A LOT OF TALKING ON THIS WALK!

The early mornings are now much darker and colder!  Today was a chance for Jenny and I to have a catch-up so there was much talking as well as walking!  We did one of our favourite walks around Shepton, where we walked through farmland and had a great view of the Charlton Road viaduct - see above.

Part of the walk was down a wooded bridleway which always has many interesting shaped branches and twigs on the ground.  In the past we have collected these for Christmas decorations etc. and today was no exception!  Jenny chose to take a striking branch with a long tall stem - ideal to stand up for a decorative, natural alternative to a Christmas tree! 

SNOWDROPS ARE EVERYWHERE!

Today Belinda and I went for local walk and viewed the aftermath of the Snowdrop Festival, which took place at the weekend.  Belinda said that Shepton had been buzzing!

I was right about the winner of the Best Dressed Window - it was Anna's Attic.  The trophy can be seen above top left.  Incidentally, it was made by Fran Davies, a specialist stained glass artist, and one of the members of the One Craft Gallery.  We, at the gallery got  highly commended, as did the Opticians in the High Street - Christopher Young, whose window can be seen in the three bottom pics above...

Our walk took us to the Charlton Viaduct, part of which is in the gardens of Kilver Court.  Our route went by their vegetable garden which is being prepared for planting - see above centre top photograph. 

The snowdrop festival is run by Shepton Mallet Horticultural Society and they have implemented a massive planting programme, so wherever you go in and around the town, you can see the delicate white snowdrop heads.  We saw them everywhere - they are a welcome sign of the forthcoming Spring!

GREY MORNING BRIGHTENED BY PAULA!

It has been a little while since the last walk, a combination of bad weather and commitments!  However, today was a treat for Jenny and I, as Paula Cuthbert joined us.  Paula is an alternative therapist extraordinaire!  She operates out of Jenny's Beauty Salon and keeps me fit and healthy!  It was a grey morning, but not cold.  The first part of our walk took us to Kilver Court to see what Christmas decorations they had up - see above.

We then went on muddy footpaths through farmland.  There were cows with horns in one of the fields that had a footpath going through it, so we quickly chose another route! We were concerned with one cow, that seemed to have a problem with its leg, so we had a quick word with the farmer and he said that one of them was disabled from birth.  We also went through a field full of sheep, and had a friendly greeting from a small dog!  The Charlton Viaduct provided a stunning backdrop...

Jenny is on the lookout for interesting branches that she can use for natural looking Christmas decorations.  There were loads of wood just lying by the pathway, so she picked up a couple of suitable ones. She thought one branch would make a good pair of antlers - see middle photo above!  Anyway, she insisted on carrying them back with her, although they will need some drying out before being sprayed...

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...

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... 

LOOKING FOR SIGNS OF SPRING!

I was walking on my own today.  It was dreary and cold but there wasn't a frost. Plenty of mud, but in some places the ground and paths were still frozen and icy underneath, so I had to step carefully on the pavements.  However, by the end of the walk there was weak sunshine... 

Visually, this is not the best time of year for gardens - mine is looking a mess! However, when looking into other people's gardens for signs of Spring, it was heartening to see the fresh green shoots of spring bulbs and the occasional bright splash of colour.  I saw a couple of misplaced gloves - pictured above.  It is so annoying to lose one of a pair.  I am frequently doing that with earrings and it makes me mad!

One of our favourite front gardens seems to have acquired a new structure - see above.  It will be interesting to see how it gets incorporated into their garden design...

  
On my way home I passed the allotments and there were a few signs of activity...

SHOWING MIRIAM SOME OF SHEPTON'S SIGHTS!

Today I had the company of a neighbour that I have just met.  Miriam is fairly new to Shepton, so was keen to explore!  I decided to take her on a circular walk on the outskirts of the town, taking in some public footpaths and bridle ways...

It was dark when we started off but by the time we were on footpaths with the Charlton Viaduct as a drop back, this gave way to a beautiful sunrise. 

On the circular tour we walked by Kilver Court, which was looking very festive with its Christmas lights and trees. We then worked our way, via some footpaths through to Barren Down, which was a surprise to Miriam.  It is such a hidden, unspoilt piece of countryside which overlooks the town - see the top photographs above.

I also showed her the Bath Road Viaduct - we are spoilt for viaducts in Shepton! There are actually three - the last one being the Ham Wood Viaduct, which is a ruin in the woods and much harder to find.  I did find it in May and the post about it can be located by pressing on the label below...



We finally made our way home up the High Street, past the allotments, through Collett Park and back to Tadley Acres.  Miriam said she felt good, getting out and walking in the fresh early morning air, and would like to go again! 

According to the excellent book I am currently reading - 'Making Art a Practice' by Cat Bennett, walking outside in nature is an excellent practice, for cultivating peace and awareness.  Surely much needed, especially this time of year... 

'OH WHAT A BEAUTIFUL MORNING'!

