Sunkissed in October

We are well and truly on the slippery slope of Autumn, with October on its way out and November looming menacingly on the horizon. 

Umbrellas and windscreen wipers have been doing overtime this week and sunny spells were so short-lived that they could easily have been missed with a blink of the eye.

All this, however, was still in the future when the first true month of Autumn tiptoed in on Sunday the 1st of October. With forecasted highs of 24°C, it felt more like a Summer's day, although there was no denying the hint of Autumn in the air. 

I have to confess that, apart from the rain and the darkening of the days, I absolutely love this time of year. So, as long as the weather gods find it in their hearts to send us sunny weather, I'm not complaining and I'm certainly game for a walk.

In spite of it being only about half an hour's drive from Dove Cottage, we hadn't been to our beloved Blaasveldbroek since March. In fact, a quick search of my blog revealed that for some reason we hardly ever seem to visit this wonderful nature reserve during the Summer months. 

If I did my sums right, this should be the 19th time you have walked here with me since the early days of my blog in the Spring of 2016.  So do forgive me if some of the sights have become a bit too familiar by now ...

However, we only discovered the path we started Sunday's walk with during the height of the pandemic in 2020. Typically, it happened when we took a wrong turning and got lost. Now, it's almost a given that our walk takes us past the lake with its tiny island, catching the odd tantalizing glimpse through the trees until we reach a boardwalk (above, top left) leading towards a jetty.  

There used to be a bench here, which was ideal for a secluded picnic, or simply for sitting in contemplation of nature. Sadly, it seemed to be leaning ever more precariously with each visit, until it was slowly but surely sinking into the water, and it was ultimately removed.

We stood on the jetty for a while, breathing in lungfuls of spicy Autumnal air and staring across the lake where we spotted the giant sunlounger among the reeds (above, top right).

Giant sunlounger? Well, yes, here it is, its giant proportions duly demonstrated by Jos, who decided to take forty winks!

Meanwhile, I investigated the still abundant flora, noticing in particular those of an invasive nature, like the Crown Vetch (above, bottom right) and Himalayan Balsam (below, top right), the shape of whose flowers have earned them the nickname of 'policeman’s helmet'. Its botanical name, Impatiens glandulifera) is a giveaway of the fact that it is a relative of the humble Busy Lizzie (Impatiens walleriana).

Having finally managed to drag Jos away from the lounger, we continued on our way. We had to take a left turn here instead of continuing on the path which would take us past the crooked poplar tree. Tempting though it was to keep on walking, it would have meant quite a detour and, eventually, a stretch along a tarmacked path on the outskirts of the reserve. 

However, the tree insisted on having its photo taken, which has become something of a tradition.  I have counted no less than eight photos of it on my blog, taken in various seasons over the years. 

Veering left, our walk took us on a long and straight path hemmed in by tall reeds and trees which catch and collect the warmth of the sun. After heavy rainfall, and particularly in Winter, the path can become quite waterlogged, which often - like here, on our last visit in early March - makes it hard to negotiate unless one is wearing wellies.

No such thing now, as it was virtually dry as dust, even the low lying water meadow the path skirts before the heart of the domain is reached.

We passed a patch of Michaelmas daisies which was buzzing with bees and some Sweet Chestnut trees ready to drop their lethal ammunition from a great height.

It was well past midday when we approached the visitor centre. In spite of the rather alarming number of cars in the car park, we hadn't met too many other walkers and the picnic area was all but empty apart from a couple of cyclists taking a break.  Consequently, we had the pick of the picnic tables!

There's another lake with a jetty here, which is just perfect for the obligatory outfit photos.

I was wearing my beloved chambray maxi skirt combined with the Finnish peasant-style blouse I picked up from Think Twice back in July. They were united by one of my chevron patterned stretchy belts and I picked a green wooden Les Cordes necklace charity shopped in the early Summer of 2020.

My sage green suede Mephisto ankle boots turned out to be the perfect choice and didn't suffer from walking in the dewy grass.

In spite of having taken precautions by wearing long sleeves and a pair of tights, I was bitten by a nasty beast yet again. However, I was able to nip it in the bud by applying hydrocortisone cream the minute I got home.

I left Jos sitting on the bench and went exploring the so-called Beaver Island which juts out into the lake. This is basically an adventure playground for children adorned with several otter and beaver related wood carvings. 

From here, I spotted Jos on his bench, but although I called out to him and waved frantically, he couldn't work out my whereabouts. If you squint or zoom in you might spot him sitting there in his orange shirt slightly to the left of the tree.

The remainder of our walk meandered through the woods until we reached the largest of the lakes with its population of water birds of various plumage. It was eerily quiet apart from the occasional quacking of a bickering pair of ducks and the disgruntled clucking of a single moorhen. Soon, the loudly honking Canada geese which overwinter here will be lords and masters of the lake again.

The first week of October brought a sudden drop in temperature, from a sizzling 26°C on Monday to just 20°C with lots of wind and a couple of showers on Tuesday. And although the sun briefly rejoined us on Wednesday, at 17°C it felt decidedly chilly.

Short-sleeved it may be, the knit polyester fabric of this fit and flare dress is perfect to keep the goosebumps at bay at this time of year. With its floral brown, orange and white pattern, there's no denying its 1970s heritage. 

A charity shopped yellow Zoë Loveborn cardigan, squishy moose brooch, orange ring and ditto beaded necklace completed my outfit.

The caramel suede ankle boots I'm wearing were picked up that very day during lunch break. As I casually strolled into high street shop Van Haren, I spotted them sitting on a shelf of bargains.

The same shelf also contained a pair of black mock crock ankle boots, which I ended up buying as well. Surely, at € 20 and € 25 respectively, it would have been a crime not to?

See you soon for another October catch-up!