Autumn is coming

The scorching summer has finally begun to calm down - over the weekend we had cloudy days and although it's now blue again the mid 30's are  down to mid 20's.  It makes it pleasant enough to think about the autumn seed planting.  Not cool enough to make me want to go off digging veg plots, but seeds in pots ready for planting out in a month or so.  So a large pot of parsley seeds,  25 coriander seeds in yoghurt pots, a row directly into the raised bed along side the tomato plants which - if it gets windy - should protect the coriander plants from breaking,  dwarf beans are in too, the summer crop was disappointing to say the least but we usually get a second chance in the warmth of October, 16 chilli plants finally planted out in the raised bed too.  They were too small to go out in May, then although they were big and strong by July,  I thought they'd struggle with the heat so left them in the potting shed where it's shady.

We are picking chillis as needed, and leaving others to go red and will eventually dry some.  Just recently the drier has been full of figs, both black and white, ready for winter puddings.  Today I've had branches of sage in there drying - just over 2 hours and they were done.  More to do tomorrow, so long as it doesn't rain overnight that is.  The leaves have to be dry before drying - if that makes sense!

There are clouds looming up from the south and the forecast shows storms out to sea, not sure if any of it will get this far inland though.

Some of the leaves on the fig tree are beginning to turn yellow, so much so that I thought I saw a golden oriole in the tree this morning but it turned out to be a figleaf. 

It is an anniversary week for us - the 3rd was the day 9 years ago that we left England for a different life,  we arrived here on  the 7th having had a few days break en route.   And the 3rd was also our own anniversary -  all 35 years of them!  Well done us.