And I found a really nice fallen branch that I’m going to decorate with something nice for Christmas. I don’t quite know what I’m going to do with it just yet, but I might add a coat of varnish and knit some little Christmas ornaments or whatnot and add some little lights. Malph thinks I should spray it silver or white, but I kind of like it woody and natural looking. I just thought it had a really nice shape.
That’s not actually the best view of it, but it took about five minutes to get that picture as neither Malph nor Mutti could get to grips with focussing my camera (it’s really not that hard, you just press the button halfway to focus, then all the way down to take the picture just like any other camera, but somewhere in that nanosecond between the first and second press, they managed to shift the lens about three feet, or that’s how it seemed. Hmm, I don’t get how they managed it either, hee hee hee). You can get a better idea of it here, as modeled by Mutti, or here’s Malph doing her impression of Paige with it (she’s going to hate me for posting that :oops:, but then hey, I’ve posted a pic of me with no make-up ;)).
This past weekend Mutti, Malph and I went out for a walk so see how much the leaves had changed since last time we went a couple of weeks ago. Things are definitely going on- the colours of autumn are definitely beginning to take over from the past summer’s green, and floating leaves filled the air whenever there was a breeze. And oh the smell, that damp earthy smell was definitely rising from underfoot. I do like autumn.
It was such a lovely walk. I’m really trying to drink in as much of England as I can right now as I know that this time next year I’ll be 5000 miles away. But it’s only really from living away in another country that I’ve come to really appreciate the land where I grew up. Before I used to view my surroundings and see nothing but faults- the crime, the dirt, the rude attitude of my fellow countrymen- but now I appreciate it for its culture, its history, and above all else its beauteous countryside with everything it has to offer. I have never loved my country more than I do right now, and no matter how long I end up living away, I will always be English at heart.
Click on the photo above if you’re interested to see a flickr slideshow of how we spent our walk, or you can just view the set by clicking here 
(PS sorry about the nasty copyright notice on Paige’s picture, but I’ve been told that there are people on flickr who steal other people’s pictures of Blythe dolls and pass them off as their own 
)
Born to wear pretty dresses and Barbour jackets and skip through muddy English fields in a pair of Hunter wellies, Nin is now a 30-something British Ex-Pat living in the urban wilds of Silicon Valley in the San Francisco Bay Area. She likes cake and chocolate and is on a quest to find the perfect Stateside cream tea.
**Please Spread This Link!**
15 Responses to “Paige found an acorn”
AMAZING PICS!!!!!!!!!!!!! love the walking one…SO beautiful.
Okay firstly, the Loser Cake Wager (LCW) is ON! Whoo hoo!
Second, I just spent far too long drooling over the photos of your walk - it’s just so, so stunning. I was thinking the other day that I’ll miss the England photos when you leave, but I bet you’ll find amazing things to photograph in the US, so we’ll just enjoy these while you’re still there.
Oh, then I nearly died laughing at your sister’s Paige impression, my kids thought I’d lost the plot completely.
And finally, I love your branch! I have also been scouring the countryside for interesting things for Christmas, it’s quite fun!
Oh, and .. I noticed the watermark on Paige’s picture … quite frankly, with photos like yours? I would do that with all of them if I were you! Many of your photos would look splendid in a big coffee-table book of the English countryside, and you just need one corrupt idiot to start swiping them!!
hi bb - i think you should make a nice children’s picture book of paige’s adventure in england
Those pictures are beautiful. The one with the hills reminds me of the Sound of Music. I just finished watching a movie “The Age of Innocence”. The book was written by Edith Wharton. It was a beautiful movie, but ended sadly. We went to a funeral today of a friend who passed away from cancer. He was only 55 years. He drove a church bus for 20 years to pick up children and take them to church. I just saw him about 3 weeks ago driving that bus! He was a great guy. Your pictures would make a lovely book.
Holy cow! That acorn is gigantic, it’s fully as large as Paige’s eyeball. Quick, call the presses! Contact the Guiness World Records people. Is the circus in town???
Beautiful countryside and Paige looks very warm and snuggly in her winter woolies.
Lovely!
Eeeks, thanks everyone, you’ve just made my day. But it’s really hard not to take nice pictures around here, *especially* right now when it’s at its prettiest. It’s like Yosemite- it’s impossible to take a bad photo. I’m so pleased with digital cameras, I love how I’ll be able to take all these England pictures back with me to California and not have to worry about all the weight in luggage. When I’m feeling homesick, I can just click online to see them
Melissa- OK! LCW IS OFFICIALLY ON! (it’s England VS South Africa in the rugby this weekend, and so Melissa (a native SA) and I have a little wager going on involving a cake).
And Junebug, I’m so sorry to hear about your friend. I’ve lost a couple of relatives to cancer, it can be very cruel. My riding instructor’s 5 yr old daugter is currently fighting her own little cancer battle, so we’re all keeping our fingers crossed.
Did you run into Mr. Darcy on your walk?
Haha, I wish!
dang the season is so much ahead compared to here.
it’s still late summer around switzerland..
I love that twig you found, and I agree with you that it should be kept natural. The walk looks fab too
Yes Em, it’s very much autumn here now! And I think I’m going to keep the twig natural too still not entirely sure what I’m going to do with it, but I’m sure I’ll come up with something
That is some gorgeous scenery! I can’t believe people would steal your photos. Besides, if they’re going to steal some of your photos, the doll pics are very nice, but why wouldn’t they pic some of those beautiful landscapes? How odd.