Levitating

Today's early morning low slung clouds quietly slipped away, revealing a glorious blue autumnal sky.

 I'd put off working yesterday due to claggy heavy mist and rain, which when half way up a moorland hillside trying to garden is not pleasant. Thursday's lovely weather more than made up for it.

It is definitely autumnal now - no getting around it and yes I know there are those of you who are atumnaphiles who can not get enough of the colours, the cool air, the dark evenings, the comfort food however they are exactly what gets me down. Where is the warmth and the sunlight, the heat of the day and the late nights?  Where are the swallows and swifts and the searing sunsets over the sea horizon? However, today certainly went someway to redeem it's rather dreary start.

Willow was her usual enthusiastic self, showing me how to just get on and enjoy life regardless what gets thrown at you - or in her case - for you ... a ball, a frizzbee or hoop.

Over the last couple of days I have been making slow roast pumpkin soup - working around having half a kitchen and it has turned out rather nicely. 

I'd planned to have it for the weekend however Himself was feeling a bit poorly and not wanting to eat much, so I enticed him with a bowl full of the pumpkin soup which he agreed to try. 

Suffice to say, he soon perked up and wolfed it down then hung around seeing if there would be seconds - sorry no, the rest is for the weekend! (We've got another birthday celebration and the soup is meant for that) Don't worry about him starving, he was offered other things to stave off his self imposed famine, he's fine.

It is now in the fridge, ready to be gently reheated and eaten with crusty brown bread - yum

Have you ever seen a caterpillar levitate? - Well now you have..... It is one of the Tiger moth family, not sure which variety, but on discovery it curled up in a fuzzy ball, balancing on the longer guard hairs making it look as if it was floating! 

It soon 'returned to its feet' and wandered off , determinedly heading towards my garden for a somewhere to hide.

So I suppose, the answer to the dilemma of how to survive autumn - be more dog, levitate like a tiger moth caterpillar, eat slow roasted pumpkin soup and just get on with it.... Wish me luck.

And the builders? They have finally gone!! Next step is a bit of electrical work then the walls can be skimmed and painted, the cupboards installed and the floor replaced - ooh that sounds like more than one step...... I shall keep you posted.