My next before last post covers Monday, the 1st of September; therefore, this post about the first week of September begins on Tuesday.
There was some rain on Tuesday (2 September), but the sun came out later, and it was very pleasant at 20C/68F. I try to get a massage for my back and shoulders once a week at the nearby day spa, and managed to have an appointment around lunch time. After work, a walk to Benningen was a good opportunity to take in the beautiful late afternoon / early evening light - and I spotted the first autumn crocus along the way!
Wednesday and Thursday (3 and 4 September) were office days, and especially the Wednesday was quite warm at 24C/75F after a chilly morning at 16C/60F.
My boss brought plums from his garden for me and other colleagues; this is how he left his delivery in my office:
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| On the fields between Schwieberdingen and Ludwigsburg |
A thunderstorm in the very early hours of Thursday brought more rain and high winds, but as far as I am aware, nothing was damaged in my neighbourhood. I didn't go for a walk after work but went straight home, feeling very tired; more than what was justified by the work day, which really had not been stressful, but the thunderstorm had woken me up way too early and I didn't get enough sleep that night.
On Friday (5 September), I was working from home and went for a nice walk to Lake Monrepos late afternoon.
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| A bit after sunrise, seen from my kitchen last Friday. |
The stillness of the lake and the prematurely turning of the leaves of some of the horse chestnuts (not really a good sign; the trees probably didn't get enough water in spring and summer) made for a beautiful early autumn atmosphere, while it was still warm enough not to need a coat.
Because of a committment with the village band, O.K. and I spent the weekend each at our own place. I spent Saturday (6 September) partly with my sister; we visited the secondhand book sale by the church in the middle of town (and of course did not leave empty handed), had a very nice breakfast at a cosy bakery café, and strolled across the farmer's market on the square.
Later, I cleaned my windows (finally!! They really were a disgrace, especially when the sun was trying to shine through.) and eventually went for a walk to Pattonville, where I had not been in a while. For my evening meal, I fried slices of zucchini with diced onion and chestnuts - maybe not the first combination that comes to mind, but trust me, it was good.
Sunday (6 September) was the third time this year that I set off on my Steinheim walk (or rather hike, pf about 18.5 km). Click here for my previous visit in May, which in turn links to the February one.
That particular walk for me is as nostalgic (a few tears flow nearly every time I am on this route) as it is important to mark the seasons, and the changes from late summer to early autumn were visible everywhere. The vineyards are about to be harvested, the grass has been cut for the last time this year so that the summerly scent of hay is still in the air; atumn crocus adorn the meadows and apples are ripe on the trees.
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| The view I had from the bench. By then, sitting in the shade was quite welcome. |
Next was "my" grassy path - and only for the second time in all the many years I have been walking there did I encounter someone there! It was a lone man with a camera around his neck.
We greeted each other, and he said what I had just been thinking, that it was very rare to meet someone on this particular path. We exchanged a few friendly words - and then he started talking and didn't stop... It was all interesting and good, about his hobby (photography) and his work (he's a joiner), his family (he has a wife and a 25-year-old daughter and small granddaughter) and local history etc., but I really wanted to continue my walk, especially since I'd only just been sitting on that bench and didn't need another break just yet.
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| The start of the grassy path; just a bit further on I met the talkative hobby photographer. |
Eventually, I managed to politely extricate myself from the conversation and walked on.
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| That tree was still upright last time I walked here. |
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| This one is for my sister. |
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| Steinheim church |
I reached Marbach train station with the train already there, and it left a minute after I boarded - just in time! Had I missed it, a half hour wait wouldn't have been a problem, but it was still nice to be on my way home after the long, beautiful walk.
Why did your colleague leave the plums scattered on your desk like that? Seems weird not to put them in a bag...but hey, fresh plums are nice.
ReplyDeleteYou take the best walks.
I really did quite a lot of walking last week, didn't I! It did me good, that's for sure :-)
DeleteMy boss left the plums not in a bag, because he feared they would start to mould when too close together. He brought them in on Monday afternoon (he is returns home to Frankonia only on weekends and lives in a small flat near work during the week), and I was going to come in only on Wednesday. He was right; fresh - untreated! - plums packed tightly in a bag or other container don't last long. But a basket would have done the trick :-) They were very tasty, no chemicals at all.
