Superb September

 June - to September? What happened to July and August? www.travelswithpickle.blogspot.com, of course!

And so, yes, to September.

Well, we had hoped for an Indian summer on our return to Guernsey, after a wettish, albeit mild Scottish summer: and we got it, in spades.

(In retrospect, hearing about the cold wind here which had prevailed during the month of August, we think we actually had rather a good summer – meteorological records even showing that Scotland experienced warmer and sunnier weather than is normal!)

We got back into the house at the beginning of the month and were grateful for such a long spell of hot, sunny weather that it made washing the laundry, accumulated while we had been away, relatively painless. I even did a couple of loads a day at one point, as the sheets dried in just a couple of hours.

So the month, although it saw my return to work on a couple of days in the week, was full of sea swimming, beach picnics, cliff walks and blackberry picking, not to mention some brilliant cycle rides. The ‘inside’ jobs (of which there are many) were consigned to the Wet Weather List. It was really an attitude which echoed Mole’s “Hang spring-cleaning!” Absolutely.

There were also lots of opportunities to reconnect with friends as we started inviting people round or going out for breakfast, coffee, teas and supper. Marvellous.

Slowly, the house was put back in order, refilling cupboards, emptying cardboard boxes, carefully storing away towels and bedlinens for next year. This is still a lot of de-cluttering, though, that needs to take place. Later, in winter.

Bird sightings: lots of buzzards, occasionally flying low over the hedges as we cycled past but always calling distinctively. A bike ride seemed incomplete without a buzzard encounter. Kestrels, too, swooping above and below the cliff edge.

And rabbits. Too, too many rabbits. We had seen several sick ones – myxomatosis taking its toll – while we were camping at Fauxquets Valley – but the garden rabbits were in altogether very rude health. The warren has a couple of LARGE holes exiting into various spots in the garden and we were treated, one morning, to two large rabbits having a lovely long game of hide and seek right in front of our window. Hmmm.

A couple of sightings of rats, too: far too familiar. Pickle does her best, jumping around in the bushes and flushing them out, but they scamper to safety in a very leisurely manner.

So, back at home after one of the best safaris we have had. It was good to be able to talk, inconsequentially, to all kinds of people in our own language; to meet fellow-wanderers, hearing about amazing places; and to learn all kinds of new things historical, geographical, scientific and just plain awesome. So grateful to have this opportunity...