‘Ode to Autumn’ by Keats sums up the arrival of Autumn here…
Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness, Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun;
Conspiring with him how to load and bless, With fruit the vines that round the thatch-eves run;
To bend with apples the moss’d cottage-trees, And fill all fruit with ripeness to the core;
To swell the gourd, and plump the hazel shells, With a sweet kernel; to set budding more,
And still more, later flowers for the bees,
Until they think warm days will never cease,
For Summer has o’er-brimm’d their clammy cells…
It’s all mellow fruitfulness here and my gourds have swelled nicely 😉 as you can see above. Although I don’t think they are actually as big as the ones I grew last year. Every year I vow to nurture the plants with regular watering and plant feed but my good intentions slip as the weeks fly past. Next year I’ll strive to be a better gardener.
The carrots have done quite well though and we’ve been enjoying them mixed with herbs and shop-bought sweet potatoes, fennel, onions and parsnips and roasted in the oven.
We’ve also had some wonderful cooking apples thanks to having generous and kind neighbours with very productive Bramley trees and so we’ve been enjoying a lot of apple cake, apple crumble and my current favourite ‘apple brown betty’ made with left-over homemade bread, butter and brown sugar.
The chickens are laying well and being rewarded with regular jaunts in the garden for a spot of free-range foraging.
Though I’ve not told them of the recent visitor that has been coming regularly to our front garden, as I think they’d be alarmed!
Seeing this beautiful fox has delighted me though. Last week I was really lucky to have a great view and took these pictures through my bedroom window just after dawn. I watched him for 20 minutes or so as he rooted round in the ruins of our front garden – we’ve had a lot of leylandii conifers taken out as they’d got too big and scraggy so the front garden is a complete mess at the moment but it is obviously the perfect playground for a curious and bold fox. I’d dumped the contents of the compost bin out there ready to be dug in and he was enjoying picking through and finding the egg shells. He didn’t even budge when a car drove by, just pricked up his ears and bristled with caution, ready to run should the need arise. I hope he sticks around because he’s a very handsome chap and is wonderful to watch but I also hope that the run keeps my fluffy ladies safe from becoming his dinner!
That’s all my news from the garden but I’ll pop back soon, hope you have a good week.
little cotton rabbits 
Oh Julie, I’m officially jealous of your garden visitor, I wish I had one like him. What a handsome chappy, they really are beautiful creatures!! Just make sure those little chickens are very safe.
Delicious looking veg too! 🙂
V x
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What a beautiful fox! Loved your pictures and your chickens and gardens are delightful. Happy fall, thanks for the inspiration.
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We had our girls taken by a fox early one morning. We were devastated especially as it was totally our fault. We forgot to lock the run! We felt so guilty, so I now tell everyone with chickens to be ultra vigilant especially when you know you have a fox in the area. I couldn’t blame him, he was just doing what comes naturally! Keep them safe, and enjoy Mr Fox’s visits. 🙂
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Not a good thing, but nice to see wildlife
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Sadly, our neighbours’ chickens were also finished off by a fox so do take extra care with yours. They were free range chickens and the neighbours often said that they didn’t do any damage to their garden at all – presumably that was because they spent their days destroying ours! – and although we’d mentioned the fox to them, they were sure that their chickens would be fine because they loved them. It turns out that foxes aren’t at all considerate about how much chickens are loved in a family 😦 xx
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thank you for sharing your beautiful day!
I love the similarities our lives share, even with an ocean between us.
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I like your garden, what a beautifull pictures of it.
And such a nice poem
Have a nice weekend!
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All my favourite things! This time of year really is full of beautiful colours, textures and most importantly, food! Gorgeous foxy photographs too!!
Katie x
http://long-may-she-rain.blogspot.co.uk
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Lovely photos.
I loves chickens, and you have an interesting neighbour!ñhave a good week!
