Could have done with the up to date info on Sunday. It was a nice day down here but OH wanted to test out his new camera so we went up in t'mountains. What a mistake. It was thick fog , so thick we could barely see where we were going and the higher we went the worse it got so we came back down to the sunshine and ge had to make do with photographing the flowers in the botanical gardens.

We're ready too. Got the winter tyres on and the snow poles are going up around here too but I haven't had to put the heating on yet.

It is too soon for winter tyres...at 20C you can have problem with insurance if something happens (*knocks on a wooden, unpainted surface*)

Always get our winter tyres put on by the first weekend in November. Why? Because we got caught out our first year here. Had booked the car in for the tyre change on the second Thursday in November, thinking that would be fine. Had our first snowfall on the Tuesday; it took the OH an hour and a half to get home (some 15kms) from work as he was slipping and sliding all over the place on the summer tyres. Had to have the Wednesday off as it wasn't safe for him to drive due to the snow.

Got them on a little earlier this year as the forecast was for low temps and possibly rain which could have meant the roads would be icy at the times he's driving to/from work these days.

I'd rather have them on a little early than too late.

My morning commute is thoroughly depressing at the moment: I step out into a crisp, bright morning, board my train, sit and look at the beautiful red glow on the mountains. Then the train leaves Glarnerland and the fog descends, like a curtain draped across the Linth Plain. It's like travelling into Mordor every day.

On a more positive note, we took delivery of two cubic metres of wood on Saturday, which I spent the morning stacking ready for the winter. Good, honest work - I love it! I'm managing to keep the occupied portion of the house at a steady 21 degrees, which is a source of great pride for me!

... which reminds me: I haven't built this evening's upstairs fire yet. I'd better get cracking!

Good, you can finish the tea!

Lucky you! When hubby leaves for work, it's dark!

We're further east than you.

And you leave at 6am too?

Nah. Still building the first fire at that time.

But it's already a bit light by six - we're that much closer to the Orient!

I'd have thought that leaving Glarnerland would be more like entering Gondor's White City (i.e. leaving Mordor...)

I miss my stove... Can't quite get my head around living in a house without a fireplace!

I'm not even out of bed at 6AM (nor 7AM, for that matter).

Tom

Wonderful isn't it? Will be out in the garden all day, finishing all the pre-winter pruning of perrenial plants, and gathering leaves to made a big pile in the corner near the pond for all the invertebrates and hedgehogs in need of shelter.

Lekker warm weather this weekend all over AG and not only. Unfortunately I'm away to enjoy its splendour

It wasn't difficult to get up this morning to take the ash down to the recycling depot. The sun had risen by the time I'd got onto filling up the wood bags for the week - there's a gap in the houses opposite which means that the sunlight pours straight into the woodshed as soon as the sun creeps over the brow of the mountain opposite.

In a little while I've got to go back out and prune the roses. I have no idea what I'm doing, but I'm sure I'll get plenty of friendly advice from passers-by, so I'm quite looking forward to it.

This is turning into quite a pleasant autumn, really.

Gorgeous indeed. For the roses- don't prune down too low before winter - in case the frost kills the ends. I did mine yesteray- cutting to about 30cm of main stem, so weight of the snow will not tear branches, as my dad taught me. I will prune again to an outward facing healthy lower bud late March. Plenty of videos on how to do this on Google.

Far over the Misty Mountains cold
To dungeons deep and caverns old
We must away ere break of day,
To seek the pale enchanted gold.

Attached Thumbnails

 

To be honest I'd be happy if the bloody things died. One less job to do!

Fab day.

Do not destroy those beautiful climbing roses. You just need to prune them back a bit (but not too short) and they'll be beautiful again next year with not much work at all.

Gorgeous day here in Neuchâtel today. It was already looking lovely over the lake at 8.15 this morning.

Attached Thumbnails