Susie, Susie, Susie! So, so beautiful. I feel like I need to whisper! I love the mushroom pictures - all the varieties and beauty they are. So magical and amazing!
"And, as it does with each season, autumn too will delight every sense with its festival of food and carnival of golds then fade into the decaying leaves of the next to leave me shivering in only the bare bones of winter…
This is just beautiful, Susie. I felt wrapped in the countryside that you describe. I recall autumn days walking into the fields to help bring in the cows for milking, walking along the paths created by the animalss themselves, the gossamer spiders' webs on the grass, the buds of mushrooms that would be in the frying pan for my father's breakfast after milking. Thank you for bringing all that back so beautifully!
That was in Devon. Meanwhile, here in Tokyo, the autumn weather came abruptly on the day of the equinox and today there is a beautiful そよ風.
I believe we have similar recollections of our childhood days Jeffrey, dawn walks in search of mushrooms I will never forget... my own father more the child than we were at the discovery of a whole clump(?) I not sure what one would call a group of mushrooms? And after, only when the basket was filled, the almost ceremonious cooking for which he had a special cast iron pan.
What a brave exchange of place and country you made, Devon to Tokyo, could two parts of the world be any more opposing ?
Thank you for your thoughtful comment, enjoy the beautiful そよ風
The autumn zephyrs are gently blowing again this morning...Yes, similar recollections, though I seem to remember few clumps (or clusters?) of mushrooms. They came up alone or in pairs mostly. And I'm not sure exceitment would exactly capture my father's mood ahead of the morning milking 🙂. But the smell of them cooking later, that was excitment for our noses!
I tell myself, take the pace of the season, this is the way of the wild... it is sometimes not so easy but I am trying... It is always lovely to have you by my side Fotini, may your weekend be calm and slow 🍂
Your hill is an entire world unto itself, has its own history and ancestral stories , you speak for every being you share it with. Even the dragonfly. Your words leave me longing. I close my eyes and say to no one in particular, my inner child, read it again, tell me again about the ;
“…magical carpets of wild fungi appear in fields and on forest floors…”
And the;
“… wild boar in the night, their many cloven feet pattering along the lanes under a full harvest moon, followed by strong jaws grunting with the joy of rapturous feasting…”
Once I’ve had my fill, and this is a feast, I want to go to bed and dream;
“between light and shadow, green and gold, all of life curling into sleep.”
Every word, every vision ,carefully crafted in love. Thank you Susie, A beautiful reverence for Autumn.
Lor your words are a mirror reflection of the feelings my every sense is devoured by whenever I step outside the door. I am fortunate, I know this well. To have so much that is wild and beautiful, so much to discover within a few steps of my home is a gift, one I love and guard equally and fiercely despite the hardships of choosing this life.
To know also, that out there on this huge planet we have been loaned to take care of nurture and nourish, is another human being that appreciates all I do from her own home makes that gift a treasure.
Thank you for turning endless walking, the adventures and discoveries into a magical fairytale the like of which I dreamed of but never thought would become a reality. Bless you always. X
I love the changing seasons so much and your beautiful description of the summer laughing as it leaves is a gift. I am hopeful to see many mushrooms here this autumn, although I don’t know if it’s been warm enough, it’s certainly damp enough. My hunting is for decorative purposes only, to fill my camera roll with wonder, as no one in my house (except for me!) enjoys eating them. At least the plum gorged sheep and visiting calves will eat their fill of fallen treasures. Sending love from a rainy England 🍂
Its incredibly wet here too and not as warm as usual but there are still mushrooms popping up, the only ones either of my boys will eat are the apricot scented chanterelle (I think they have the same name in English too) Ive not seen any this year though.
My sheep have eaten all the plums and are now happily munching their way through three apple trees and two pear trees worth of fruit too. The only fruit trees that are safe from their endless appetite for fruit are the persimmon and quince - thank goodness for small mercies!
We had a beautiful hour of sunshine this evening so I'm sending it right over to you before it disappears completely! thanks always lovely - have a good week 💛x
Thank you for the sunshine! And please send some quince jelly too!! I have some bramble jelly that my mum made, but it years since I had quince jelly. Have you ever made any? I remember it being delicious and have fantasised of making some myself, but I don’t have any proper jam making equipment, or time to spare, but perhaps, one day…
I tend to make compote (puree) from quince Emily, purely because it is a favourite of both my son and daughter but I may make jelly too this year as there really are so many fruit on the tree! if the sheep and boar don’t beat me too it of course…
I don’t have any proper jam making equipment, you really don’t need it - any heavy based pan will do for the cooking, to strain I turn a stool upside down and balance a bowl inside with muslin tied securely around the legs to strain and sterilise reclaimed jars for potting, it works a treat!
