Orchard View

Living in the Garden of Kent we are surrounded by orchards.

Whichever way we walk from our door, we cannot avoid walking around, or through or past vast orchards of apples.

The farmers have now cut the long avenues between the tidy rows of ripening fruit-laden trees, and towering piles of wooden packing boxes sit neatly stacked at the ends of rows in readiness for the harvest.

 Bella and Logan

So we have enjoyed many long walks these past few weeks, seeing the gradual change of seasons.

Although still warm in the sun, there has been an underlying chill in the air this last week, reminding us that Autumn is not far away now.

As well as many fruitful orchards, there are sadly a few reminders that not so long ago, it was hard for fruit farmers in Kent to earn a living from growing English varieties as the supermarkets were flooded with foreign imports.

But there seems to be a wind of change, and many of our local supermarkets now stock locally grown apples as well as imported varieties, although to be sure of supporting our local farmers we buy most of our fruit and veg from the plentiful farm shops in the area.

We are picking the last of the blackberries this week, not so many as a few weeks ago but there are still a few to be found.

At the weekend we celebrated our 22nd Wedding Anniversary and our daughter surprised us with a lovely chocolate cake made with blackberry sauce from the blackberries we picked last week

And whilst my husband went to yet more cricket at Lords on Sunday (about his fifth trip this summer I think!) I had a peaceful day finally finishing the last of the crochet squares for a cushion......

......and sorting out a pile of fabrics for my next quilt, a "low volume" quilt ( a quietly coloured quilt as opposed to bright shouty colours!), as I am only a few stitches away from hand finishing my daughter's king size quilt at last ......hopefully a "show and tell" is imminent!

I am trying so hard to be so good, and not start anything new until I have finished the hand quilting and joined the blocked crochet squares for the crochet cushion, despite constant temptations wherever I visit in Blogland!

It is hard!

selection of fabrics for next quilt

I also pulled out some of the vintage french fabrics I bought earlier this year in readiness for a few cushions.

Welcome to all my new followers, and thankyou everyone for all the comments you left in the last few posts - they are much enjoyed and greatly appreciated, and I do try to either reply by email or visit your blog.

Hope everyone had a great weekend!