What a lovely, long walk, Meike! It is nice to see the seasons changing. I've just noticed it starting here, although we are due for a bit of a warmup during the next week. I just love the Fall season the most.
ReplyDeleteI love this time of year, too, but then I also love spring and summer... and even winter can be good, as long as I can make time (and the weather is not too harsh) for catching some daylight outdoors.
DeleteJust returning your call to my blog.
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful start to September it has been and your photographs show it in its glory. It is too early for the leaves to be changing colour and falling, but there's nothing to be done about it. Our hazel nuts are being collected by squirrels, with many broken shells on the drive, and the berries on the shrubs are being guzzled by wood pigeons.
In my neighbourhood we have squirrels, too (the red kind), and they can be seen gathering hazel nuts on the ground underneath bushes and trees as well. It's a busy time of year for many animals; breeding and rearing of their young is finished, but now they need to prepare for the colder months.
DeleteLovely pictures and colours too. If you don't mind me asking - why is the Steinheim walk "nostalgic" for you? Also, I wonder if your boss has ever considered putting his excess plums in a bowl and not scattering them on an unhygienic tabletop.
ReplyDeleteThe Steinheim walk used to be one that my Mum and I often undertook together on a Saturday or Sunday, with my Dad already at the allotment since early morning and us joining him later. Then we'd all have coffee and buttered Brezeln or a cake that my Mum had baked the day before and Dad transported it to the allotment by car. My Mum is still here but not physically able to walk that distance, and of course no Dad is waiting for me at the other end of the walk anymore.
DeleteAs for the plums, I was not worried about hygiene; before eating, I washed them anyway. A bowl or basket would have been good but he didn't think to bring one.
Your photos show your area looking very similar to ours in terms of colour. It's been warm here too - and very still today, quite a good day for a walk. We're expecting rain towards the weekend, we need some!
ReplyDeleteWe've had rain yesterday, and there is more forecast on and off over the next days. This morning I needed the light on in the bathroom for the first time in months!
DeleteOh bless you, I am thinking of you on that bench with the man talking and talking and you thinking, "he is so nice and obviously wants to talk but I really need to walk" and getting away as soon as you could! Also, I love to cook zucchini and onion together like that, but I add grated carrot to it. Pretty in color and healthy too (not that the nuts you used are unhealthy, just letting you know how I cook this.) AND my Dad had a plum tree and he used to give me plums. One year, the tree produced more than it ever had! He gave me several baskets full! What to do? I cooked them in a bit of water and then, after cooling them, I placed them in freezer bags and froze them. Like a plum sauce. Christopher said they looked like bags of blood! LOL! So good over ice cream or vanilla cake. Ah, another reason to think of my Daddy today, so thank you! (Trying to remember if I added sugar to my plums, maybe a little.)
ReplyDeleteI wasn't sitting on the bench anymore, it was when I just started out on the grassy path, only a minute or so after my little rest, that the man came from the other direction.
DeleteCarrots work so well with all vegetables, don't they, and like you say, they add a splash of colour and are healthy at the same time.
Here, people make jam out of plums, or like you freeze them. And of course, it is the perfect time of year for cakes and pies with plums.
I think of your Daddy when I see sunflowers!
Lots of lovely photos from the "border season" between late summer and early autumn... A few trees here too (here and there) are starting to shift colour early too, but I think mostly to do with it having been a dry summer. We're still having quite warm temperatures in the daytime - and not really cold in the nights yet either.
ReplyDeleteSame here, Monica; the ongoing dryness means many trees are struggling and turning or shedding their leaves early.
DeleteYesterday on my way home from work I found the first horse chestnuts on the ground - glossy and smooth, fallen off the tree probably just minutes before I found them. A sure sign of autumn here!
Such beautiful crisp, clear photos, your walks look excellent. I like this time of year very much but it does have a melancholy quality. We have been putting our garden furniture under cover for the approaching winter, a clear marker that summer is behind us!
ReplyDeleteI know exactly what you mean! This time of year always fills me with the longing to keep hold of summer just a little longer while at the same time loving the cooler nights, golden light and beautiful colours of nature.
DeleteGlorious captures. Gorgeous views. Thank you so much for sharing 😊 your walk. Warm greetings from a retired lady living in Montreal, Canada ❤️ 🇨🇦
ReplyDeleteThank YOU for reading and commenting, Linda!
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