28th September, 2014...Autumn drought and the Great Hillman bake Off!

More beautiful autumnal weather, but the local streams and becks are looking worryingly empty!

 

 

Yes, that is the dried up beck....and it's like that as far back as you can follow. Really dry down here at the moment.

 

 

You've got to wonder how much prolonged rainfall it will take to get this filled again. Last week's short spell of rain obviously had no effect...no chance of spotting a kingfisher or heron with no food available...?

 

 

And yet another old tree fallen into the beck further up...there is nothing but dry soil for the roots on the banks of the river now and things are sliding in. We found a wasps nest fallen on to the river bed near Bow Bridge...nothing holding it in place now.

 

 

We spotted Barbra Dunn from  British Heart Foundation putting out markers down here yesterday, and there were lots of walkers today, so I guess BHF had a charity walk...we did our bit for charity on Friday, with a Macmillan Coffee Morning, our first event of the new school year, and raised £160.

 

 

 

Mad coffee ladies!!

 

 

Parents at our school are so kind and supportive! We had a 'bake off' of our own this morning....we got so fed up of eating rubbish food last week because we were busy, we decided to cook five complete meals from scratch and freeze everything to keep us going at least this week (and some bonus mince pies were made from left over pastry so that can't be bad!). We do this 'now and again'!!!!! Can't sustain it though!

 

 

 

 

So, this lovely weather....Late September is a very popular time to get married, and the Steve Hillman camera has been very busy...

 

 

 

 

 

 

.....and congratulations to all the happy couples past, present and future! There is only one photographer you would choose (but I'm biased obviously!).

 

 

Frankie is growing ever larger...I'm always shocked when I see him in these photos by Abbey Mill Café....their sausage buns are just too good! Well, I've purchased my Jack Wolfskin snow boots, but I kind of think we will still be in shirt sleeves in December this year, though the weather in the latest book I'm reading is making me shudder.....

 

 

 

 

.....even their eyes freeze if they step outside for a few minutes!!! Bring it on!!!