September and Late Summer Sunshine

apples feast at Levens Hall

September

Memories still linger flagrantly to summer

Winter calls, but seems far away; distant on the horizon

A cool nip in the air, but the sun still shines

Rising in its warm, mellow, hazy mist

Cooler in the shadow of autumn's glare. 

New starts, new beginnings, new hope

New promise with the fresh breeze

Time for leaves to turn colour

Time to turn over a new leaf

September, signal for new expectation.

Colours awash and ablaze

Deep burnished golds, coppers and russets

Muted with soft heather tones

Bees and butterflies grasping summer's end

Startled spider's webs dripping droplets of dew.

Orchards fit to burst

Seasoned bounties of apples and pears

The windfall feast for a blackbird 

Month of tomatoes and berries

A month ripe with opening and change.

September promise.

butterfly on the verbena in the garden

We seem to have stumbled into September after a busy and relaxing summer. They are saying in the news that this summer was the hottest one for the last seven years. Well it's been a good one for us and we have really enjoyed and tried to make most of all the sunshine and enjoy our summer memories.

All sky and sea at Silecroft, Cumbria

A bit blowy at Frinton on Sea, Essex

Waiting patiently on the beach

September is another favourite month of mine, it always hails a new and fresh start for me; I don't know whether that's because of years in school, the new school year starting in September or whether it's just that September follows summer. Summer, which is usually more carefree and laid back, because of the longer days and now the nights are starting to draw in again, so it feels like time to start gearing up a pace and get busy again.

Lilies in the pond at Sizergh Castle, Cumbria

Ducks in flight at Sandside, Cumbria

So for us it's time to try and get back some routine so Rob is back at work and we are busy getting things ready for Rose going back to university. This week we've been busy getting the garden into some order ready for autumn after such a lovely summer and we've put in some new plants and tidied up - well Rob has, I did the pointing and a little bit of planting up some new plants!  We both suddenly got the urge to get cooking at weekend, I don't know whether this is because of Masterchef and the Great British Bake Off that we have been avidly watching or just renewed September enthusiasm.

An entertaining sunset at Arnside, Cumbria

I'm still hoping that my transplant will happen soon, my hope has been rapidly depleting as all this time has gone on since I was listed, but now we've got to September, well for me what a perfect time for change and a brand new start! Then again they are debating in the news now whether we are going to have an indian summer or not. I am relishing the thought of that too, that maybe summer isn't quite at an end and maybe there is just a little more to look forward to and enjoy and maybe I don't want to miss all the fun just yet. We will have to wait and see ...

Rose is running in the 'Run to the Beat' marathon on Sunday to raise awareness of Pulmonary Hypertension and funds for the phaUK, an organisation that is helping and supporting our family through this illness. I want to say a massive thanks to all of you who have sponsored her, it really means a lot to us and we are so grateful for your support. 

You can sponsor Rose through her Just Giving page below: 

www.justgiving.com/Rose-Graham