I'm wishing you an autumn beauty overflowing with bountiful shades of copper and ochre, flavoured with a sprinkling of cinnamon Kim... and a bucket of love too🍂xx
Abundance overflowing stunning gathering storing preparing. Love this so much Susie. Autumn is my favourite season and you capture it beautifully from a Northern perspective. Your words and photos - such a gift. I will go back to our Spring blossoms whilst trying not to look forward to autumn!
It's true, autumn seems to draw us in to its seasonal offerings more than any other. Maybe because they are so abundant, or maybe because we feel the need for preparation both physically and emotionally to trudge our way through the winter months? Which ever it may e, I give thanks to it and you for being here...
Glorious. My favourite season unwrapped in lyrical prose, Susie. Your insights unlock knowledge for us as we see some of the evidence you speak of but we have only guesses to fall back on. The boar have been hiding in the woods … they’ll be back to truffle on our conkers and to rummage under what passes for a lawn over by the apple trees. We lost plenty of fruit this year too but rescued enough to provide work in the kitchen, the fragrance of pickling vinegars and spices setting us up for the winter. Happy Equinox.
I have made no jam or pickles this season Barrie, I have enough to last me ten years at least in my store, I've dried as much fruit as I could in 'le sector' but honestly its been a battle - just 6 weeks of sunshine wasn't enough.
This morning as I returned from the sheep field I could hear the boar, somewhere too close for comfort in the dark and had to hurry, silently back along the trail... they are a menace here but I love that they have plenty to eat this autumn, they will be as portly as my sheep!
Wishing you a joyous day, I hope you have more clement weather than we do.
I don't know about where you are but here there are the first sprays of colour appearing, the hill is changing slowly but surely into its autumn clothes... I wait impatiently for colour again!
Just yes to everything
Thanks Natalie…🙏🏽
Susie, Susie, Susie! So, so beautiful. I feel like I need to whisper! I love the mushroom pictures - all the varieties and beauty they are. So magical and amazing!
"And, as it does with each season, autumn too will delight every sense with its festival of food and carnival of golds then fade into the decaying leaves of the next to leave me shivering in only the bare bones of winter…
There is no time for lament."
Perfect!!
Thank you for sharing!! XO
This is just beautiful, Susie. I felt wrapped in the countryside that you describe. I recall autumn days walking into the fields to help bring in the cows for milking, walking along the paths created by the animalss themselves, the gossamer spiders' webs on the grass, the buds of mushrooms that would be in the frying pan for my father's breakfast after milking. Thank you for bringing all that back so beautifully!
That was in Devon. Meanwhile, here in Tokyo, the autumn weather came abruptly on the day of the equinox and today there is a beautiful そよ風.
I believe we have similar recollections of our childhood days Jeffrey, dawn walks in search of mushrooms I will never forget... my own father more the child than we were at the discovery of a whole clump(?) I not sure what one would call a group of mushrooms? And after, only when the basket was filled, the almost ceremonious cooking for which he had a special cast iron pan.
What a brave exchange of place and country you made, Devon to Tokyo, could two parts of the world be any more opposing ?
Thank you for your thoughtful comment, enjoy the beautiful そよ風
The autumn zephyrs are gently blowing again this morning...Yes, similar recollections, though I seem to remember few clumps (or clusters?) of mushrooms. They came up alone or in pairs mostly. And I'm not sure exceitment would exactly capture my father's mood ahead of the morning milking 🙂. But the smell of them cooking later, that was excitment for our noses!
"There is no time for lament." Thank you, Susie, for reminding me, for taking me by the hand and transporting me to the glorious now of the season. 💛
I tell myself, take the pace of the season, this is the way of the wild... it is sometimes not so easy but I am trying... It is always lovely to have you by my side Fotini, may your weekend be calm and slow 🍂
Loved this. Well I remember finding and cooking Parasol mushrooms in France…
I remember reading about your wild mushroom meal Anna…
Thanks for reading.
Hi cows. Hi sheep. x
Hi Louise, Hi mouse. xxxx
Your hill is an entire world unto itself, has its own history and ancestral stories , you speak for every being you share it with. Even the dragonfly. Your words leave me longing. I close my eyes and say to no one in particular, my inner child, read it again, tell me again about the ;
“…magical carpets of wild fungi appear in fields and on forest floors…”
And the;
“… wild boar in the night, their many cloven feet pattering along the lanes under a full harvest moon, followed by strong jaws grunting with the joy of rapturous feasting…”
Once I’ve had my fill, and this is a feast, I want to go to bed and dream;
“between light and shadow, green and gold, all of life curling into sleep.”
Every word, every vision ,carefully crafted in love. Thank you Susie, A beautiful reverence for Autumn.
Lor your words are a mirror reflection of the feelings my every sense is devoured by whenever I step outside the door. I am fortunate, I know this well. To have so much that is wild and beautiful, so much to discover within a few steps of my home is a gift, one I love and guard equally and fiercely despite the hardships of choosing this life.
To know also, that out there on this huge planet we have been loaned to take care of nurture and nourish, is another human being that appreciates all I do from her own home makes that gift a treasure.
