Guilty as charged......

........No excuses for having abandoned the blog. Too busy enjoying the summer and watching all our guests enjoy themselves at the same time. Suddenly though the nights are drawing in, wood fires are being lit and the woolly jumpers are appearing once more. I love the autumn but this year we really have had such a wonderful summer and I'm still not sure I'm quite ready to wave it goodbye. 

However, the blossom that was so fantastic in the spring, has turned to what is looking like a bumper crop for October.

 branches of the trees have actually been breaking with the weight of their fruit, and we have filled  basket upon basket already of fallen apples. Our apple juicing weekends in October are now set and we hope to produce more juice than ever as the trees continue to mature.

And as if we are not spoilt with all the apples, there are pears ripening in the front garden, blackberries coming to an end after a seemingly never ending supply from the hedgerows and a quick walk with the dogs this morning saw my basket filled with field mushrooms before even reaching the top of the hill. The recent damp and warm weather does have some positive after all - I wonder if apple and mushroom crumble would work?