Monday 1 November

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Starting this journal was a way to document, as well as to celebrate and to notice. Today, I notice that the bats are back. I will have to look at the previous years’ journals to see if this is early or late but what is special is there is not one, but two.

They follow us on the dog walk for a little while, swooping above our heads.

Tuesday 2 November

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I don’t think it’s too early to be thinking about Christmas now, is it? Anyway, today Matt Austin comes to photograph all my beautiful boxes and bundles for the Gather Christmas shop. We are lucky with the light and my elm windowsill features heavily. There really is only one place to take photographs in my house; thatched cottages have about the same light levels as a cave.

Wednesday 3 November

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At this time of year, I take any excuse to drive the top road to Wellington. I read something the other day about the key to inspiring awe is redundant space, especially above our heads. Gothic cathedrals and modern shopping centres know this only too well. Maybe this is why the high up apex of the flamingly golden beech trees meeting is the key to wonder. This is not the cosy, inviting tunnel of mists and country lanes. These trees inspire awe.

(This is not a picture of that road obviously, I was driving but you get the gist.)

Thursday 4 November

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A visit to Bex Partridge of Botanical Tales to film an advent branch tutorial for Gather. Her studio is an incredible special place and it was wonderful to spend the morning surrounded by such beauty. (Full tour over on the Gather blog here.)

Friday 5 November

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Every morning this week I have gone out first thing with my heart in my mouth to see if the dahlias have blackened. It feels cold enough to be a frost and I have dug out all the jumpers and gloves, but the dahlias are still going. I adore the way some of their forms change at the very end of the season. The café au laits have twiddly, twirly centres and Spartacus has developed the most beautiful caramel streaks in amongst the brick red.

Saturday 6 November

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Fireworks. Our usual display is cancelled this year, but I time a journey in the car to make the most of the back garden parties. There is a road in town that comes up over a bridge and you can see for miles. Usually, the view is of the three church spires, the lights of the cricket ground and the elegant sweep of the edge of the Backdowns. Tonight, the whole landscape is studded with lots of appearing and disappearing puddles of little rockets and shooting stars.

Oh and The Makers Place in Honiton have an open day and I have a wonderful catch up with the Sweets, the family who did the landscaping in the flower field. If you happen to be a creative or a maker and looking for a venue for workshops, then this is the loveliest I have seen for a very very long time.

Sunday 7 November

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A dark dog walk. A tiny, perfect sliver of a crescent moon rises in the south.