I love the late afternoons at this time of year. Long shadows, low light and muted blues and greys. The lights in the shops look inviting and in living rooms lamps are lit and fires are flickering. The first picture was taken in that moment just before the sun sets. The town lit up in apricot light, It was gone in a minute.
I watched the sun rise as well today, on a run. I headed out into the countryside and saw the sky turn pink over the bare fields. The trees have mostly lost their leaves now. It's good for birdwatching and seeing last year's nests appear. Winter is on its way and I really rather like it.
We had the second consecutive football free weekend this weekend. Didn't know what to do with ourselves. The littlest boy and the biggest boy have horrible colds, so in fact we didn't do much. We did manage a bit of fresh air each day though. I think it helps with sleeping. It's one of the reasons I run sometimes. I'm very good at falling asleep, but I always wake up too early in the morning. The more exercise I get, the longer I sleep.
The garden has been battened down for winter. I put the tayberry back up today after its hazel wigwam blew down in the gusts of wind last week. Everything has been cleared from the raised beds now, the hedge has been trimmed and the raspberries have been cut down. Inside the candles are out on the kitchen windowsill and we've even had the heating on a bit. I'm eating extra chocolate to get me through the dark days. All those chocolate stimulants and chemicals, 300 or so of them apparently. It's an enchanting and mysterious substance. Who am I to fight the power of the bean?
Have you watched any of the new David Attenborough series, The Hunt? Honestly, the BBC are in a league of their own when it comes to wildlife documentaries. Watching seals hunting sardines is utterly mesmerising. Quite amazing what goes on in the deep blue sea.
I'm off to look for more chocolate now. Wishing you all a good week. CJ xx
Wishing you a lovely week, too! xx
ReplyDeleteI am a devotee of the chocolate, too. Even just a few 1 inch squares a day make me happy. I just ran out of my last ones that I purchased and must. get. more. You got some great shots of your surroundings. We went to try to get some photos of some swans today. I just downloaded them and they aren't the best.. but I will post some tomorrow. ((hugs)), Teresa :-)
ReplyDeleteI love the Hunt...and of course I love chocolate :0) Your photos are gorgeous CJ. Have a good week.
ReplyDeleteJacquie x
I LOVE sir david Attenborough. whata genius - and a nice bloke!
ReplyDeletei also love that time of year when you put the garden to bed for the colder months, as you are doing. it's a wonderful rhythm in the seasons. your photos (as always) are enchanting.
Once again beautiful photos, capturing the essence of the season. We had our first snow fall yesterday but thankfully didn't stay around for too long. Have a great week.
ReplyDeleteGorgeous pics CJ. I'm sure I say that every time (but they are). Hope your boys are feeling better. Have a good week. Sam x
ReplyDeleteHow lucky you are to live so near to Clifton pier it has to be one of my all time favourite piers...it looks stunning in that light. Know what you mean about the chocolate..I seem to buy more and more at the moment...I even hide it so others don't get it before me...how bad is that :) Barbara
ReplyDeleteI should say Clevedon not Clifton ..oops
DeleteGorgeous photos dear C.J., I love the soft light. Have a lovely week and enjoy your walking, it definitely makes one feel better, hope your boys recover quickly.
ReplyDeletexoxoxo ♡
A good selection of pictures. I bet you were glad that there was no football. I hope that you found some more chocolate. Flighty xx
ReplyDeleteLovely photos. It's turned so cold just lately, winter is definitely on the way but unlike you, I don't like it one little bit. Roll on spring is what I say. I haven't watched The Hunt, I'm a bit of a softie where wildlife documentaries are concerned, I know it's only nature but I can't stand seeing animals kill each other.
ReplyDeleteLovely photos. It has certainly turned cold over the weekend. Time to snuggle down. Chocolate's definitely the way to go!
ReplyDeleteJust sitting down with a cuppa and some chocolate after lunch! Hope the boys colds are improving now. x
ReplyDeleteReturning after a few days away I'm dreading looking to see what Barney has done to my garden. Think I'll have some clearing up to do as well.
ReplyDeleteI've been recording the Hunt and am looking forward to watching it, when I figure out how to magic some spare time! I love the light this time of the year too, it gets even better when the air is cold, everything looks crisper. Chocolate is good for histamine production, or so I have been told and I'm sticking to it :o) Glad you're finding the benefit from running, I thought you would XX
ReplyDeleteWhat a treat to see your beautiful coastal photos. The colours are just gorgeous. We're watching The Hunt, the filming just blows me away, especially underwater. Wouldn't that just be a dream job. Have a great week CJ and keep warm with your boys.
