Wednesday 6th September 2023 - In the Air, Ice Cream and Flowering Reeds

So far, this week, the weather has been almost true to the forecast. Warm sun has been most welcome but there is a definite feel that autumn is literally, in the air. Heavy overnight dews have been descending, soaking the grass and misting our windows; it’s as though we have net curtains. Even day time highest temperatures of around 24°C, have failed to dry our patio, but then it is north facing and therefore gets minimal sun. We don’t get very many commercial flights passing in the skies above, but they now have a different sound, denoting a change in the atmosphere, which I associate with autumn approaching. Meteorological autumn commenced on the first of this month but I think most of us associate the switch from summer to autumn with the astronomical calendar, which this year will be on 23rd September.

I started the above paragraph by saying the forecast has been ‘almost true’. I said this because today was supposed to have been a scorcher but while we were out on our early morning walk, a sea fret blew in. By the time we were heading home, the beach and sea were totally blanketed in the mist. During the morning, it started to clear but this afternoon, you can still see swathes wafting inland. I spent most of the morning in Cromer, where there are still plenty of tourists wandering around the town. Following my visit to the hairdressers I had time to do some shopping and have an ice-cream, before catching the bus home. I make our ice-cream so am a bit picky as to what I eat when out but having heard good reports about the new vendor located in what was, some years ago, the Collector’s Cabin, I decided to give them a try. The owner was very friendly, offering me tasters of the different ices on display. There was a choice of about six flavours, including a sorbet. I declined the tasters choosing the creamy chocolate. Sat on a bench, overlooking the gangway and sea, I ate my ice-cream which had the right consistency, a good chocolate flavour and not too sweet - it got my stamp of approval! Not just ice-cream they are selling drinks etc. and there is seating and tables available too. Always difficult when setting up a new venture as to whether it will succeed; I hope this one does.

Today’s photo is of reeds in flower. The reeds are growing in the damp area below the cliff at the east end of the promenade.