SCRUNCHING THROUGH LEAVES IS FUN!

Today's early morning walk took Belinda, Jenny and I around Shepton and Bowlish. We walked over fields, lanes and footpaths and enjoyed scrunching through the drifts of leaves that were mostly on the ground.  The weather was perfect Autumn walking weather - cold, but dry with the promise of a sunny day to come...

The footpaths took us past horses and an equestrian centre.  The only blot on the landscape was rubbish, (see middle left pic).  How people can fly-tip and ruin our beautiful countryside, I just don't know...

AUTUMN IS DEFINITELY HERE!

There was a chill in the air, and it had only just got light as Belinda, Jenny and I set off for a walk on familiar ground.  As we crunched our way through a carpet of dry leaves, we remarked that Autumn was definitely here!

We followed some footpaths that eventually took us up to Barren Down, a favourite peaceful green space, that has stunning views of Shepton - see above.

We walked up to Shepton High Street and had a look at the latest developments. The centre photograph shows a new shop in town - an artisan bakers called Loaf, which has a coffee shop, that looks worth a visit!  Another place for refreshment, with interesting recycle art projects to see, is the Art Bank Cafe -  left middle row pic.  Situated in the former HSBC bank building, they are a not for profit outfit, doing exciting work recycling residents' rubbish...

Having dropped off Belinda at her home in the centre of Shepton, Jenny and I walked across Collett Park, which looked glorious in the Autumn sunshine...

GREY, DAMP AND A CAMERA INCIDENT!

These are the only photographs I managed to do today!  I had an accident with my camera - it fell on the ground and landed on the lens, causing damage, so it wouldn't take any more photographs!  I took it into a local camera shop who have sent it away for a quote for repairs.  Apparently, this will take two weeks, and if I agree to the price it will be a further 2 weeks for the repair!  We really do live in a throwaway society.  I expect I could get a new camera for the cost of having it put right.  I shall just have to wait and see...

Actually, it wasn't a good day for taking pictures.  It was grey and damp, but it was still great to get out into the fresh air in the footpaths and fields around Shepton.  There was plenty of talking as Jenny and I had a good catch-up...

IMPORTANT TO GET OUT INTO THE BRACING AIR!

Today was another of those cold, but crisp and beautiful sunny mornings, when walking is such a pleasure, especially when you get off the beaten track.  There was the contrast of the white crunchy frosted foliage in some areas and the golden light of the sun, making all the Autumn leaves glow in other places...

For me, when the weather gets colder and all I really want to do is hunker down and hibernate, it is important to make a commitment for a walk.  It can be a real effort to get out of a warm and cosy bed, but the thought of letting someone down motivates me to get up and out!  It is the time of year when we tend to be less active, so it is even more important for our health and fitness to get out there in the bracing air...

Jenny has been looking for ideas for the two box planters, each side of the main door of her salon.  They had some lovely purple flowers in them all summer, but are now empty.  We looked at some gardens for ideas (see above), and were quite taken with the bright red cyclamens with silver and green foliage combination that we saw in some great wall baskets...

POPPIES LOOK FABULOUS IN THE SUNSHINE!

Today, was a beautiful day for a walk -  frosty, bright, sunny, and the coldest morning so far this Autumn.  Next Sunday is Remembrance Sunday, and the Church of St Peter and St Paul had poppies lined up along its railings in preparation.  The long red line look fabulous in the early morning sunshine.  The Royal British Legion have taken over an empty shop (see above), in the middle of town as their local headquarters and to advertise their wares.  You can now get poppies of all different sizes...

For the walk, I was joined by Jenny and Belinda.  It took us up onto Barren Down and then onto open fields.  We followed a footpath which took us over a stone stile and through someone's garden. As the centre left pic shows, the gardener had prepared for the frost by covering the veggies with some ghostly fleece!

Jenny and I walked from Tadley Acres into the centre of Shepton to call for Belinda. On the way there and back we went through Collett Park, which was looking as splendid as usual.  We also walked passed the allotments - full of interest, whatever time of year...

MUDDY FOOTPATHS AND GREAT VIEWS!

Jenny and I started off on our walk today when it was fairly dark and damp, but as we progressed, the sun started to rise with the promise of better weather on the way.  Our walk took us along some muddy footpaths and incorporated one of our favourite views, the Charlton Viaduct - as you can see in the pics above.

We couldn't be out too long today, as Jenny was expecting a wallpaper delivery - the reception in her salon is having a makeover - watch this space!  Apparently the paper was coming all the way from Poland - I do hope she likes it!

