don't we get some fabulous sunrises at this time of year. this was taken about a week ago. the leaves are off the tree now and covering the lawn.....

have just linked through to 'book the cook' blog. i am a totally hopeless cook, though i am good at jams and preserves, but i still love to browse recipe sites. the blog mentioned that he is a great 'outdoor coat' person. what a relief.... i thought i was the world's only collector of outdoor coats. i love them. yes, yes, i know i am a sad individual who should get out more...................

apple harvesting is full on - the tractors and tree shakers are making a wonderful racket. it is a brilliant crop this year. the fruit have looked like bright jewels hanging in the autumn sunshine. soon they will be off to bulmers to be made into cider. the smell that hangs in the air over hereford is absolutely delightful - and a nice change from the sun valley chicken smell that often assaults the olfactory cells. following the tractors and trailors along the country roads can be tiresome if you are in a hurry to get to work - but those of us in the know factor in an extra 10 minutes for such eventualities. the apples are the last harvest of the year on the farm and already the land is settling into its winter fallow. most of the ploughing is over and some winter wheat is showing but mostly it is a bare and quiet time.

my bird tables are a mass of life. the woodpecker family are back and eating me out of peanuts every 2 days. am i the only person who budgets for cheap bread when i go to the supermarket? the checkout girls must wonder about my apparent bread fetish. with the lard for 'bird-seed cakes', my basket looks like a healthy eaters nightmare.

i am high alert for rats at the moment. my poisoning has bagged me a fair few so far this winter - but you can never rest with rats, so the baiting will continue. having recently lost a chicken to the rats i hate them more than ever..............

time to put on an outdoor coat and go for a walk..............