I'm not saying summer has been and gone just yet - at least I have high hopes for another fortnight of an Indian Summer, but for the purpose of attempting to keep some sort of rhythm with seasonal wishlists it would help to recap what's been happening over the last three months.
Back in June I made some framework of plans:

• Festival to our hearts' content - done! Latitude was another triumph and a local day out was lovely.
• Go to the beach - yes, we managed it the once for an afternoon of reading on a gritty beach towel, uncomfortably sunblocked up, fending of sand beasties.
• Harvest allotment produce when it's ready - it's been plentiful!
• Eat an ice cream - I had one in May, I hope that will count. I did really want another but the opportunities never quite presented themselves.
• Get myself back on track with a balanced lifestyle mindset - overall yes. Still, I feel like once the dark evenings set it it's less of a tussle for time as we can't be outdoors anyway.
• Write letters to whom they are owed - Fail! I feel like a dreadful penpal. I really do want to sort these out asap but with quality letters and not a hastily scratched botch.

• Forage more! We have outdone ourselves this year and I want to write more about what's been happening.
• Pick flowers from the cutting patch and display in vases - Virtually none. I just haven't felt like picking any, my heart's not been in it.
• Keep the allotment, flower patch and garden tidy - On the whole, I'm pleased with how this has gone. It's been much better than it could have been though I would obviously like it closer to 'perfect' than it has got at any stage.
• Keep tending the wildflower patch - Well, yes and this has been reluctantly. I'll have to write about how it's gone this year. (Note the past tense).

We have been lucky on the allotment to find ourselves with wildlife sightings each year. The grass snake lives close by, though it never ceases to surprise me when I should find myself face to face with the beastie herself (or himself). Sometimes I lift up leaves of rhubarb or squashes to find a snakeskin having been shed which nearly makes me jump out of my skin. Snakes don't scare me, I find them fascinating. Of course just the wild ones.
Anything tropical or huge can frankly keep a good distance away but our native and local grass snake and I are pals. She likes our compost bin. Excellent looking compost if I do say so myself.

What's given you a surprise?

Take care,
Sophie 

Countryside scenes...
Can you see her?

Knock, knock.
Who's there?
Woodpecker.
Can you spy the bird?
Stealthy as I tried to be, it clocked us before I could find a clear shot.



Usually herons take flight when they see me but this one didn't flinch and it crossed my mind that it could be a statue.
Pretty sure this IS fleabane although after the other day, I am still perplexed as to which is which (or how they differ)

Thingy.
Horseradish! We see this all the time. The roots spread.
Lovely lane walking.

Take care,
Sophie

Don't sneer until you've TRIED nettle beer.
We've embarked on a journey of home brewing, foraging and generally making the best of what the countryside has to offer on a seasonal basis. Nettle beer was one of the beverages on our agenda.
I know what you're thinking - that sounds disgusting/ what kind of desperado would want to make and drink that.
Well, let me tell you this, nettle beer is the best drink you've never tasted.
Forget the word beer - it throws a tangy fust that doesn't represent this product. Think more of a lemonade based beverage. Maybe a citrus based elderflower-esque light and refreshing drink with a little alcohol and that's a closer picture.


Here's vaguely what we do (though I recommend you find a proper recipe):

Gathering nettles is a doddle, the swines grow everywhere. Just pick clean ones which are growing juicily and nip the heads off - I take around 6 inches off. Wear gloves and use snips. Get a bucketful or carrier bag full.

Big pan, boil water 15 litres ish and add nettles for around 20 minutes, strain through muslin into sterilised brewing bucket add more water to round it up to 20 litres. Add your 100g cream of tartar (don't hold me to this - I need to double check) and 2kg sugar but slowly, stirring to ensure it doesn't just sink to a lump at the bottom.
The next day when it's warm but not hot add the yeast.

Our brewing bucket has a lid and you fit one of those airlocks to allow the gases out but not in. It plops away for days fermenting.

One day it'll be ready and can be pumped into sterilised bottles with carbonation drops. The bottles must be fine for pressure or you will have a mess. Some of ours have been a little over excitable should we say.

Best served chilled.

I defy you not to love this refreshing summer drink.

Have you ever tried it?

Take care,
Sophie

Don't you find those wildlife verges fascinating? I love to see them of course, but cannot understand why they have to be the exception and not the norm. There was a lovely verge duly labelled as being for conservation and I took the opportunity to snap a few pictures of it. Being late summer there wasn't an abundance of blooms; mainly toadflax, knapweed and grass. I spotted a couple of scabious flowers too but wondered what had come and gone already?



White campion.
Another patch left to go wild, how lovely.

Sorry, but bindweed can be so pretty.

Unsure if either of these are wild or the seed has just been relocated from gardens.


Heading towards blackberry picking season.
Two lots of wildflower/seedheads I cannot yet identify.

Where had these hollyhocks appeared from?! Rather out of place!
White bryony smothering another structure. They do look dainty, draped over bushes with those delicate little white flowers.
Must do things with crab apples this autumn!

I exclaimed 'coltsfoot!' upon seeing this. Not many weeks later I found fleabane. Just to check I googled both and confused myself - they look the same?! I've confused myself a little.
Forget me not

Seed heads all over now.

Take care,
Sophie

Knapweed was the main food source for the butterflies in the forest back in mid September.
Painted ladies to be seen.

A small copper.
And an awful lot of moth-eaten butterflies. C informs me their damage is likely caused by birds! The horrors of being a butterfly!!!
So much damage that I'm left to guess at what they are. I wondered comma, though I usually judge them based on shape of wings - no help here. Probably some kind of fritillary?



It doesn't look exactly like a large white or green-veined white so??
Who is it? Speckled Wood!

Peacock



I suppose it's a gatekeeper but looks browner where I would expect orange on it's hindwing.

And this one is new to me... some kind of fritillary? Possibly a dark green fritillary.
Have you seen any new butterflies this year?

Take care,
Sophie