Saturday 19 September 2009

Plum pie and Wylam

I always find myself glazing over when I read something I know so well that I can almost quote it word for word, so editing my own work is not a joy of the first order. It takes a real effort of will power to focus on each word, note a full stop out of place or a double white space where there should be only one. Necessary, I know, and most worthwhile. But not my favourite occupation.
These last few days have proved good weatherwise, and we've been out walking. Not far from us an old branch line veers off across the Tyne and now it is a walk and cycle track. We walked to Wylam (see pic) had a coffee at the teashop and walked home. On the way back we passed several apple trees apparently growing wild, so we filled our pockets and had apple and blackberry crumble for dessert. Yum.
It has been a good season for fruits and berries of all kinds. The hazel trees are shedding nuts, blackberries are here in profusion and we know where there are some wild plum trees, but they're kind of inaccessible in among the bramble patches or on a steep slope and I'm not willing to risk my neck for free plum pie! No one but us seems interested in gathering blackberries, so our freezer is stuffed full. It seems such a waste to let it all go to waste. Last week we were gathering them while the farmer was harvesting his pea crop. The combine harvester must have frightened rabbits out into the open, and the farmer's son was walking up and down the field line with a rifle. Every now and then a shot would ring out. My feelings were divided between the farmer and the rabbit, because we can see the damage the rabbits are doing a) to the pea crop, and b) their burrows are so numerous they are wrecking his hedges. No doubt he will be having rabbit pie for supper this week, and no doubt the rabbit colonies will soon make up the numbers lost.

2 comments:

Anita Davison said...

Ah Autumn in England, nothing like it. Being an autumn baby too, I love this time of year - I never did like tramping through the hot and dusty lanes in brilliant summer sunshine - I get headaches. But the crisp, cold of autumn with that special golden light and the smell of burning leaves in the distance is lovely.

Jen Black said...

Then you'll love the pics I plan to use over the next few entries. Autumn is a special time for us autumn critturs

More flames on the fire

  Occasionally I check for Book related news and  this morning caught a snippet that sent a shudder through me. It seems Omid Scobie, often ...