I don’t think there’s any getting away from it now, do you?  I’ve hung on to the bunting for as long as I can but it’s looking awfully frayed and windswept now and as I sit here in the studio listening to the wind howling and the rain lashing on the roof I can see all my little flags are wrapped round and round the tape like little sausages.

I’m trying really hard to be positive about Autumn.   I’ve been looking at  lovely blogs with gorgeous autumny images so I know lots of you out there enjoy thi time of year, but today isn’t one of the better days!   Still, I musn’t grumble. We’ve just had a couple of days in the west and the weather was glorious and I have some great pictures of Bristol and Bath to show you soon.

I’m rather happy to discover I can knit in the car!  Reading makes me queasy so I hadn’t bothered to try before but because I’ve had a hook or needles in my hands so much lately I found I was horribly fidgety on the car journey so I gave it a go.   I’d already had a panicky moment when I realised that heaving a basket containing 17 balls of wool across the country to someone else’s house might be a step too far.  I had a couple of balls of this lovely wool…

 …which had been part of  a birthday pressie, it makes me think of blackberries and heather. 

 I also really needed a new pair of fingerless gloves.  (Somebody small and black and four legged having eaten my last pair…)

I do have a little flowery prettiness to show you which I captured before the rain and wind set in today.  I have some wonderful sunflowers which have been in a vase for days and are still going strong…

The cosmos grew to ridiculous heights before deciding to flower but they are lovely now and also last well when cut.

Next year I must get more Zinnias.  They are so jolly, and just go on and on…

Dalias too, although there is the slug problem as you can see….

A great big pompom of hydrangea…

…and fuchias too…

I can see there is a bit of overkill on Planet Penny pink going on here but I discovered a self sown nasturtium hiding in a corner…

I’ve been really pleased with the sunflowers I grew this year.  So much better than the single flowered monsters which are a novelty but don’t do much else, the multi flowered ones have gone on and on despite the wind and rain.

…and I still have roses. I hope the remaining buds will open and not get spoilt by the weather.

While I’ve been typing this, Higgins has given up completely on the great outdoors.  He really doesn’t like wet weather and hides in his bed if anyone mentions walkies.  Like this…

Yes, he’s really there.  Under two blankets and inside the mattress cover.  You’d never know.   But, if I say the magic word…’Bickies’…  he suddenly appears!

I’d better go and get that bickie now don’t you think?  And one for me too…and a cup of tea!  Enjoy the weekend, and don’t forget to enter the draw for a chance to win a jolly pompom bunting garland to brighten up your day!  x