It's beginning to look a lot like Autumn....

 It may still be August, and the weather alternating between sunshine and thunderstorms, but in the Wood there's the first signs of Autumn....

Leaves and bracken are turning to gold, and it definitely feels like summer is coming to an end.

Norfolk - in sunshine and rain

The weather's been quite good recently - generally dry and sunny - so we thought it was a good time for a quick visit to Norfolk. Things didn't work according to plan though. Day 1 was fine - nicer than it looks in the photos - but Day 2 was wet! Damp at first and just getting wetter and wetter till we passed king's Lynn on the way home!
















The sun shone for a gentle stroll up and down the prom at Hunstanton, checking out the traditional floral displays along the front and the water features in Boston Square, eating ice cream and dodging the seagulls!

The day ended with a glorious red sunset - but it didn't bring any 'shepherds' delight' for the next day, unless shepherds are really fond of rain!

Still, we set out first for Holt,pottering in and out of the shops, then on to Blickling Hall, armed with waterproofs and umbrella, and determined to see the gardens.

The herbaceous borders still looked bright and colourful, even in the rain, and I wish mine looked as good.

When we moved on to Walsingham though, the rain got heavier - in some places the roads looked like streams!

On the last leg of the trip, the sun came out at last - another wonderful sunset.

Three Days in Pembrokeshire - blue skies, wildflowers and sunsets

 We've recently been back down to the far west of Wales, to the countryside and coast around St Davids. Our holiday home this time was this lovely part-thatched cottage in the tiny village of Tretio, from Under the Thatch.

Abereiddi

Two of the three days were absolutely glorious - blue skies, blue sea, and sand that was almost too hot to walk on! We almost didn't want to leave the beach - but we did, to walk along flower-edged paths on the coastal path, up the small "mountain" overlooking Whitesands Bay, round the ruins of Abereiddi's quarries, and out again in the evenings to catch the sunset.

Abereiddi's Blue Lagoon

Whitesands - beach level

Whitesands - from above

Porthgain

Blue sky and blue underfoot

 I was paying more attention to the bluebells underfoot on this morning's dog walk, till I looked up and realised the sky matched their colour!

Wandering off the normal paths and through the middle of the wood I discovered this stump that refuses to give up and die .....










and a dead tree, now home to woodpeckers. We often hear their 'drilling' noise but rarely see them.

 ...and more bluebells, because you can never have too many.