We had a wander around Kilver Court - they do have some lovely statement pots. We took the opportunity to pose by a couple of them!  In the area leading from the carpark to the designer outlets, there are galvanised troughs, full of luscious ferns and other foliage, which look good all year round.

We found ourselves on a path we hadn't been on before and discovered that Kilver Court have a Community Vegetable Garden.  According to the notice, it is organically run and some of the raised beds are used by local schools.  The remainder produce vegetables that are eaten in the Kilver Court restaurant.  It was looking a bit sad and empty at the moment, see the photograph above right, but we will keep an eye on it and see how it progresses throughout the year...

I love the colours of Autumn leaves - this Horse Chestnut behind me in the above photograph is a good example.  We saw plenty of berries and this apple tree, (top right), which was positively groaning with fruit... 

DON'T HIBERNATE, GET OUTDOORS!

During the last couple of weeks, the cold, dark, and sometimes extremely wet mornings, without a walking companion, have meant that I have struggled to get up and out!  As I have been missing the exercise, today I dragged my husband out for a walk in the sunshine, just after lunch, even though he much prefers the manicured fairways of the golf club and with regular stops to swing his golf clubs...
  

It is so easy to stay indoors in the warm and hibernate this time of year.  But, having recently read, that spending time outdoors encourages the production of endorphins - natural painkillers that trigger feelings of well being, and helps to set our biological clock and promotes more restful sleep, I thought I should make the effort to get outside more, even if it was only to the local park...
 

Collett Park is beautiful and well cared for, whatever the season or weather - see above.  It is a well used and a much loved park for all Shepton residents.  There is always something to see - this time of year it is fungi, berries and autumn leaves! 

The park was gifted to the town by John Kyte Collett in 1906.  The story goes, that as a boy he was told off for playing in fields that were once where the park is now, as they were privately owned.  Years later the land was auctioned off, and he bought some of the lots so that anybody could use it for recreation.  This act of generosity is celebrated on the 2nd Saturday in June with the annual Collett Park Festival which has in the last couple of years grown to include more of the weekend...

CRUNCHY LEAVES ARE FUN!

Today, I was joined by Belinda for a brisk, sunny but cold, walk starting from Bowlish.  The leaves are now falling thick and fast and make a delightful crunchy sound when walked upon!

We had a great walk - up and down some lovely country lanes and public footpaths. One path took us through an equestrian centre where we saw the horse pictured above.  He was behind wires, with a notice asking people not to touch or feed it. This was a shame, because there is nothing quite like the feel of a horse's soft velvet nose and warm breath!

We found ourselves on top of the Meadows with a great view of Shepton.  We walked back to our finishing point at Bowlish, passing one of my favourite houses - Old Bowlish House whose frontage always looks good, whatever the season - see pics below - right and top left.  Jenny and I really enjoyed looking around the interior and learning all about its history on an organised trip last summer.  It also included a superb tea!  Press on the Old Bowlish House label below, to find out how we got on...

AUTUMN IN FULL COLOUR!

The morning walk was later than planned!  I am finding it hard to motivate myself to get out early for a walk when I have nobody to walk with, even though now the clocks have gone back, and it is so much lighter.  I am hoping that Jenny is going to get back to the routine soon, as I do miss the exercise and the chats!

I planned to take photographs of the sun shining on Autumn leaves, as they are so colourful at the moment.  Unfortunately, there was rain in the air, which got worse as my walk progressed...  I chose the wrong morning, as we had plenty of sun earlier in the week!  However, some of the colours were so stunning that they shone through...

I started the walk from home, through Collett Park (see top set of pics) with its beautiful selection of trees.  I then went up the steep climb to Barren Down (see below), and walked back to the market and met a friend for coffee.  Autumn is certainly here, and in full  colour...
    

A DARK START!

I have some busy friends so it was out on my own today!  When I left Tadley Acres at seven o'clock it was still dark and the moon was shining.  I like getting out early before the world is awake.  However, the main roads were already busy with traffic...

It was the coldest walk so far this Autumn.  I think I will have to get my gloves out soon!  But the dark soon gave way to the sunrise...

I wanted some fresh air and exercise so it was a quick trot around the outskirts of Shepton with views of the Charlton Viaduct and by the time I came back to the Church and Market Cross they were bathed in sunshine...

I find all walks interesting.  There is always something different to see.  Around Shepton there are a great variety of places to walk, from countryside, woodland, urban streets to housing estates, shopping centres, factories etc.  There are some great views but the one thing we haven't got is the sea!

