Time to officially say goodbye to summer. All the migratory birds are getting ready for their long journeys. Although this year there were many swifts around the village of Castaño de Robledo we had not seen any bee eaters perched high on branches around the valley of Navasola. Occasionally we would hear some high pitched calls high in the sky but there were no bee eaters ready to pose as in previous summers. Finally, we saw a great host of golden wings, at least 30 or more, above the track by the campsite. I am not sure what a large gathering of
bee-eaters might be called but we had witnessed this before in Portugal. We think it happens as lots of birds gather together, travel together, finding good food sources before their journey back to Africa for the winter. I think an angelic host could be fitting as their wings whirr and flash golden light in the Andalucian blue skies. We wish them safe journeys and look forward to their returns.

What happens to all the grasshopper, crickets, cicadas at the end of summer? We can still hear them in the trees in the evenings but the noise of their whirring legs against their wing cases seems less intense. Perhaps the summer work is almost over. More young will be ready to develop and hatch out at the end of this winter.

Does one red rump swallow a summer make? We saw quite a few swallows in early spring in the Algarve but haven’t seen that many in the villages of the Sierra Aracena this year.

Here are some House Martin young from a previous year. They seem to be imprinting their surroundings and gathering for their long journey back. This year they arrived late in the Algarve and usually we see them here in late September and October. We are by the sea at the moment waiting for my grand daughter to arrive for her first and possibly last trip as a European citizen. Brexit looms and glooms. Perhaps it is the conjunction of Mars and Saturn so clearly seen last night in the summer sky over the Atlantic that makes me edgy about the future. How much time is being wasted on the politics of arrogance, exclusion and supposed greatness? Meanwhile the planet warns us with temperature rises we can do something about and constant degradation of the natural world and its wild places and inhabitants which we can prevent, now. Those in power who cannot focus on this agenda fail the younger generation.
We have had a wonderful summer of beautiful nights out with stars and full blood moons. I wrote a piece based on my first night sleeping at the finca. It was often so dark and remote but we build up fears about the dark rather than celebrate its beauty and in Mediterranean culture its coolness. So much happens here late at night and early morning in the summer. We have had plenty of good music from the early music festival in my previous post to rock, jazz and flamenco. Also in the Sierra there’s has been a feast of art exhibitions, theatre, acrobatic drama and a book festival too. Unfortunately we missed our friends Ruth Koenigsberger and Sol Fernandez Coll. But we managed to hear our local writer Margaret Van Epp speak about her book about the historical stories local people have told her. I have also enjoyed some summer reading and love the short stories of Annika Perry, a fellow writer and blogger. I am building up the rejections on my novel but I will press on as I think it is an entertaining and imaginative approach to understanding the value of biodiversity in the 21 st Century.
In the U.K. we enjoyed the annual Fairport Festival at Cropredy and even danced to Brian Wilson, Al Jardine and their band reliving Pet Sounds and the Beach Boys under a more stormy British sky. The rains decided to come as we camped in middle England. We slept in the van we would use to move house! Here is Olivia helping drive our hired VW transporter full of books and stuff for our new base in the U.K. She seems happy we will be nearby.
For now I have a terrible desire for a camping van( hybrid, electric, solar powered?) and will also head to the beach with the crowds for this last day of summer. I haven’t been swimming in the sea yet! I keep thinking life will slow down so I can write and blog more but this Grandma business seems to take over!
You are certainly right about this grandparent business taking over Georgina. It’s exhausting but rewarding.
You still seem to have found time to fit in some nice bits of nature. It looks fabulous to me to see such wonderful creatures.
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Yes, busy time but will also be up north more too, now! Past photos helped this time!
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Nice post! I, too, will miss summer!
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Thanks! Hoping September keeps Warming but not too much!
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Love hearing bowt nature on the finca…roll on thay long train ride south x
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With Chloe? Found the flamingo!
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She is sweet and seems to be enjoying grandma’s company! Lovely photos and writing… 😃
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Thank you Iris, it certainly is a new role.
