Thursday

Yesterday was a very odd mix of sun and showers, clouds, varying temperatures and rainbows.  It's obviously been raining overnight but seems to be dry at present so fingers crossed.  It would be just my luck to have pouring rain today.

I haven't had very much good fortune with my plans this week.  Monday's Ikea trip didn't happen, yesterday's lunch out didn't happen and if it's simply bucketing with rain I guess today's planned trip to Hyde Hall won't go ahead either.  But let's not be pessimistic - yet!

When Lesley and I went to Hyde Hall in the summer, we promised ourselves that we would go again when autumn had landed.  I'm very much looking forward to it and have put my camera on change to ensure I have enough battery power.  I keep thinking I ought to get a better camera.  Mine is very old now, the viewing window is tiny, you can't see what's on it in the sun and the zoom and close up are not so good really.  Things have moved on so much and prices have dropped considerably.  I paid just over £400 for my camera, including bag, etc, which, at the time, was a middle of the road price.
Anyway, it will have to do for now and I'm sure it will catch the autumn beauty of Hyde Hall in a very  satisfactory manner.

The green tomatoes are all gone now, made into chutney.  There's a number of red ones ripening in a bowl on the window sill, but they won't last long.  A couple of breakfasts and a salad should see them off and that's the end of their story this year.  Thinking ahead to next year, I am umming and ahing about getting grafted plants again.  Certainly they were very trouble free, no issues apart from a wee tough of blight, caught early and dealt with without any further problems.  They cropped quite heavily.  However, they were very slow growing and late ripening, which was frustrating and they were very expensive.  I shall have to ponder . . . plenty of time now.