September Delights

Nature reminds us that the autumn equinox is fast approaching.

The berries are ripening and the leaves are changing.

We are getting more rain after a very hot and dry summer,

but everything looks so fresh and colourful, thanks to the changing of the season.

Fallen leaves are starting to appear everywhere

Seedpods are forming on the flowers, like on this cone flower.

Lichen and fungus are growing on tree trunks

showing us their own kind of beauty

Raindrops glisten

A recent walk down by the lake shows the late blooming flowers

A tiny aster blooms on my balcony

The last dahlia buds have opened in the last few days of brilliant sunshine

and an autumn rose blooms in a neighbouring garden.

But the plums are ripe and perfect for making tarts,

like this traditional one I made yesterday, for the Jeûne Fédéral holiday,

which is always on the third Monday of September

in the canton of Vaud where I live.

The collage shows the different stages of the tart making.

The plums are dark purple in colour. They need a little sweetening

with Sucanat, a natural brown cane sugar.

I make my own shortcrust pastry from a recipe by Julia Child.

I hope that you are also taking pleasure in the joys of the season!

When Summer Lingers

This is the time of the year

when late summer and early autumn join together

as the autumn equinox approaches.

I notice this as the hydrangea leaves change colour with splashes of red.

The petals take on a more muted shade

and shades of green come back rather like in the springtime

The dahlias are having their last fling in glorious full bloom

and showing the intensity of their varied colours

Bees are still busy taking advantage of the sunny days to collect pollen.

and the Golden Rod lights up the gardens

and Rudbeckia blooms dazzle us with their sunshine petals

until one day it starts to rain

and the first autumn leaf floats down to remind us

a change in seasons is taking place.

***

The last blog header to remind me of earlier days

when sunflowers still waved in the fields.

Bertha: Scene and Story - August 2017

Bertha and the heat-wave.

Bertha mopped her brow as she staggered out of the relentless heat of the midday sun.

She had spied a comfortable looking chair in front of a boutique

and plopped herself down on it.

"Whew!" she said to herself, slightly out loud,

"I can't take much more of this heat."

Her feet were killing her

 and she knew that she shouldn't have worn her red shoes with the pointed toes.

She glanced down at her nail polish,

even that seemed to be melting ... or was it a trick of the light?

After a few minutes, the shopkeeper came out and said:

"Would you like a fan too?"

Bertha wasn't sure if the woman was being facetious,

so she said: "Oh yes please, if you're selling them!"

They did, and Bertha bought one!

The shopkeeper said: 

"I can't believe this! The back of my chair is covered in the same material as your dress!

I made it out of a remnant from last year's stock."

"So it is", said Bertha, 

"I bought the material here last year and made the summer dress I'm wearing."

The shopkeeper smiled, looking pleased and warming to Bertha.

"Why don't I go and get us both a glass of iced water," she said.

Bertha smiled back and felt grateful

and thought how nice it was that the heat-wave had made her seek out a shady spot.

Now she had a new fan, a glass of cooled water and a friendly shopkeeper with whom to chat.

Life is good, she thought to herself, even during a heat-wave 

... especially in the shade!

*****

Click here for the Scene & Story link-up at Paisley Rain Boots