Warmth

Today’s guest picture comes from my brother Andrew. He was in Birmingham today for a visit to the theatre when he came across this unusual pianist.

The grey weather which had greeted our guests, persisted as they departed after breakfast. We hope that they will come again when the weather is better.

The day may have been grey but it it was unusually warm for the time of year. However, the pervasive dampness didn’t tempt us to go out, even as far as the garden, and we found things to do indoors in the morning. My activities, if you can call them that, included looking out of the window at the birds. There were a lot of busy goldfinches about.

I liked this sparrow which seemed to be flying with its legs crossed.

There were very few chaffinches about today. I hope that we will see more as the winter approaches.

I made some potato soup for lunch and bolstered by a good plate of soup and some bread and cheese, I got my road bike out and got ready for a pedal. I thought that it was going to rain on me, but the weather gods had had their fun yesterday and were kind to me today. It was warm, the wind was light and it didn’t rain as I went round my familiar Canonbie route.

I had to stop to let a car past as I climbed out of Wauchopedale, and when I looked back, I could see the clouds sitting low on the hills behind me.

I exchanged views with a local bull . . .

. . . and pedalled on over the hill and down into the valley of the River Esk, where I met another friend.

It was a undoubtedly a damp day even it wasn’t raining, and in spite of the warmth, it was unmistakeably autumnal in feel. I took two pictures while going along sections of the old main road, now quiet backwaters for cyclists and pedestrians.

Larches are going golden and I found one that was half way there.

When I got home, I found that Mrs Tootlepedal was out on a three mile walk among her favourite oak trees. I had a cup of tea and a slice of toast in her absence.

In the evening, we went out to a rehearsal for the centenary concert of the local operatic society and enjoyed a good sing of favourite numbers from past productions.

The forecast for the next few days has more warm, wet and windy weather in it, so I was pleased to have got a dry cycle ride in today. It would be nice to get a little sun to set off the autumn colours and encourage me to take some pictures.

The flying bird of the day is an inquisitive sparrow circumnavigating a greenfinch.