Today’s guest picture comes from our son Tony. He noticed a small water wheel which has been installed not far from his house. It has a helpful explanatory diagram drawn on the side of its hut. It is providing power for some lights on a bridge.
Just how lucky the agricultural show was to get a fine day yesterday was made clear by the rain which greeted me as I got up today. It kept raining as I went to church to sing in the choir. It was the harvest festival service today so it would have been nice to have some better weather to go with it.
When I got home, the rain died down to a drizzle and in between drinking coffee and doing some desultory tidying up against the return of Mrs Tootlepedal, I went out into the garden to have a look around.
I always like to see how raindrops sit on flowers and leaves….
…and I found that I was not the only one interested in the Michaelmas daisies.
The astrantia was attractive too.
One of the fuchsias that Mrs Tootlepedal moved has finally decided that some flowers would be a good thing….
…but it looks as though they might be too late with some cold weather forecast later in the week.
An insect visiting Crown Princess Margareta seems to be a bit lost.
The silver pear has got quite a lot of little pears on it this year. They are about the size of a cherry and unfortunately they are hard and inedible.
The nasturtiums are still bringing their own little bit of sunshine into the garden…
…and the late flowering nerines are looking very cheerful too.
By the back gate, the old fuchsia continues to surprise after a couple of very poor years.
I went back indoors and looking out of the kitchen window, I though that I saw a sparrow on the lawn but a second glance told me that it was something else, so I snatched a poor picture of it as it hopped away. I wonder if it is a wheatear but I would welcome a suggestion from a knowledgeable reader as to what it might be.
At the far end of the lawn, a thrush was having its head turned by a showy begonia.
After lunch, I drove to Carlisle to sing with the Carlisle Community Choir and on my way, I passed over the bridge at Longtown. There were traffic lights in place but there was no restriction on the traffic going over the bridge and the damage which had caused it to be closed yesterday looks minor. I hope that the repairs won’t be a major business.
We were very pleased to welcome back our regular conductor Ellen at the choir practice and we worked as hard as we could to keep her happy.
After the choir was over, I was even more pleased to drive to station and pick up Mrs Tootlepedal. She arrived back from London on a very punctual train having had a very enjoyable week there with our daughter and new granddaughter.
After a gloomy week of miserable weather in her absence, it is very good to have a ray of metaphorical sunshine back in the house.
The flying bird of the day was just passing by during the rainy morning.
Tootlepedal's Blog 
Wouldn’t describe myself as knowledgeable, but I’d agree it’s a wheatear.
Or a rather drab yellow wagtail ?
I know what you mean about the wagtail.
Beautiful shot of the bee on the daisy.
I’m glad the bridge damage is minor. It sounds like the repair shouldn’t be too much work but you never know. Things like that can sometimes go south quickly.
We’re supposed to see cold this week too.
We are keeping our fingers crossed as regards bridge repairs. We are still waiting for remedial work on the landslide on our main road out of the town which needs traffic lights at the moment.
Glad her train was on time, mine was 15 mins late into Glasgow.
15 minutes is not too bad .
Liked the picture of the michaemas daisy with raindrops.
Not all that knowledgeable but I think you’re probably right with the Wheatear ID.
A pretty unusual garden visitor!
Wondering how big the water-wheel is, could you fit one in the dam behind the house?
We don’t have any flow worth speaking of in the dam unfortunately….except when the sluice is broken of course.
Raindrops on a Michaelmas daisy- can’t beat that photo. Pleased that the choir practice went well and the train was on time and Mrs T is safely back home and maybe in need of a rest before she looks out of the window and sees all the rain on the garden.
You are right. She took some time to catch up on business but I expect some gardening work tomorrow.
Splendid photographs
Thank you Derrick.
Your insect closeups are knockouts, as always.
Beautiful flowers. Good that Mrs. Tootlepedal is back. To me, a harvest service sounds like a wonderful way to celebrate autumn’s bounty.
“We thank thee then, O Father, for all things bright and good,
The seedtime and the harvest, our life our health our food,
No gifts have we to offer for all thy love imparts
But that which thou desirest, our humble thankful hearts!”
You are right in every respect.
The Michaelmas daisies and bee captures are stunning!
Your flowers have fared better in the cold and wet than mine. I particularly enjoyed the Michaelmas daisies.
They are just going over now.