The fruits of autumn.

We had a day at Norbury Junction making final arrangements for the work we're having done on the boat. We have finally given up on the brass portholes with their propensity to leak, rattle and run with condensation in the winter and we're having them replaced with alloy double glazed ones. This means that the cabin sides will need repainting and the bottom needs re-blacking. More expense. We're using the time she will be in dock to jet off to Tenerife for a couple of weeks. Until we actually fly we are just cruising up and down, Gnosall to High Offley and back, repeat as necessary.
Yesterday we took a morning constitutional round the lanes at High Offley. Autumn is definitely here,

some of the shrubs are already in autumn colours and the spiders webs

are heavy with dew.
It's a good year for the wild fruits,

blackberries in profusion.

The sloes are looking particularly juicy, hope that there will be some left when we get back so we can make our normal quota of sloe gin.

One stretch of hedgerow was dominated by wild hops.

Hips and haws in abundance, the birds will feed well this winter.

Nice pumpkin in a local garden, it's years since Jill made a pumpkin pie, probably because the pie is one of the least inspiring products of the gastronomic art. Reminiscent of pulped damp cardboard, even Jill's pastry can't make it worthwhile.

This is a robin's pin cushion or Bedeguar gall on a dog rose. It is caused by a gall wasp, Dipoloepsis rosae.

I have absolutely no idea as to the significance of the pink pig.

Built to last, the local post box proudly displays the V.R. of the old queen, God bless her.

Of course there is only one place to finish a walk around High Offley, the splendid Anchor for a pint of 6X.

Watch this space..........