It's August Bank Holiday - I've started my winter preparations!

[Virgil]

Somewhat depressingly. It's cold and wet here. I've brought in the cushions from the garden furniture, DH has spent the best part of a day chopping wood and I'm about to get the winter quilts down to be aired. Next job is checking whether the DSs slippers and Wellies still fit!

Has anyone else started thinking about winter yet?

Yup. Chimney swept. Winter coats already bought though ds1 still needs a new waterproof the inconsiderate growing child.

I should probably check what duvets are on what beds at some point.

Must get the chimney swept!!

got to go blackberry picking and making lovely fruit pies for freezer

Blackberries not ripe here.

Winter perparations held up. I was going to light the fire today to dry the washing and because, frankly, I wanted to have enough hot water to have a bath (solid fuel heating) but the handle on the door was stiff so dh hit it with a hammer and the bloody thing has broken off.

I've given up on the plums on the tree in the garden, they are either brown and manky, or green and not ripe.

I need to get a few things for the house; rugs, thick curtains and extra blankets. We only moved in June, so I've no idea how cold it's going to get. My neighbours have a huge stash of wood that they have said I can share, so that's sorted. I need to find a couple of strong people to get the fridge freezer out of the cellar though.

I've just done our holiday washing and have sorted out the clothes - summer lightweight things to go in vacuum bags and in the loft and the thicker heavier things to come down and replace them.
It's cold and wet and horrid outside today. Our blackberries aren't ripe around here either yet as I want to go scrumping and put some in my rumtopf.

We have bought potatoes to plant ready for Christmas. The heating is on and I am all snuggly in my kitchen looking at the wind and rain lashing down outside thinking about the pies and crumbles I am going to make in the forthcoming weeks. How sad!!!!

Lakeland sell a pie making machine. It's on my 'to get' list. It's not sad, champagne, just depressing. Where's the summer?

We put our winter duvet on last night, My thermals have been washed and ready for use for months and I can see the electric blanket coming out too.

I love winter.

We haven't put our electric blanket away from last winter yet.... Probably not worth it now!

Have some painting to do outside next week, then will be packing up the summer garden things and the week after probably start on the clothes.

I'm just wondering if we are going to have another warm winter this year and these efforts will be in vain? Last year 1st of Oct was 30 deg and DD was running around the garden naked. A feat yet to be repeated this summer.

Have some new heavy curtains to hang in the bedroom as soon as my curtain rings arrive and need to get a door curtain, will start looking soon.

I sorted the log pile today and chopped kindling. The few blackberries i found yesterday have been cooked and frozen ready for crumbles

I had high hopes that the apple tree in the garden would be cooking apples and I could do crumbles until it was coming out of my ears.

They are eating apples. Disappointed just doesnt express how I felt.

You lot sound like the Ingalls family, getting all snuggly and warm for winter! I am not removing my flip flops until at least half term and when the jam is made people, could you please send me some?

I am getting the sewing machine out tomorrow to line the hall curtains. I've also just washed all the sofa rugs and am about to put a lovely snugly pile next to each sofa.

Our blackberries are nowhere near ready. Have a feeling it might be a bad blackberry year here since they are all tiny and green still (not like the lovely big juicy ones I saw from the train just a mile down the road)

Where are you all? We've been to the beach today. Sunny and early twenties. Maxi dress and sandals. Ice cream. It's been lovely and warm!

County Durham here, its freezing, blowing a gale and lashing down at the moment.

Blackberries here are just starting to turn but it looks to be a poor crop this year.

On the flip side the tomatoes are only just ready , so summer salad followed by blackberry crumble in this house.

pascha same here (Surrey) it's forecast to be 23 and sunny spells tomorrow. That said I'm going to order our logs in a couple of weeks time. The winter duvets haven't gone away from last winter yet!

I'm in Transylvania and it's been pissing it down here

It's 16 degrees in Nottingham.

County Durham here too. Bloody cold and wet.

Well we have been collecting wood since April and the chimney sweep is coming in 2 weeks time. My sons bedroom is 23 degrees tonight and all the windows are open.

If it's any consolation the blackberries here are all green and small too.