When Autumn leaves start to fall…
But I miss you most of all, my darlin… Are you singing along? Look out for the terrapin. And a happy weekend to you!
Six word Saturday
The dark side
I don’t often venture into black and white, but now and again it makes a change, and it’s grey here today.
Jo’s Monday walk : Idling through the lanes
We’re back in the lanes again this week. Not so much a walk as a collection of reminiscences. In these past few weeks we’ve walked, in 2s and 4s, and once, daringly, in an 8. Our horizons were broadened and then, like the slamming of a door, curtailed.
In common with much of Europe. Patience is required. Not something that comes naturally, to me, at least. And yet, I’m surrounded by beauty.
It is the time of year to return to the hills. Slowly, for there is no hurry. Savouring the subtle aroma of orange blossom. A day’s worth of rain brings life and colour to the fields. Gentle sunshine breathes warmth over ripened vines and olives. The grape harvest now complete, nets are spread hopefully beneath gnarled trees to catch the olives. Pomegranates blaze a dark red promise of the luscious jewels to come.
As we ramble, snippets of information are exchanged. Our own grapevine of survival. Stories that make us smile. Some that make us sad. Linking us to one another. I stop to peer at a chequered fork, lying on the cobbles. Fallen from a bike’s panier after a picnic, perhaps? A quirky find. Softly coloured houses, one with a spreading vine, one trailing delicate green fronds over a wall. Its shadow dances at any hint of breeze.
A slight gradient follows, and a climb into the hills. Overhead the clouds soar and bubble away to the horizon. We look back to the coast, glistening in the distance, and point out our homes. The rock formations crumble on either side of us, raw nature reminding us that the earth has survived many ages. And, with or without our help, will continue to do so. Unlike some of the abandoned hill villages in the Algarve.
Dark clouds swoop, a portent of further life-giving rain, and a nudge back down the hill in time for lunch. I’m sure we can find cake somewhere? After all, it’s Monday!
Hopefully I’ve rounded you all up from my last Monday walk. Apologies to anyone I’ve missed. I’m intending to make Jo’s Monday walk a monthly feature at present, so feel free to drop by with a walk at any time. I’ll always try to make you welcome.
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Janet has discovered a whole new and wonderful world in Arizona :
Is it Autumn where you are? Rupali trails colours in her wake :
While Margaret takes note of each step and stone :
Trusty’s Hill and Rutherford’s Monument
Carol shows off her native Australia :
Wonderful autumnal scenes and an ‘almost selfie’ from Drake :
Way back in time, LadyLee had a holiday!
And Marion explored a beautiful English town :
Have you ever been to Armenia? No, nor me! Interesting, though…
Armenia: The Beauty of Not Hiking Mont Azhdahak
I’m always a sucker for enthusiasm. Where better than Tuscany?
San Gimignano, the turreted village
While Frank muses on the shoreline :
4 – Shells – Beach Walk Reflections
Please do visit the above. They’re all lovely people and you might make a new friend. Meanwhile, have a great month!
Six word Saturday
Are you looking at me, madam?
Us goats kinda like a bit of attention. And we know Becky likes us! It’s been fun taking part in October Squares this month. Carry on being kind, won’t you? It’s not hard to do. And if you can sneak Six Words in, so much the better. Happy Halloween/All Saint’s Day!
P.S. I will be doing a round up on Jo’s Monday walk next week. See you then?
KindaS
A kind of Autumn fruit
Arbutus Unedo, the strawberry tree, starts to produce its fruit in Autumn. A cluster of tiny bell shaped flowers appear first, and then the berries, which are used to make a fiery spirit, medronho. Use the slider to see both, in this, my penultimate KindaSquare. Becky has some lovely thoughts to share today. Don’t miss them!
My kind of house
Traditional. Single storey. With maybe a neighbour to chat to? Surrounded by greenery, but not enough to block the view. With a bench to sit on to admire that view. What kind of view? Something like this might do.
But it’s not perfect. There’s no chimney, Becky!
Something of the kind
I do love the old chimneys around here, so often topped off by a stork’s nest. No resident stork on this one but you’ve got value for money with the reflection. Two for the price of one. Wishing you a happy day!
The anniversary kind
Many congratulations to a wonderful couple! Their first love is birds (after each other, of course) but I don’t have a suitable photograph so perhaps they’ll like this Indian Orchid tree. Past their first exuberant flowering, but still lovely. Perhaps I can say the same for Becky and Robert?
Monday Mural
Kinda cute, aren’t they? A nice clean start to the week. Becky’s into her last week of s4uares and Sami’s feeling colourful. Why not join them?
Of its kind
Becky is sharing a great sculpture today, along with a wonderful extravaganza of Squares. It’s lucky our clocks went back last night so I have an extra hour in which to enjoy them all. I’m responding with a sculpture which Becky won’t yet have seen. It appeared kinda mysteriously, on a disused chimney on the road out to Quatro Aguas, Tavira. It’s kinda quirky! Have a great Sunday!
