…and I mean that
literally. After several days of leaden skies, which necessitated keeping the
lights on all day if we wanted to do anything, it was a joy to wake this
morning to a clearing sky and watch the sun drive away the last of the clouds.
Fired by all this unaccustomed light, I headed out for a walk to the post
office to post some cards and buy a few items and took my camera with me. It’s
still remarkably mild for the second half of November, though I hope I’m not tempting
fate by saying so, and the stroll up the hill to the post office and back was
sheer pleasure. Unfortunately my camera battery ran out before I even reached
the halfway point, so the final photos are of the glorious sunset we had on
Saturday before the cloud took over.
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| The last rose of summer? |
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| At least the birds will be well-fed this winter |
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| A real Highland cottage |
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| Ben Loyal with his nightcap on |
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| Sunset reflections in the Kyle |
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| Red sky at night... |
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| Nor sure about the sailor, but it was my delight... |
Lovely images Perpetua - the pink reflections and the clouds topping the mountains are gorgeous. The longer this weather stays the better as far as I am concerned.
ReplyDeleteIt was a spectacular sunset, Rosemary, so DH and I both photographed it. His camera is the better one. :-) The weather is set to remain quite mild and dry here for the next couple of days at least, which is good news.
DeleteVery glad to hear that you've had some 'light relief', Perpetua. Short grey days can be horribly depressing. As always, I've very much enjoyed your photos, especially the first one with the rose & the last two of Saturday's sunset.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Ricky. The days being so short at this latitude, we have the lights on a great deal of the time in any case, but all day is just miserable. The rose I snapped from the bedroom window yesterday morning and the last two sunset ones were taken with DH's much better camera and are stunning.
DeleteYour glorious walk in the sunshine, running errands, and the sunset, no matter what day, bring warmth and a smile here, Perpetua. We are hovering around 10 degrees F, though with no snow yet. Brrrrrr. Very cloudy couple of days. You made mine shine brighter with these photos.
ReplyDeleteOh,, that Highland cottage. :)
Isn't the Highland cottage lovely, Penny? It is so little altered and gives a very good impression what almost all the houses in this area would have looked like at one time.
DeleteThe sunny day yesterday really lifted the spirits and even though the clouds are back, thankfully it's still dry and relatively mild. I do hope your early cold snap doesn't presage another hard winter for you.
What a beautiful walk you have, Perpetua, and your photos are gorgeous. Holly for Christmas, and the Last Rose of Summer? I'll be singing that all day now :)
ReplyDeleteIt's a lovely walk, Patricia, just far enough to stretch my legs properly on the way there and not too far to carry the shopping back down the hill. The holly did look very festive, but I feel sorry for the rosebuds which will probably never open fully.
DeleteWhat a lovely walk you have to your Post Office. Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteIt really is, Susan and the next time I go there on a sunny day i'll make sure the camera batteries are fully charged, as the views are stunning.
DeleteThere is a limit to the number of ways one can say the same thing, but, oh my goodness, your photos are beautiful.
ReplyDeleteWhile I stand by my opinion of isolated places I can see how the atmospheric landscape would capture your heart.
I hope you have many more days like the one you describe to enjoy your surroundings.
Thanks, Ray. This is such a glorious part of the country that I run the risk of boring the pants off my readers by posting so many photos of it, so I'm glad you enjoyed them. You can get the feel of the landscape without actually having to leave the security of the city. :-) I too am hoping for more sunny days, but in late November I can't count on them so will treasure them if they appear.
DeleteBeautiful!
ReplyDeleteThat's it in a nutshell. :-)
DeleteThat's one gorgeous red sky! What a beautiful area, and how nice to see it in the sunshine. :)
ReplyDeleteYes, DH's camera captured the vividness perfectly. It's a wonderful landscape and when the sun shines it simply glows.
DeleteWonderful photographs!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Mike, and welcome to my blog.
DeleteDear Perpetua,
ReplyDeleteI just love the old highland cottage.
The views are stunning in your area.