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Hi 🙂 Love seeing the beautiful smile of your granddaughter! ❤ I hope she has fun visiting you at your home: so much to see and absorb and wonder about. 🙂 I enjoyed reading about your summer adventures. It seems like the summer has disappeared quickly. The crickets are still increasing in volume here. I think they reach their peak in September before tapering off. It is worthwhile being persistent with your story. 🙂 All the articles I have read from published authors talk about how many rejection letters they received before they were finally published. I am patiently waiting for the sequel. 🙂
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Thanks, you may have to be patient in waiting! This little one seems to distract me but I will continue soon. Am not sure about the crickets but there seems to be less now and the birds seem to be on the move. It might be partial moves at present looking for good food but not sure. Thanks for your kind words and support with my novel too.
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Such a grand smile for Grandma! She’s a cutie!
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Thanks, she certainly knows how to tug the heart strings.
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I hope you get to swim in the sea and your granddaughter gets to get her feet wet. The summer is not officially over until mid September. Enjoy!
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Have had the swim. I guess as a teacher summer was over as the schools went back but now I can just enjoy!
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YES!
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Ah – sigh … the Fairport Convention Festival – that brings back some memories; managed to see them at Cropredy in the early days – must have been 1981 I think while on a family boating holiday on the Oxford Canal. Judy Dyble was still in the band then before Sandy Denny. I have most of their major albums, along with Fotheringay and the Strawbs. I must dig them out and have a nostalgic couple of hours …
Great reading of your adventures – summers not over yet!
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No, probably not here but some of the heat is due to fall. Oh, yes enjoy a Fairport relisten and they are still so good live on stage.
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What lovely nature shots!
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Thank you!
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Hiya granny Georgie, everything is beaut in your post BUT sorri I aint ready to say goodbye to Summer until Sunday, 23 September. xxx
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I hope the weather will be good for you. Summer always ends when school starts in September but the weather is usually sunnier than August! But hey for me Schools out forever!
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sweet, summer
reflection!
may all
transition
safely through
winter 🙂
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Thanks, yes, transient times.
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Stunning pictures!
Enjoy being a grandma…
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Thank you so much. I really do when I am able to be with them.
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I love Olivia’s smile! She is gorgeous! You have certainly had a very busy summer and have managed to pack so much in! Summer is definitely over here. The temperatures in the middle of the day aren’t too bad, but overnight…..! Brrrrr! We even had thick fog this morning 😮
I have the same forebodings about what is happening, or not happening! The awful posturing and arguing by those in charge of us about silly unimportant things while our planet is falling apart, the poor are getting poorer and there is very little hope for our young people.
I love all your photos of the creatures you’ve seen this summer. Have a happy and successful autumn xx
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Hopefully you will get a warm Autumn as the sun usually comes out again as the schools start! I am beginning to be very annoyed with our political leaders and these ongoing issues and can’t refrain from following it all either. However have had a lovely few days holiday with Olivia and her Mum and Dad. They could go out in the evening and we could just rest from busy beach days! Hope all goes well with you and yours too as the seasons change.
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Thank you very much, Georgina and the same to you 🙂
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Lovely writing about the end of summer Georgina, I can see all those birds and hear the crickets getting quieter in the grass.
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Thank you Andrea, and now we have some thunder and a little rain. Am enjoying this cooler weather. Hope all going well with your writing too.
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I’d love to see some of those birds. They seem so exotic to me here in New England.
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I think your American birds seem exotic like those bright red cardinals!
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The Grandma business is just coming our way… one of my reasons for becoming a spectator only blogger.
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Oh congratulations. I think I might try a post once a month but have just come back to UK for Olivia’s first birthday. So all gets a bit rushed but really enjoy time spent with her. Am sure you will have lots to do and lots of fun but hope you can keep us bloggers a bit in touch too.
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