One misty, moisty morning...

It's my birthday today: the one where you have to ask whether you will still be needed or even still fed...  Some years ago I was at the Chelmsford Music Festival, after a week at work where I had begun to feel that I was an oldie.  Queuing for the Ladies at the event, I noticed that I was the youngest by some margin, and that there was a thirty year age range represented.  So, age is to some extent relative - or so I tell myself.

After a journey making the duty visit to the Cotswolds, we rewarded ourselves with lunch at Compton Verney, which was certainly looking its best in the sunshine.

This is the stable block, now some rather swish apartments
.

An art installation called "First Encounter".

Another called "Kern Baby".

We ate lunch then tackled the three hour drive home.

This morning I was determined to treat the mist as something that would burn off as the day went on.  We loaded the bikes on the train to Manningtree and cycled to the village of Tattingstone and Alton Water.  We were surprised to see so many sweet chestnuts spilling out over roads and paths.

Once there, we followed the cycle path around the reservoir.  This is not my favourite kind of cycling as it demands some concentration to avoid rough patches and mud, let alone tree roots.

Eventually we emerged at Holbrook where fortunately, we found a pub doing Sunday lunch.  The fog thickened as we ate, so we rode back to the station through the murk.

Some of you have noted that the yarns I have prepared match the foliage in the pictures.  This is not exactly coincidental.  The batch of spools also included a number with a Christmassy look to them, but I have left them on the spools.  I am hoping to make use of these browns, mustards and yellows in a pullover.  In fact, I have added a couple of new balls - FC 38 and 122 - in rusty colours.  It proved cheaper to order these from Meadow Yarns than from Lerwick, and the service was very prompt.