Toradh an t-samhraidh / Fruits of the summer

Anns na seachdainean a dh’fhalbh (san Lùnasdal agus san t-Sultain) bha mi fìor fhòrtanach gun robh an t-sìde math gu leòr na làithean a bha cothrom agam a bhith a’ coiseachd a-muigh air an dùthaich. Mar às àbhaist chòrd e rium gu mòr na h-atharrachaidhean a leantainn anns na lusan, na craobhan agus na preasan, mar a tha an samhradh a’ falbh agus am foghar a’ dlùthachadh.

A dh’aindheoin na sìde measgaichte agus ro thric na briseadh-dùil thairis air an t-samhradh, tha coltas gum bi toradh math air na preasan ‘s na craobhan, do dhaoine agus do dh’eòin am bliadhna: ubhail, peuran is plumbaisean, smeuran, caoran-dromain, geanmh-chnòthan, cnòthan-castain is daraich, caoran, sgeuchanan is mucagan, ‘itealain’ gu leòr air uinnseann, leamhan-bog agus craobh-shice, sìol neòinein-ghrèine, dearcan-eidhinn … tha fiù ‘s ròpannan trom de shìol a’ slaodadh ris na dionntagan. B’ àbhaist dhuinn a bhith ag ràdh gur e seo comharradh geamhraidh cruaidh ri tighinn, ach tha sinn an dòchas gu bheil sin ceàrr an turas seo. Sna làithean seo cha ghabhainn orm ro-innse sam bith a thaobh na sìde!

Cha bhi mi a’ dol ro fhada gun chamara uair sam bith, agus seo taghadh dhealbhan a thog mi de stòras nàdair am bliadhna – measan, dearcan, cnòthan agus sìol nam craobh. Deagh bhliadhna a bha ann dhaibhsan co-dhiù!

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In the last few weeks (August and September) I’ve been lucky enough to have had reasonable weather at times when I’ve been out for country walks. As always I’ve been enjoying following the changes in the wild flowers, trees and bushes as the summer passes and autumn approaches.

Despite the very mixed and often disappointing weather over the summer, the bushes and trees are promising a good harvest for humans and birds this year: apples, pears and plums, brambles, elderberries, chestnuts and conkers, acorns, rowans, hips and haws, ‘aeroplanes’ galore on ash, hornbeam and sycamore, sunflower seeds, ivy-berries …. even the nettles are laden with ropes of seeds. We used to say this was a sign of a hard winter ahead, but let’s hope that’s wrong this time. These days I would not risk predicting anything to do with the weather!

I never go very far without my camera, so here’s a selection of recent images of the harvest in store – fruit, berries, nuts and seedpods. It’s been a good year for them anyway!