Today’s guest picture comes from my Newcastle correspondent Fiona. She took the family to the seaside at Cullercoats on the east coast. Sharp eyed readers will notice some sea bathers who can be counted as pretty hardy folk.
It was a blue sky treat of a day today, cool and dewy in the morning but pleasantly warm as the day went on.
I would have gone cycling after I had put a lamb stew in the slow cooker but I had an important appointment instead. Mike Tinker’s son-in-law, Lorne had promised to come and spike my lawn and he made good on his promise today. He is a fit young fellow and with my knew nee new knee letting me spike the odd hole or two myself, the job was finished in an hour. The task of sweeping some sand into the holes was undertaken by William and Sara, Lorne’s children who arrived at an opportune moment.
The result may not look spectacular….
…but it will mean a better looking lawn next year.
Once Lorne and the children had left, Mrs Tootlepedal, who had come back from singing in the church choir, got busy gardening and I wandered about with a camera in hand.
The poppies had perked up…
…and one had acquired a friend.
Even with the sun well out, there was a lot of the morning dew still to be seen on the flowers.
The nasturtiums have been adding a lot of colour to the garden lately.
I admired a couple of colour combinations.
And a lot of different colours from one plant.
As well as flowers, there was other colour in the garden today.
I was a bit unsure as to how my legs would respond to the spiking efforts but it was too good a day not to have at least a short pedal so, leaving Mrs Tootlepedal to her delving, I went off on the slow bike.
I went along cautiously enough to have time to check out the verges. There were some expected things and other surprises.
The fireweed or rosebay willowherb is over but these bare stems were so colourful that I thought they were late flowers at first.
I only went as far as Westwater at four and a half miles before turning for home. I stopped and looked over the new bridge there and marvelled at how quickly the banks of the streams have recovered from being completely stripped during the renovations.
This is the scene today….
…and this was taken in April last year.
I stopped on the way back to see how good the new phone would be at capturing my favourite lichens on a concrete fence post beside the road.
Pretty good.
Once home, there was time for lunch and a sit down before we went off to try a newly opened discount supermarket just a few hundred yards from the church where our Carlisle choir meets. This happy circumstance helped us to metaphorically hit two targets with one arrow as first we shopped and then we sang.
Our conductor and accompanist were delayed by the vagaries of our railway system so I got the chance, with the assistance of another choir member on piano, to practise my warm up and conducting skills while we waited for their arrival. To say that our conductor was ragingly angry when he finally arrived would be a bit of an understatement but our excellent singing and close attention to his instructions soon restored his good humour. I just hope that their train home was on time.
The slow cooked stew turned out well and later in the evening, we went out to a concert by our local amateur orchestra at the Buccleuch Centre.
Warning: This part of the post may contain references to sax and violins
There was a good turnout of musicians, including about a dozen string players, two saxophonists, one each of clarinet, flute, oboe and bassoon as well as two horns, two trumpets and two trombones so when they were all playing, the orchestra made a rich sound.They were playing a selection of pieces by composers of musicals and after a shaky start, they hit their stride well and a local girl, Zoe, obliged with some excellent vocal solos to add variety to the evening. The concert featured some very jolly and competently played solos from members of the brass section and the whole thing was good fun.
We are promised a lunar eclipse and a big red moon tonight but as it requires me to be up and out of the house at three in the morning if I want to see it, I took a shot of the moon when I came back from the concert just in case I don’t make it.
The sun is getting low in the sky at this time of the year and if it is out in the morning, it casts a big shadow on the bird feeder with the result that taking satisfactory pictures of flying birds in the shade is nearly impossible….
…so it is lucky that I have a flying insect of the day in the sunshine instead.
Tootlepedal's Blog 
Good to see a flying insect of the day too! Your flowers still look beautiful. Looking forward to the lunar eclipse. A clear night ahead here, so viewing should be good.
We had a light frost last night, first of the season. We are at approximately 800 feet in elevation, as well as in a bowl, so we tend to get ponding of cold air. Light frost damage in the garden.
We have been frost free so far but the nights have been getting colder and colder so it may not be too far away.
That’s a great shot of the flying insect!
Too bad the eclipse starts so late there. It’s supposed to start here in a few minutes and though I’ll have to stay up a little later to see the moon in complete shadow it should be possible without sleeping on the job tomorrow.
That lichen fruits more than any I’ve seen. It’s a beauty.
It just loves our concrete fence posts. Every post for a fifty yards has some.
It’s probably the lime in the concrete that attracts them.
Gorgeous autumn leaves.
Thank you.
Your photos of insects are the winners today, both the butterfly portrait and the flying insect of the day are superb!
I just got back inside after tying to get photos of the lunar eclipse, too many clouds. I got to see it when small gaps in the clouds opened up, but none of the openings lasted long enough for a photo.
Bad luck.
The eclipse is total here right now, and I am popping in and out from the computer to see it. A sparkling clear day and night is giving excellent views.
Love the many flower and insect photos today. I’d say you and your camera are in great form.
It’s 11:30 pm here.
I am glad that you got good views. Was it bright red?
Excellent insect shots, especially the flying shot of the day at the end. The yellow lichen is also my favourite lichen shot out of any I have seen. What a glorious rich colour! The moon shot is lovely also and I enjoyed your humorous warning about sax and violins. I always get a smile out of your posts, Tom. Thank you. 🙂
A great honour to have such discerning readers.
So much to enjoy, loved the autumn leaves and the enormous moon especially.
Amazing recovery of the grass on the river bank.
Colourful foliage is a winner.
Splendid shot of the moon. Did you see the eclipse?
Love the idea of the local orchestra and am very impressed it boasts an oboe and a bassoon – in fact a complete woodwind section! No vacancies for another flute??? 🙂
Orchestral flute playing is not my cup of tea. You sit around doing nothing much and then when something does come along, it is fearfully high and far too difficult.
I have seen lots of red campions still going in September and I really like the bright stems of willowherb. Beautiful moon.
Our campion seemed to disappear completely and then only one or two have reappeared a the back end.
Excellent photo of the moon. I couldn’t stay up to see the eclipse and didn’t fancy setting the alarm for 3 am either. The camera on your new phone is good – the lichen detail is very clear. I also like your flying insect.
It is a good camera for close ups.
Your garden is still very colourful, even this late in the season. Lovely!
This has been the best spell of weather of the whole year.
If it’s any consolation I didn’t see the red moon either.
That is no consolation! 🙂
The flying bird looks as if it is taking a bow.
You gave me a good laugh with “Warning: This part of the post may contain references to sax and violins”.
I am glad that wasn’t wasted as it amused me a lot.
Oh, and the title pun is especially good.