Fog, Fog and More Fog - but Stunning Scenery

Still a cooking apple clinging to the tree in the garden

Well, good journey down – in blazing sunshine. I drove from the A303 to the cottage, just over 150 miles long and I loved it, my Dad’s car and myself work so well together, she’s an absolute star and her name is ‘Blue’. When we arrived, all happy and tired, that’s when the bad luck started. Firstly a note from our friend Sue that the phones didn’t work. Then my dad noticed that the driver’s side rear tyre was becoming flat – on closer inspection there was a nice silver nail on the top – great! I think I heard it go in on the M5 (the afternoon before (Saturday) kids had dropped tyres from one of the motorway bridges, causing 5 cars to collide, although no-one was seriously hurt – it was very dangerous and I had a theory that maybe with the tyres they dropped nails too) so a swift call to the RAC, who came pretty soon and as the sky turned to blood red he had changed our tyre to the spare. BT came the next morning to fix the line (thank god for mobiles) and the man said that there had been a terrible storm a few weeks ago with fearsome lightening so we reckon that’s what did for the line, the fax machine (which is beyond repair) and the fuse in my studio (now fixed). The first 24 hours was tiring!

The next day we picked my mum up from Exeter Central, didn’t hang around in town, just drove straight to Waitrose in Okehampton for supplies. It had been very foggy that day but it had cleared leaving an intense blue sky and bright sun – a perfect autumn’s day. The next day the fog came down again and didn’t leave all day. We got the tyre fixed, went into Torrington and then today did some of the garden. Now I’m exhausted – such a different life from London, going to bed in darkness and silence waking up in the same. Walking outside, watching the tractors pass and the pheasants crowing (there’s quite a few of them now as the hunting season has started, poor babies – they can’t fly, can hardly walk and so are sitting ducks for the lead shots) and the cows mooing, the sheep bleating and the large flocks of Fieldfares and Redwings fresh from flying in from Scandinavia. Autumn going into winter, frost at nights and early dew in the mornings.

With the fog it’s been spooky – even in the daylight hours. I had a walk in the field today – not much there but I wouldn’t even think of venturing out there now, so dark and cold. As a child I was never afraid of the dark – well it never got dark in London – and I’m still not afraid, but sometimes when the wind is howling in the trees at night I do feel a little spooked! I think that’s just part of Human nature.

I’ve started reading a book called ‘The Final Judgement’ by Neil Hanson telling the true story of the Great Fire of London. It’s funny reading a book about London yet being so far away – it makes it all the more real. The book charts the plague and with real accounts written at that time between 1665-1666 to the Great Fire and the aftermath. I’ve only just started it but I feel it’ll be good.

Recent pictures of Devon in the last few days:

Fog over the garden Monday morning

The foggy cow field

New crop in field - no idea what

Yes, my pines ARE still standing!

And then the fog lifted on Monday to leave this

The shadow of the cottage - moved from the summer

Tuesday afternoon - foggy again!

Dew drop on pine needle

The sun just about made an appearence


I see three trees!





Then the sun disappeared - haven't seen it since





over the last few night the moon has been full

Well I was going to go in the studio tonight but so stiff from gardening - my Dad and David (our friend who cuts the grass and who also came to London) had the easy job of cutting everything back, I had drawn the short straw and did all the raking and clearing up! As I always do. So definite studio tomorrow.

Now I'm going to watch Bush on Sky News and pull faces at him - his numbers up! At last . . .

Emy xxx