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Well done on your brilliant veggies, you’ve done well. My squashes were small this year and there weren’t many of them. I bet the roasted ones were delicious. The fox is beautiful, let’s hope he sticks to the front of the house though! CJ xx
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Autumn completely captured. Wonderful!
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What handsome ladies…and fox. Where I live the high threat to my girls was always the racoons! They have these dexterous little hands that can unlock latches and leave the henhouse like a war zone. Hopefully your fox will give you a good show, some knitting inspiration and move on. He is truly beautiful to look at. Enjoy the fall days. It was snow squalling here and temperatures are starting to fall. Time to get cozy!!…and knit.
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Keats ode is one of my very favorite and your photos do it justice
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Oh, you do take a wonderful photo!
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YOUR GARDEN SO NICE LOVE THE FOX AND VEG
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I love that poem! We had roast carrot and parsnip (from our garden) with potatoes (also from our garden) and roast chicken for dinner yesterday. Not one of our own chickens! They are doing really well and still laying. That fox is magnificent but I really hope he keeps away from your hens.
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Oooh, how fun to have that little fox visitor — he’s just beautiful. Hopefully he won’t get any ideas with your ladies though. Beautiful pictures, as always!!!
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What a beautifully healthy looking svelte fox you have! Lovely to see them doing so well, but I hope your Henny Pennies remain safe!
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Mr Fox is gorgeous!!
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Your gourds look amazing, and very seasonal. You’re so lucky with your view of that stunning fox – what a fabulous colour! Hope your lovely ladies stay safe!
Cathy x
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The gourds you have are my favorite, I love the taste and texture, and they are so easy to prepare as you needn’t peel them!!! You are very lucky to have the chance to watch this beautiful fox for long minutes… But as many comments say, be sure that he wants your hens for dinner, it would be a shame if he managed to catch them… Have a nice Autumn! Anne
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Do make sure your run is completely secure – foxes can get into/under/over ANYTHING – and there is nothing gorgeous about what they do to chickens
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Life is beautiful in your garden. I’m envious of the fox–my only wildlife is armadillos, and they are not beautiful.
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Finally I’m catching up with everyone and as always it’s a joy to visit here. Reynard there looks to be one bold fox, I do hope he can’t extrapolate from egg shells to egg layers though, and that the girls are safe in their run if he ever does!
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Oh handsome Mr Fox! what a great set of photos, though I do feel a tremble of fear for the ‘ladies’.
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Wow, such a beautiful fox! Your hens look so healthy as well! Glad you are enjoying the fall.
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It is always the fault of owners if foxes get chickens, always. People should make sure that their hens are in absolutely safe fox proof housing and be vigilant at all times when they are outside – foxes don’t just come at night! There is a duty of care in having hens and many people just don’t take heed of that. Then there is lots of nasty name calling when foxes do what they do, saying how cruel they are etc. No animal is as cruel as man though, so I find that hypercritical.
So people, if your hens are eaten by foxes, you should have looked after them properly. I have read some sickening stories of people who just didn’t bother enough and then blamed anyone but themselves after the event. If you are not equal to the task then please do not have them. It can take work effort and money to provide hens with proper housing but if you want to keep them, then that is what it takes. I agree with Marge. Please do take care. I love the fox and want him to have some dinner because he looks a bit hungry and his life is a very hard one. I don’t want him to eat your hens though.
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How special you spied that fox–it is just beautiful up close!
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What gorgeous photos! Thanks for sharing. I sent you a message on facebook messenger a few weeks ago. I hope you
received it!
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thank you for sharing all your lovely and comforting photos with us and in particular the gorgeous red head…in the area of Canada that i live habitat for fox is shrinking with urban sprawl happening all around us…rare sightings do happen but all too seldom…enjoy him while you can.
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Cheers to a happy Fall! All the Fall colors are accounted for in your post. I want to eat those carrots, parsnips, onions and sweet potatoes. Yum! Thank you for sharing your daily delights! :o)
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