Belgian Blues...Not Sparking Joy....and Photo Blog Number Four

A rare sight - delivered milk  - outside the gates of a big farm house which I pass on my way up the lane.

My first view of the field - different but the same every day.

The first sloes on blackthorn. Robin and sloes....inevitably linked in my memory. 

I still have the last bottle of sloe gin that he loved making.

The village below me.

It occurs to me that the lovely cows are not a typical British breed.

So I research grey and white spotted cows on Google and 

I think they are called Belgian Blue. 

The owner of the horses must think it's cold enough this morning  to put their coats on.

I think so too. It's the wind that chills me especially on the rise of the hill.

The edges of summer curling up.

I'm trying to get a better photo of this seagull when I hear a rustling in the long grass by the field gate where I'm standing 

and this single sheep appears out of nowhere...

just as surprised to see me.

I look up when I hear this plane ( a speck and a tail of white high up, far away) and notice how the  streaks of cloud are like two hands reaching out to each other...fingers touching in the bowl of blue.

A fungus mushroom growing out of the base of a hazel tree like a stack of side plates waiting fo their bread rolls....

Back home the dahlias are in full bloom ...loved by the bees and this meadow brown butterfly.

For weeks now the birds have been rare visitors in the garden...I hope they are finding lots of natural food elsewhere....

so  this afternoon I was delighted to see this gorgeous long tailed tit

doing whatever she can to peck out the peanuts in the feeder - even if that means turning upside down.

And I'm turning my wardrobe and drawers cupboard inside out....starting the long journey of de-clutteirng all my clothes...using the Marie Kondo method. I have become a total convert - at least of her folding technique which a dear friend already showed me when we were in Portugal recently.

Her other idea is to touch each garment, hold it close and ask yourself 

"Does it spark joy in me? " If not get rid of it.

The tops and coats and fleeces and scarves and jumpers( some of them Robin's) above, folded on the spare bed this afternoon, are all the ones that don't make me light up when I think about putting them on.

I'm shocked and a bit sad to see how the colours are mostly the same and how dull and boring they look laid out like that....and what is worse how few of my clothes I really like...my main criteria being practical and useful or for a special occasion....nothing too wrong with that but I now want to love what I wear however practical it is.

 There is very little left in my wardrobe now and even some things that I don't love but if I get rid of everything all at once I'm not sure what I'm going to wear tomorrow that isn't a party dress or a sarong.

And I haven't started on my shoes yet...

Photo Blog Number Four.

Some random pictures taken in July.

one of the Belgian Blues....

A decaying mushroom...

PS Many thanks B for your lovely comments..l missed you!