ReplyDeleteOh me too, I know exactly what you mean about the winter afternoon light. I'm mad about it. And it does suddenly feel wintry, doesn't it? Chocolate and running: the keys to happiness I suspect. Although not chocolate right before a run, no... xx
ReplyDeleteAs I read this, I am enjoying my naptime piece of chocolate cake with chocolate icing. I'm such a sneaky Mom - if I eat it while the little babe sleeps, I don't have to share with her! We've been spotting bird's nests in the bare trees also - I love when my daughter spots them before I do.
ReplyDeleteHey CJ,
ReplyDeleteI love the inviting lamp lights from the house that I pass on my early evening dog walk. Inviting me to look in, and have a nose. You put me to shame with the running; my swimming has dropped off lately and I can feel a difference to the waistline. I know that I'm fighting a losing battle with it, especially with Rocky Bars on offer in Tesco.
Leanne xx
That's beautiful winter light even though it looks cold. It was cold when we visited here in October too! When I woke I saw the sunrise was going to be spectacular but I just couldn't force myself out of bed to capture it! Sarah x
ReplyDeleteLovely photos. The light is not like that here, but it's absolutely beautiful there. I'm grateful for a few days of gray this week. It fuels the knitting. I chuckled when you wrote about football free days. We had our last match of the season Saturday. It was a heartbreaker. Anyhow, there will be a few indoor matches later in the winter, but concerned about "what to do". I have stuck the kid back into swimming and began the guitar lesson inquiries. Our household devolves into screen time without structure. No green to throw him onto nearby.
ReplyDeleteYou captured this cozy time of year beautifully, CJ! Those shops do look so inviting. It's a magical time of year as the holidays approach and the weather turns colder. I especially love the pictures of the sailboats. It looks so serene and a great way to spend the afternoon. I have the opposite problem as you--I can't get to sleep and then end up sleeping later than I'd like. I'd love to be an early riser and go on morning runs--that way you get that quiet time with just you and nature before the rest of the world wakes up. Sounds wonderful! Hope you're having a lovely week, friend:)
ReplyDeleteSuch beautiful atmospheric photos. I love to be out walking when the evenings get dark; it's nice to nosy into people's houses if they've failed to draw the curtains - or is that just me?! I'm an early riser too, but I'm afraid I haven't the willpower to go running at that time. Happy chocolate eating! xx
ReplyDeleteI love it too. The sky feels so low, you can almost touch it and all the twinkles of lighting. It's just perfectly magical.
ReplyDeleteNina x
I am afraid David Attenborough always sends me to sleep. We haven't watched The Hunt as I don't really like to see animals being hunted down and very often wildlife programmes seem to spend too much time on that aspect of the animal's life.
ReplyDeleteOh yes chocolate, I'm off to walk the hound shortly as it's just light enough ( looks a bit grim though) I hope you have a splendid week x
ReplyDeleteI hope the colds are easing off and the boys are feeling better. Blues and greys rule, they're my favourite colours. Lovely sea photos. Bravo with the running, it offsets the chocolate intake (well, some of it). xx
ReplyDeleteI love this time of year too, even when it is grey and misty. I've only seen one of the David Attenborough programmes so far. It's amazing what goes on in the animal world! I thought it really fascinating to see how massive that forest is right up in the north. They say chocolate (in moderation) is good for you so I'm happy with that.
ReplyDeleteHa ha! Dark chocolate is my treat too. I gave up sugar a few years ago but a good quality dark chocolate is the one sweet thing I eat. I hope the colds have passed. I haven't caught any of The Hunt unfortunately, it's been a hectic few weeks so I seem to have missed them. There's always IPlayer though and I have heard rave reviews about it. I so agree about the BBC and their wildlife programmes. Hope you're having a good week.
ReplyDeleteGreat captures! I especially like number three, and number nine. As for the BBC documentaries, I've missed them, I'll have to try and catch them on iplayer. Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeletechocolate has magic powers. it is well known.
ReplyDeletemy son has been captivated by the hunt. especially the bit at the end of each programme when the camera crew discuss how they filmed it. we ordered the poster from the OU to accompany the series, it's lovely too.