Hello again and I’m afraid that there is little to report from a Devon where it is still raining quite a bit. Where the Blackberries are growing well, and you can feel the approach of autumn, normally I would be pleased, as I love that time of year, but somehow it feels a bit like I’ve been cheated. Cheated out of summer, we seem to have gone from spring to autumn, without the bit in the middle. Since I had to dig up all my waterlogged veg in July, and apart from the Blackberries all that’s grown with any success are the weeds, it's not an unreasonable thing to feel like I missed summer, almost like when I was at sea and would go away for four to six months at a time.

Food wise, I have not really tried anything new and exciting, I have made easy bread (No kneading, just mix and leave overnight)

 and stewed a lot of berries. I brought some cooking apples to bulk them out.

I had a quiet day at work on Friday, just one job, up to Barking,

there was a Norwegian on the ship who used to work for the same company as me, thirty years ago, and we had a good chat about old times, with lots of “Do you remember?”

I did make a chorizo and potato stir fry with tomatoes, peppers and chilli on Saturday, it came out a bit fierce, so I stirred in some Mango Chutney to calm it down a bit.

Upcoming highlight of the week will be a salt cod dish I have planned for Thursday, I found the fish in Gravesend, and the recipe is from a Spanish cookery book I have had for years. When I looked properly at the packet, the fish itself comes from China!

Having complained about the weather, the sun has come out, and it's a lovely, warm afternoon. Roast Beef is in the oven, with the stewed fruit to follow, and all is well with the world. I’ve found a couple of bottles of Elderflower champagne and they are chilling, as am I.