Last days of summer

I distinctly noticed a slight change in the air this morning and I think it means that Autumn is on its way. We escaped for a last-minute summer break to Scotland last week and I had a blissful time…this picture pretty much sums it up!

Relaxing by the loch, Highlands, Scotland

Normal service will now be resumed after a very busy summer so expect this little corner of the internet to be a lot more active from now on.

Summer loves

I thought I’d share ten of the things that make me happy in summer:

• Small, sweet strawberries with a touch of sugar (I’m slightly betraying an English tradition here, but never cream for me!)
• Pimms with fizzy lemonade, sharp mint, juicy cucumber and plenty of ice.
• Planning my holiday reading list. I think about it very carefully!
• Sparkly flip-flops – I love onomatopoeic words…and sparkles.
• Crisp, light cotton dresses that smell of Fairy fabric softener and sunshine
• The sea in every mood
• I know it is a cliché, but when I walk past a game of cricket on a summer evening, hear the muted applause, see the whites and hear the familiar sound of leather on willow, everything feels so right.
• A picnic with friends in the grounds of a country house (we do this almost every year) – thank you National Trust!
• My guinea pigs jumping around on our lawn, enjoying the freedom and tasty new grass.
• Open-top classic E-type Jaguars in ‘British Racing Green’. I don’t have one, but was there ever a car more made for glamorous sunny days meandering through the countryside?

What things make you happy in summer?