When the cold comes to the front door

It's a little predictable here, that as soon as Mother's Day has arrived we begin to really feel the cold. All of the sudden, it seems, we need to get the heaters going, warmer sheets and the thicker bedspreads onto the beds, and porridge to warm our bellies in the morning.

A visit to the vet confirmed our suspicions about Midgy's cough. He's not well and is now on medication to avoid pneumonia. Then the children became ill with tonsilidis soon after his diagnosis .. hopefully not just out of sympathy. So, that makes three ill bodies in the house, needing warm food, cuddles and quiet.

The cold has also finalised our hens' laying season. No eggs so far this week. Unless the youngest hens start laying, we may not see any more eggs until Spring.

We do have mushrooms growing, though! I've been picking them as they come up in the front garden. They're your typical 'supermarket' white button mushrooms, coming up from the compost we lay out on the garden a month ago. At first I was missing them, as more mulch had been placed over the top of the compost. So, these mushrooms emerge under the mulch, giving them dirty looking tops. However, they've been quite edible once the outer layer is peeled off.

Here are a few that I picked tonight. The gills are still lovely and soft, and almost pink. These darken as the mushroom ages. I'll keep one of these mushroom tops to place on a sheet of paper, making a 'map' of the spores once they develop and fall from the mushroom. (Yes, a future post will reveal all!)

So, we're really moving through Autumn now and feeling the first real chills toward Winter. I think it may be time to make a list of some cool weather activities we hope to do. Are there any plans at your house?