Thank you for turning endless walking, the adventures and discoveries into a magical fairytale the like of which I dreamed of but never thought would become a reality. Bless you always. X
Same to you my friend
I love the changing seasons so much and your beautiful description of the summer laughing as it leaves is a gift. I am hopeful to see many mushrooms here this autumn, although I don’t know if it’s been warm enough, it’s certainly damp enough. My hunting is for decorative purposes only, to fill my camera roll with wonder, as no one in my house (except for me!) enjoys eating them. At least the plum gorged sheep and visiting calves will eat their fill of fallen treasures. Sending love from a rainy England 🍂
Its incredibly wet here too and not as warm as usual but there are still mushrooms popping up, the only ones either of my boys will eat are the apricot scented chanterelle (I think they have the same name in English too) Ive not seen any this year though.
My sheep have eaten all the plums and are now happily munching their way through three apple trees and two pear trees worth of fruit too. The only fruit trees that are safe from their endless appetite for fruit are the persimmon and quince - thank goodness for small mercies!
We had a beautiful hour of sunshine this evening so I'm sending it right over to you before it disappears completely! thanks always lovely - have a good week 💛x
Thank you for the sunshine! And please send some quince jelly too!! I have some bramble jelly that my mum made, but it years since I had quince jelly. Have you ever made any? I remember it being delicious and have fantasised of making some myself, but I don’t have any proper jam making equipment, or time to spare, but perhaps, one day…
Ooh Bramble Jelly is my absolute favourite!
I tend to make compote (puree) from quince Emily, purely because it is a favourite of both my son and daughter but I may make jelly too this year as there really are so many fruit on the tree! if the sheep and boar don’t beat me too it of course…
I don’t have any proper jam making equipment, you really don’t need it - any heavy based pan will do for the cooking, to strain I turn a stool upside down and balance a bowl inside with muslin tied securely around the legs to strain and sterilise reclaimed jars for potting, it works a treat!
I hope that the sheep and wild boar are generous and leave you some!! Compote sounds delicious 💛✨
Yet another exquisite feast of words, Susie. You weave spells with your writing, truly.
Your kind words are very appreciated Ben, thank you.
I hope your new job is going well, that you have time still to write and walk and weave your own beautiful spells... 💫
Gorgeous. 🐄 🍎 🐑 🌳
Thank you Carrie , I'm glad you enjoyed this little autumn wander!🍂
You absolutely took my breath away Susie!
Ahh, many thank Pamela, autumn is such a beautiful season isn't it? 🍂 I think lI may say that at the start of them all though!
I hope your week is a kindly one..x
Oof. I’m speechless, your prayerful words empty me into wholeness.
I'm wishing you an autumn beauty overflowing with bountiful shades of copper and ochre, flavoured with a sprinkling of cinnamon Kim... and a bucket of love too🍂xx
Abundance overflowing stunning gathering storing preparing. Love this so much Susie. Autumn is my favourite season and you capture it beautifully from a Northern perspective. Your words and photos - such a gift. I will go back to our Spring blossoms whilst trying not to look forward to autumn!
Thank you. 💛
It's true, autumn seems to draw us in to its seasonal offerings more than any other. Maybe because they are so abundant, or maybe because we feel the need for preparation both physically and emotionally to trudge our way through the winter months? Which ever it may e, I give thanks to it and you for being here...
I hope the week is being kind to you Jo💛 xx
gorgeous
🙏🏼 💛
Glorious. My favourite season unwrapped in lyrical prose, Susie. Your insights unlock knowledge for us as we see some of the evidence you speak of but we have only guesses to fall back on. The boar have been hiding in the woods … they’ll be back to truffle on our conkers and to rummage under what passes for a lawn over by the apple trees. We lost plenty of fruit this year too but rescued enough to provide work in the kitchen, the fragrance of pickling vinegars and spices setting us up for the winter. Happy Equinox.
Ahh, you're very kind as always - thank you .
I have made no jam or pickles this season Barrie, I have enough to last me ten years at least in my store, I've dried as much fruit as I could in 'le sector' but honestly its been a battle - just 6 weeks of sunshine wasn't enough.
This morning as I returned from the sheep field I could hear the boar, somewhere too close for comfort in the dark and had to hurry, silently back along the trail... they are a menace here but I love that they have plenty to eat this autumn, they will be as portly as my sheep!
Wishing you a joyous day, I hope you have more clement weather than we do.
Love this -- the capturing of place and season is wonderful -- textured and immersive
Exactly! Susie, I feel like I strolled your paths with you, noticing all the details, signs, and sensations of a changing season on your hill.
I don't know about where you are but here there are the first sprays of colour appearing, the hill is changing slowly but surely into its autumn clothes... I wait impatiently for colour again!
Many thanks Jan, autumn always feels immersive to me, as if its our last chance before hibernation!
I wish you a day of peace and light x