Outdoors Les Davies MBE

West Countryman’s diary

LIKErunning downhill, my backside is trying to keep up with my head as the months rush by. There may be some time for an Indian summer yet I hope before the autumn leads us quietly into another winter.

In the Roman calendar September was the seventh month and the Anglo-Saxons named it “gerst-monath” or barley month. I’ve seen plenty of barley coming off the fields and hope that it will be as good a season for grain as it has been for grass. There shouldn’t be any shrivelled grains this year through lack of moisture.

This is the month of harvest, not only from the land, but from woods and hedgerow. Blackberries are beginning to turn colour, a sure sign autumn is just around the corner. Elderberries will soon darken and swell, making me think of wine making.

My apples look good and I still have some from last year that have a shelf-life of at least 18 months, so no need to worry about a shortage there. Another “gift” from the Romans, sweet chestnut, will soon be ready. I am hoping for a year of plenty from these trees, as the wetter weather will, with any luck, have made for an amount of good-sized nuts to roast on the fire.

The days of burying them in a tin for Christmas have long been superseded by other methods. Likewise new potatoes were treated the same, to ensure something a little different for the festive season. These days we are more used to buying everything in season or out of season.

I have heard no talk of harvest home celebrations and imagine that this will be another year without many of our traditional festivals. Harvest home is a great tradition, but a little too soon for me. A lot of root crops still have to be brought in and there’s the apple crop as well.

I spoke at the Brent Knoll festival a few years back. A massive celebration and I wonder if we will be able to go back to such mass gatherings. I feel we have all become a little more cautious now.

Take heart, however, because the Mendip Ploughing Society will be holding their match at Green Ore on Wednesday, September 29th. More about that in my next column. We are all hoping for fine weather and a good turnout on the day, with plenty of open space and fresh air.

No doubt the other agricultural societies will be holding their matches and shows in the autumn and perhaps some semblance of normality will return to our rural calendar.

Sunny days and lush vegetation bring something we all need to be aware of and that’s the tick! Milder winters mean these obnoxious little hitch-hikers survive in greater numbers to feed off the unsuspecting passer-by. That may not necessarily be a walker, but they will do nicely, as will dogs.

The method of gaining access to these blood-rich meals on legs is to climb vegetation such as tall grass and bracken and wait until something passes by. Just hop onto the new host and go exploring. Ticks will not get stuck into you immediately, instead they will wander around a bit until they find a nice soft area in which to bury their head and begin feeding.

Keep your arms covered and wear light coloured clothing. That will help you identify these unwanted strangers and give them the brush-off. Don’t forget to do your all-over check at the end of the day in the shower and check the dog as well.

When it comes to removing one of these “critters” don’t be swayed by talk of using a burning cigarette. This will only end up in the traumatised creature exploding the contents of its gut into your body, along with any nasties it contains! Check out the internet, there is plenty of

With LES DAVIES MBE

information available when it comes to this subject. Take care and be aware is the best approach.

How often does the blackbird sing in my garden in the evening? You’ve heard me mention it so many times before. Well, not only does it sing, it comes looking to be hand-fed now. Sitting at the table outside, I was more than surprised to find a young female blackbird alight next to me and start to open and close its beak in that typical “feed me, feed me” routine that leaves the parent being run ragged on a neverending feeding frenzy.

It turns out that a neighbouring family have been feeding the bird and it now looks on anyone as a surrogate parent. “Doby” as she had been named was until recently hopping from garden to garden trying to get everyone to feed her. My only hope is she will learn to look after herself and not become totally dependent on the human providers. This almost sounds like a story of life!

No cloud spotting, no searching for faces in trees or lying out of the sun this time. I have been advised that warmer weather is going to return. Just how warm I’m not quite sure, but I would hope it’s that Indian summer I was talking about.

Every day of sunshine at this time of the year is worth far more than those in mid-summer. As always, I will be dreaming of those days in mid-winter, when I huddle around the “Pit-Stop” sandwich van in Wells, trying to increase my calorie intake of hot tea and sausage sandwiches (not forgetting the onions).

My picture this month is of ripening blackberries on my fence – indeed a sure sign that autumn is just around the corner!