However, I rectified that last week on some coastal walks in Cornwall - see below.   There is nothing like walking by the sea - the smell, sound and changing landscape. I think most of us love looking at the sea.  After all we are an island nation... 

MUD, MUD, GLORIOUS MUD!

The main hazard today was mud!  We started on footpaths going towards Doulting but then somehow found ourselves 'off piste' and into muddy fields and undergrowth!  Jenny and I managed to slip at almost the same time but luckily we didn't land completely in the mud but Jenny did get her gloves and jacket dirty.  At one point I had to give her a helping hand before she disappeared down a muddy hole!

Anyway, somehow we found ourselves on high ground with wonderful views and discovered we were on the East Mendip Way!  Up there it was very windy and bringing even more leaves down.  Many trees have now taken on their Winter silhouette although there is still some wonderful Autumn colours around. We walked through an old neglected apple orchard,  followed the signs back down to Shepton and found we had done a complete convoluting loop back to where we started!

Lots of weekend news to catch up on.  I had been part of the Craft Fair at the Bishop's Palace in Wells with the One Craft Gallery.  The surroundings were very grand, but dark so we had to have plenty of lights to illuminate our stand!  The picture below shows a couple of members of our co-operative.  As well as selling, we wanted to publicise ourselves and get people from Wells to come over to Shepton to the gallery.  In the time I was there I met some interesting and friendly customers so fingers crossed they do come...

We again saw some beautiful fungi, this time very close to home - must be the wet but mild weather we have been having.  The forecast says its going to get colder soon.  Good job I bought some hand warmers at the craft fair!!

SUPER SUNRISE

Today conditions were ideal for walking - shame we didn't have more time!  Saw a beautiful sunrise and came home with dry feet!  Although we didn't stray too far, we saw sheep and cows and tramped over fields.  On our way back we noticed a lot of building work going on - I expect they are working like mad before the Winter weather sets in.

On our way round we were passed twice by the same jogger accompanied by his two dogs - all getting plenty of exercise! You can see him in action in the pics - above, bottom right and below middle left.

We came back a different way around our estate and noticed a small children's playground that we didn't know existed (top right) and other parking areas, tucked away.  There is an extremely large tree, see below, which overlooks the back of Jenny's garden causing problems with shade, intrusive roots and tons and tons of fallen leaves.  What I had never realised, before photographing it, is the fact that it is actually two trees which have become so intertwined that they look like one!

I love my new machine, the Omega VSJ843 slow juicer - it is more efficient and easier to clean than my last one.  It also came with a free book - The Juice Generation by Eric Helms, which I have found inspiring;  so I am now juicing more than ever and am trying a greater variety of fruit and vegetables.  This morning I tried melon with a bit of pineapple, apples, mint, parsley and spinach.  Delicious !! The book which I have used for years is Superjuice by Michael van Straten.  I don't often follow the recipes exactly but it gives me ideas of interesting flavour combinations.  The book is clear and beautifully set out.  He also gives his juices great names, such as, wrinkle zapper, power pack, tropical revitaliser, prune-light express, waterfall, femme fatale and wake-up whammy!!

IN A FOG!

Deep in conversation, after getting the weekends events out of the way, we headed up to the derelict Mendip Vale railway station.  I've said it before and I will probably say it again before this season is over, the trees loaded with their golden leaves looked stunning - amazingly beautiful colours, especially when the sun broke through the fog.  We have been here before in the spring when there was a carpet of bluebells, very different from the magical misty atmosphere of today.  From where we were we could look up to the East Somerset Railway line through the hedgerow and saw three large carriages, falling apart... It seems a little sad, but I suppose lack of finance must stop them being restored, even though refurbished steam trains do trips from Cranmore, just up the line. 

Today we were guilty of peering through hedges and over walls at the most beautiful properties and gardens in Frog Lane!  Talk about 'through the keyhole' - who does live in a house like that!!?

On my return, I couldn't wait to get my boots off !  Both of us suffered sodden feet - it was a very heavy dew!  I was keen to get juicing!  I'm back on it, big time.  Helen, is a juice pro, and it's second nature to her - she was also looking forward to having a go with her new juicer.  As I am a beginner to regular juicing, I have to start with a small juice each morning.  I am quite determined to stick at it this time -  I will leave my juicer out as a constant reminder!  I am sure that in no time at all, the live, vibrant juices will help me feel energised, invigorated and clear headed plus the all important glowing skin!!

GENTLE JUICE ! (For beginners)

1/2 Lemon (peeled)

3 organic Carrots

1 Apple

1 Pear

1 inch Ginger                          Juice and Enjoy!!