Sunshine makes such a difference!

Beautiful Autumn colours along our local canal

Sunshine just helps everything doesn't it? Life is so much easier when the sun is shining. I feel better mentally and emotionally and bright light always makes me feel more inclined to get stuff done. I love to throw open the windows and doors; Jet likes to be able to wander in and out at will and the chickens love scratching around in the warmth.

Today, has been a pleasure - I've got bedding washed, including Jet's. Yesterday, Mr D and I joined forces and cleaned the conservatory from roof and gutters through to all the windows and doors. It's quite a task, but it looks so much nicer when it's all gleaming. Today, I carried on and cleaned all the other windows to make the most of the September sunshine.

I have harvested almost all of the remaining apples today too and frozen them in chunks. I now have 7 bags of Apple chunks, weighing about 500g each - perfect for a pie, cake or crumble. I had got fed up with picking them off the floor every morning. The chucks enjoyed a big pile of Apple trimmings too. There's not much produce left in the garden now. One small pumpkin, some celeriac, celery, the last few runner beans, four cucumbers, quinces and a tree full of pears. It really has been a pleasure growing some of my own vegetables this year. I've always had the fruit although I've been much better at harvesting it and making the most of it this year, but vegetable growing has been hit and miss in the past, especially when I was working full time. I've learnt a few excellent lessons too for future years!

I've also completed some of those pesky little jobs that get put off, like fixing the door bell, glueing a piece of floor edging and getting a quote for a double glazed window which cracked on the hottest day of the year back in August - £200 mind, but it's one of those things that would need to be done at some point anyway.

I'm looking forward to a few more days of late summer sunshine to I might end the week and indeed the month, feeling as if I've achieved! I imagine many of you have made the most of this good weather too!