As the song says, today was a beautiful morning for a walk!  I was on my own and wrapped up warm, as it it was the coldest morning, so far this season.  However, there was no wind and all the mud of last week had frozen to a crunch, and then there was a fantastic sunrise...

I was soon away from the main roads and into countryside that has the Charlton Viaduct as a photogenic backdrop!  The sun made everything glow, especially the last few leaves left on the trees. I could smell the cider apples being processed even though I must have been half a mile from the actual factory! That must be why as soon as I got home it was straight to my juicer to make a juice based on apples!  It is the season for English apples so I mixed apples from my parent's garden, with celery, mint and parsley - not a combination I had tried before, but it made a delicious refreshing drink...

I was on public footpaths, but one path led, with a stile, to a field full of cattle with horns (see above), who did not look friendly, so I had to double back!  And I thought farmer's were meant to keep public rights of way clear of obstacles...

The walk home took me past the local allotments which look interesting whatever time of year...

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... 

A MORNING OF MIZZLE!

The meteorological calendar gives the 1st September as the start of Autumn and according to John Keats, it is the ' Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness!'  Today, it certainly was!

It was actually raining to begin with but this gave way to gentle mizzle. Belinda accompanied me and we tried to stick to well trodden paths so we didn't get too wet!  However, it was warm so we ended up with our jackets around our waists...

We were amazed how high the maize or sweetcorn had grown and marvelled at the enormous fungi we saw attached to the bark of a tree.  Would love to know its name and whether it is edible!  

Our walk took us past Kilver Court and gave us great views of the Charlton Viaduct. We noticed that the Horse Chestnut tree's leaves had already started to change colour and fall...

The allotments had all the signs of vegetables harvested and the promise of more... Seeing two orange pumpkins reminded me to look out some recipes, for the season ahead.  I recently read a butternut squash risotto with sage recipe, which seemed worth a try!

     

GOOD TO BE BACK!

It was good to join Helen, for a nice long walk, and an equally long catch up!   Along with all our personal news, there was all the political manoeuvring to comment on - Helen confessed she has become a fan of Daily Politics and Andrew Neil!

It was a bright start to the day, but I have been disappointed with the weather so far this summer, so I planned a short break in the sun.  However it never happened!  I told Helen of my saga with Ryan Air and a flight cancelled at the last minute.  It was such a let down - I did want to escape the rain for a few days...

On a more positive note we noticed the crops and vegetation are growing like mad - must be the sun and all that rain!  Our walk took us by Kilver Court and then on footpaths over fields with great views - the Charlton Viaduct is always impressive...

SUMMER IS HERE!

It was a real Summer morning for our walk.  It was bright and warm - quite humid actually, and certainly the warmest morning we have had this year!  We hiked over farmland, marvelling at the abundance of wild flowers and the Charlton Viaduct, which never fails to impress.  As you can see above, we passed some other walkers admiring the view...

When the weather is so good it is a great idea to visit a garden which is open with the National Garden Scheme.  This scheme, which has been going since 1927, has raised more than 45 million pounds for nursing and caring charities. Today, I have been involved with a garden at East Burford House, which has been open for the last couple of days as part of this scheme...

I designed the poster for it and the One Craft Gallery had a pop-up shop in a garden room, leading onto one of the terraced gardens.  It was very hot, even with the french doors wide open!  There was also a second hand books stall and a plant stand with all the proceeds going to Macmillan Cancer charity.  The pics above give a taster of the beautiful gardens of East Burford House (just outside Shepton, near Pilton), which contain some wonderful sculptures and many interesting things!

I had a good time manning the shop and meeting people, who were interested in buying the art and crafts on offer.  Particularly popular, were the ceramic garden sculptures and handmade sunhats!

WILD GARLIC & BLOSSOM!

It was great to be out walking again.  Conditions not ideal - chilly and showery, but we didn't really notice as we had plenty to talk about!  We went on one of our favourite walks on footpaths near the Charlton Viaduct.  One of the first things we noticed was this tree (top left) with its beautiful blossom.  No, Jenny isn't trying to eat it - just looking!

Something that you can eat is wild garlic, and there is plenty around this time of year, in woodland areas.  The lush, fresh, green leaves (see left), are the easiest thing to forage, as you cannot mistake it for something poisonous! There is the overall garlicky smell and if you still have doubts crush the edge of a leaf in your fingers to get a big hit of garlic!  We noticed the flowers - pretty, white, and star-like are starting to come out. They are also edible, but the leaves are at their best for flavour, before too many blooms appear.  There is a short window to pick wild garlic - by June it has disappeared...

Wash the wild garlic leaves before eating and they can be used raw in salads, sandwiches or as an omelette filling, (it goes really well with eggs). It can also be added to soups, stews and stir fries at the end of cooking.  There are plenty of recipes on the internet - try Riverford. I still get a veg box from them every week - and this season they will sometimes include some wild garlic in the box, with recipes.  A wild garlic risotto or pesto sounds good - I picked some today so may well try to make them later in the week.  I am also going to give some of the leaves to a friend to see whether his tortoises appreciate their pungent taste!