Above, Sutton Bonington sets into Autumn colours, never seen the Harlequin berry tree before!

 Mud glorious mud - at schools cross country, yr 7 boys, yr 8 girls.

Autumn also means apples foraged from some unloved tree that nevertheless produces monster delicious fruit! Apple cake here, 4oz butter, flour, ground almonds, 2 eggs, some sugar and a bit of cinnamon. Nice crunchy top yet moist in the middle. One bowl, one cake tin and in the oven.

 Happy shiny sun through the trees on a cold November morning.

 Drive to work through the middle English countryside.

Family Feeding Frenzy starts today.

Peppered mackerel cut into chunks.

Add to just boiled potatoes, carrots and broccoli.

Toss into a bowl with Dill, olive oil, salt, lemon zest.

chunky slices of spring onion, red pepper and tomatoes...

All done - time to eat!

A couple of races done with new running friend, but have decided my schedule doesn't work in a two mornings of running a week. Have to keep my flexibility, so on my own again!
New effort with the blog, once a day, diary of food frenzy, watch this space.

June

 Racing on the trent

 Elderflower cordial

 Meeting reception at the pump room in Bath

 Bath - beautiful evening

 June cottage garden

 Canal by King's Meadow, blooming pondweed...

 Covent Garden window display

St. James' Park

I have found a friend to run with, similar pace, great enthusiasm...I think I'm going to fly this year!
MRC application in...hopefully today if all admin peeps do their bit. Keep fingers crossed for  a few months now.

Happy New Year! 2013 - Our fourth year in Nottingham. We returned to the US over the Christmas break, a few days in Colorado and then a road trip back to Seattle. We drove through ice and snow, we were attacked by a bull on the Interstate...it was an adventure, even I was scared at times.
Seattle was great. Good friends, old places, Cascade concrete on Crystal Mountain, happy times. We all miss the Pacific North West.
No grant application for the 9th, jet-lag and an inability to crystalise our thoughts...soon though.

The River Trent just about to burst it's banks at Beeston Lock. Fantastic 16 mile LSD run yesterday, getting ready for the Keyworth Turkey Trot. I love running out by the river - magic! soggy right foot in the last couple of miles. The river had seeped across the path in the time it had taken me to run out and back. Battled my way past through the brambles. Speaking of soggy feet, here is my (same) foot during a hike in the Derbyshire Peak District last month.

eeewww!