Summer has come and gone here in Sussex. It lasted five days—from the 3rd
of May to the 7th—which, truth be told, is about two days longer
than an average British summer, so we have little to complain about. Besides,
it was a great summer, with clear, blue skies, warm sun, flowers blooming and
tree buds practically bursting open before our eyes.
Summer, this year, had the grace to fall over a weekend, and we had the
good fortune to be invited for tea at a friend’s house in the Sussex
countryside. It was a modest estate but with an expansive garden, encompassing
an art studio, walking paths and a large, flat grassy area where the tennis
courts used to be. We had tea outside, in the sunshine, surrounded by the scent
of new growth. There is nothing more summery—nor more British—than having tea in an English country garden.
Due to my current employment status, I managed to take full advantage of
the summer weather. I went for walks, I greeted the sultry evenings with an
adult beverage and cigar on the balcony, I let summer into the flat by opening
doors and windows, I wore short-sleeved shirts and slept with just the sheet
covering me. It was glorious.
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| This is just a sample; it was a huge garden. |
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| This is the tea, after we ate and drank everything. Sorry, it didn't occur to me to take the photo until after we were done. Take my word for it, it was lovely. |
Still, there’s nothing more invigorating than an autumn morning, so it’s
time to suit up and start the day. I may as well enjoy it; I expect there will
be a lot more of this weather coming my way.
hmmm, this is getting slightly worrying - yet another post that concentrates on the weather. You are becoming more 'British' than those of us that were born here.
ReplyDeleteYes, I definitely need to find something else to focus on ;)
DeleteWell, at least it's not as bad as last year when the summer fell in March! Here in Chicago we're having a slightly whacky week. We had a frost advisory overnight, but tomorrow it's going to be in the 80's (26+ Celsius).
ReplyDeleteAh, 80 degrees...I remember it well.
DeleteYou and I must be the only realists in the UK. I posted that it was Summer, make the most of it, on fb and faced a barrage of complaints from overly optimistic friends. People have such short memories. When I was 15, I remember a six week long summer, no holiday abroad booked, when it rained every single day. My parents took us out of school for a week shortly after term started and we went to turkey, because they were so desperate for some sun.
ReplyDeleteYou only have to remember a year ago to recall a now-so-summery summer, and I recall one a few years back when it rained until August, then cleared up for a week, then went back to rain. As near as I can tell by the extended forecasts, the rain/wind/cool weather is predicted to hang around, oh, forever, it seems. ;) Enjoy your summer.
DeleteI detect a decidedly British outlook on the whole weather thing. I guess that you can settle for whatever comes or shake your fist at the heavens--you can't fight it. Enjoy your autumn.
ReplyDeleteThanks, I will (as long as I have my waterproof and my wellies) ;)
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