Hope the sun comes out again for you.
we are having awful weather.. heavy storms.
super post.
val x
I love it too, Val, though it must be very dark inside with those few, tiny windows. I expect they builders were more concerned to keep the warmth of the fire inside.
DeleteThe views are wonderful wherever we go and we never tire of them. Luckily the forecast for the next few days id for sunny intervals, rather than the heavy cloud we've been having. I hope your weather improves.
These really are beautiful photos Perpetua. Ben Loyal looks amazing..what a fabulous walk. I hope you get more days of blue skies and lovely light....and maybe another rose or two. Jx
ReplyDeleteGlad you like them, Janice. Ben Loyal really does dominate the view from the village and the surrounding area, standing as it does in isolation so close to the sea. I too am hoping for more sun, though it seems it will be a mixture of cloud and sun from the forecast. As for the roses, I hope they manage to flower properly, but it's probably too late in the year.
DeleteHari OM
ReplyDeleteIt was such a relief indeed... and wasn't that red sky the other night just incredible??!!! You have written the post I never got round to and I am glad of it! That rose and the berries are sumptuous... YAM xx
It was awe-inspiring, Yam, though it's a pity it heralded a couple of days of such grey and gloomy weather. When the sun reappeared yesterday it was as though the curtains had been opened. The rose is trying valiantly to open those last few buds and the holly just makes me smile when I see it.
DeleteThe views of Ben Loyal and the mountain range at sunset are captivating. Glad the weather has improved for your walks in such beautiful surroundings. A walk to the post office must be very pleasant. I hope the better weather conditions continue for you.
ReplyDeleteI could watch the sunset views for hours, Linda, as the light moves across the face of the mountain. The walk to the post office is one I do quite often whatever the weather, but it's so much more enjoyable when the sun shines. Fingers crossed that winter holds off a bit longer...
DeleteThe sweet simplicity of the 'last rose' ... so beautiful, and I adore the Highland cottage ... would love to see the interior décor and see if it 'suits'.
ReplyDeleteGlad you like the rose, Shirley,. It's trying so hard to open so late in the autumn. The cottage is gorgeous and virtually unaltered externally, except for those tiny roof windows to allow bedrooms to be created in the loft space. As for the interior, you'll have to use your imagination, I'm afraid. :-)
DeleteSuch a beautiful place. It looks almost magical. The Highland cottage is extra special. Our days here have been dreary, but the sun is shining this morning. We've had snow, and then rain, and now there is a coating of snow on the grass, which came in the night. Wishing you great days, and more lovely walks.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Bonnie. I think you're right - there is something almost magical or otherworldly about this extraordinary landscape, which completely fascinates me. Sorry to hear you've had dreary weather too. There's something so depressing about very short, grey days. I do hope you've escaped the effects of the dreadful snowstorm which hit the Great Lakes area. It makes me realise we really shouldn't grumble about our manageable weather.
DeleteThese pictures are amazing. They sort of make my heart ache, in a good way. That Highland cottage is my dream home. :-)
ReplyDeleteGlad you like them, Kristie. It sounds to me as though you're homesick for the Highlands, even though you've never visited them. To me it's a landscape like no other. The cottage is lovely, but I think you'd need to be not very tall to be comfortable there. It's so small and low.
DeleteThose sunset photographs remind me of the line from Bonnie Strathyre
ReplyDeletewhen the peaks of Ben Voirlich are girdled with fire....
And what lovely Autumn weather in which to take a stroll to the post office...
our quotation sent me straight to Google to look for Bonnie Strathyre, Helen, as it's not a song I'm familiar with, though that line is perfect for the photos. I've found the words here:
Deletehttp://www.incallander.co.uk/ladesongs/song57.htm
The weather yesterday was perfect for a stroll and today too it's been pleasant, though the clouds have found their way back. Ah well, it is late November...
So glad that you managed to take the photos that you've posted - they're breath-taking. what a beautiful place.
ReplyDeleteSo am I, Molly. I usually check the batteries but this time I forgot. Mind you, it's so lovely here that i have a huge stock of photos to draw on. :-)
DeleteThese are stunningly beautiful - thank you
ReplyDeleteSo glad you enjoyed them, Catriona.
