Monday 22nd September 2025 - Should Have Looked, Freezing and Crocus

I really should have looked at the weather forecast for Saturday into Sunday, before I started raking up leaves.  I was happily out in the garden on Saturday morning doing, this and that, before deciding to clear the fallen leaves.  If I had looked at the weather forecast, I would have known how the wind was going to build during the night and into the morning and that tidying the garden of leaves was basically, a waste of time. 

Oblivious of what was to come, when we went to bed, we left the bedroom windows part open.  Around two in the morning, a strong gust flung one of the windows back, allowing the driving rain to come in, waking me up in the process.  Thankfully, in view of the winds we experience on the coast, Peter had installed additional stays on our upstairs windows.  Without these, that strong gust could have potentially ripped the pane off its hinges.  So, there I was, in the wee small hours of the morning, releasing the stay while the rain was blowing in, before closing both windows.  In case you’re wondering; Peter was in a deep sleep and totally unaware of what wasn’t far short of a gale.  Back in bed and trying to get back to sleep, I remembered when we first moved here, when shortly after, high winds blew the back door off the workshop, leading us to wonder if we had done the right thing moving here!  When I got up, there was the workshop door (not the same one as when me moved in) open and swinging back and forth; fortunately, still on its hinges.  How strange was that!  Since that first experience, we have been subjected to stronger winds, one causing the panels on our conservatory to flex – quite scary.  Of course there are now more leaves down, but they can stay on the ground until things calm down.  When I am tempted to start raking and sweeping, I’ll check the weather forecast first.  Another indicator of more settled weather will be to look and see whether the fishing boats are back down on the promenade, after having been brought up to the safety of the corner of the zigzag path. 

We have both been picking up windfalls from both our apple tree and those fallen from overhanging branches from our neighbour’s two trees.  Some have been badly damaged and have been put in the composter while those which have fared better have been accumulating on the garden table.  I had already processed some, peeling, trimming and blanching before freezing but with that wind bringing down a load more, almost filling a washing up bowl, I spent time in the kitchen yesterday morning preparing them for the freezer.  We now have enough for eight good sized apple pies.  With the next batch of windfalls, I will cook and puree them to freeze as apple sauce.

Today’s photo is of a clump of naturalised crocus.  We first saw autumn flowering crocus, when walking on the Greek island of Symi during late September, into early October.  We had never seen them growing in the UK, until we moved here to Norfolk.