and Jessie , their son's Staffie had been killed on Friday morning by a car. Boo sat patiently as I heard what happened, while we hugged  and had tears in our eyes.

 

I took Boo up the track behind the church, and stopped under the shade of a huge tree to take this photo and lean on the gate and to think of Jessie.



 

 

 

She'd  been in our garden playing with Boo on Thursday night...tearing around , chasing each other hither and thither before collapsing in a heap together. Jessie was such a lovely natured, playful dog ...I'd always thought if she'd been a girl she'd have worn pigtails and had freckles...

 

 I wiped my eyes as Boo and I carried on along the dusty track.

 



It's normally very quiet along the bridle path, but all of a sudden a car came past...with Sue, two boys and two terriers from the next village. They were the advance posse for a large gathering who were going to camp in one of the fields overnight.

We started to walk back to the village , taking a left along a track where I 'll be collecting sloes in the autumn. For gin, obviously.....

This track is usually muddy, thick heavy gloopy mud that can almost pull you over, but I've never seen it as dry as this before.

Boo liked this new look track...and kept darting in and out of the shade...

I could still hear the newly shorn sheep (who seemed slightly surprised by their sudden lack of  wool)as I smelt these white roses and lavender  - what is it about intense heat which enhances the scents of so many flowers? Closing my eyes I could have been in a sun baked Provence , inhaling the soporific and soothing lavender..

 

By this time though, Boo and I felt the walk had been long enough....we were both hot, so we skipped through the church , by the Old Vicarage ,hearing the splash  of  water in the swimming pool the other side of the wall. It was so nice to hear the chatter and sounds of people enjoying themselves in the sunshine....

By now , Boo was panting ..we hotfooted home, Boo lapped up a huge bowl of water, and I threw a bucket of cold water over my head and feet ,suddenly feeling so much cooler....but refusing to look in a mirror in case I frightened myself.

It was time for me to read  a book in the shade of our ash tree , hoping for the faintest whisper of a breeze

and Boo sat quietly before drifting off into a deep sleep.

Today's song is "Summer Breeze" -I've always loved this song...a soundtrack to so many of my summers , and for years I'd assumed that the Isley Brothers had written it. It was the only version I knew, and I still adore it..but these days I also like the original, written by Seals and Croft - and on some days, this is the version that I want to hear