DeleteLovely photos and so nice to see the sun! We have had barely a gleam of it for weeks, or so it feels. I too may be tempting fate but I am quite looking forward to some frosts to dry up the waterlogged fields.
ReplyDeleteI've sadly neglected blogging for most of this year, so you are doing far better than me despite house moves of one sort and another. Many reasons for writing so little, which I am trying to sort out in my head - and then, of course, I can write about the reasons for not writing!
Hope you get some more bright days while you are up here.
Lovely to see you, DB, and glad to have brightened your day with a glimpse of our sun. It's been very grey for much of the time since we arrived, but we haven't had the rain you've had further south, for which I'm grateful. But it's been unusually mild under the heavy cloud and I think we all look forward to some crisp, bright, frosty mornings.
DeleteYour presence in the blogosphere has been missed and I look forward to seeing you back when the time is right. Life can just take over sometimes and of course there are priorities which come much higher than blogging at any time.
Your photos are wonderful, Perpetua. I really love seeing the dark clouds in the sun, they look so dramatic lit that way. I love the Highland cottage too, it's exactly the kind of place I imagine when I think of your part of the world.
ReplyDeleteOh, if you like dramatic skies, you really must visit the Highlands, Jennifer. The combination of light, clouds and mountains is truly wonderful. The Highland cottage is absolutely typical of the old houses - either stone like this or white-painted.
DeleteSuch absolutely gorgeous photos of lovely landscapes and beautiful sunset! Your heart must surely sing when you walk in such peaceful beauty, Perpetua. I am so glad you could share the experience with us. Keep that camera battery charged! LOL! :-)
ReplyDeleteAnd buy another battery...
Deleteit doesn't have to be a manufacturer's own...
you can always use a clone as a spare...
I do, Pauline does...
it means that sod's law doesn't ruin your day.
Lovely pix...
but last rose? There are nine buds visible in that picture...
four of which look viable...
infact, one of those is opening...
enjoy your stay... the roses know best!!
Glad you enjoyed them, Debra. I'm usually pretty good about keeping batteries charged, but slipped up this time. Sadly I won't be taking any more photos for a while as my camera needs two hands, but I promise to be more careful in the future. :-)
DeleteTim, DH has a stock of rechargeables and if I'm out for the day, I'll usually take spares, but for a stroll to the post office it just didn't occur to me. I'll admit last rose was poetic exaggeration, but usually the late buds don't manage to open properly. This year is different and that bud is now half-open, with others showing signs too.
Beautiful shots Perpetua. Doesn't it make you feel so much better about life when the sun is shining? xx
ReplyDeleteThanks, Ayak. It really does and we had a glorious morning yesterday too, while I was waiting to be let out of hospital.
DeleteBeautiful photographs of a beautiful place, and how lovely to see signs of the sun, it has abandoned Wales completely I think.
ReplyDeleteWe saw the sun here in mid-Wales this morning for a while! Love your photos, P - and the one's from DH's camera particularly. I agree with Tim, above - your roses will still be flowering for a while yet. Ours are still throwing out new buds, and the flowers are lovely.
DeleteOops - misplaced apostrophe!! ones, not one's!!
DeleteThanks, Annie. We've been luckier with the weather during this visit than much of the rest of the ciounty, though we've still had some very dark and dreary days.
DeleteHelva, I'm glad you've at least seen the sun, though I know your weather hasn't been good.I gather we're all in for some much brighter days this week, which should help more rosebuds to open.
Beautiful, Perpetual! I especially found the last rose of summer a poignant image as winter approaches....
ReplyDeleteThanks, Kathy. Winter is being slow to arrive this year, which is giving more late buds the chance to open.
DeleteYou live in the most beautiful place. I so enjoyed seeing all of this. Thanks for capturing such beauty and sharing it with us.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Sally. We're so fortunate to be able to spend time here. Mind you, your Colorado mountains are pretty spectacular too.
Delete