Out with the Woofs: Newport is just like India

I  was out with the woofers for an early morning walk a couple of days ago and I was relishing the loveliness of Autumn. We walked along the park at around 7.30am - the grass was dewy, the conkers were looking ready to drop and yet it was still pretty warm out. In fact, as the sun rose, it reminded me a lot of my trip to India. That warm and yet mistiness, with the feeling the day is about to get hot and people are getting on with their business before it gets unbearable. Of course, I was on holiday, so I could loaf around and read books, not lug heavy things around or drive through the hazy fug of the Delhi road system.

It ended up being quite an eventful holiday - my ex got what we thought was Amoebic Dysentery and the Bubonic Plague had been reported in Delhi. I nearly had a meltdown on a very wobbly bridge over the River Ganges and I had the loveliest South Indian food I have ever tasted, served on a banana leaf.
 

India: picture sourced from
The Shooting Star

I think this is one of my most favourite times of the year. Alongside Spring and Summer. OK, it's just winter I don't much appreciate. September is a month of memorable times for me. I first got to know my husband in September, I had two dear little babies in Septembers (now lumbering large ones) and things that grow in the bushes are ripening and ready to eat. When I lived in London for a year, I spent most of those September weekends at my brother's home in the country, snaffling rose hips and blackberries and making apple crumble.

Biggun #2 & his Den

Den building is also perfect for this time of year. The wood is reasonably dry and there is plenty of material to use for houses. Fairies are easier to spot because they are lazing about in warm spots, bellies full of fruit. Biggun #2 and I built a shelter at our forest as it looked like it might rain, but by the time we finished, the sky was bright blue again. We didn't see any fairies, only 2 big dogs chasing each other.

The Fairy Throne

A zillion types of moss and a few earwigs

It's also the start of the 'school' year, where we decide what to do. Currently, we are studying for GCSE Geography and learning about River Systems. Both chaps are doing Maths GCSE and English and Biology and Biggun #2 is starting drama classes this weekend. By cripes, I'd better get cake baking as it's his birthday next week!!

And so on goes the relentless cycle of Things To Do....

Groovers!! Jules xx

Going on Radio Solent

I can now say I have witnessed the beginning and end of the year's shortest night. Knowing that I had to get up at 5am to go to the BBC Radio Solent studios was enough to make me wake up every hour, but Wally barking at 2.30am to go out really did the trick. So I can tell you, at this time of year you can see the first shred of light coming across the Eastern skies at around 3.05am. At 4.15 I took the dogs for a walk and only saw a man talking on his mobile - the sun still hadn't risen. It comes over the horizon at 4.52am.

So...Radio Solent?
It all started last week when Emily Hudson, one of the producers at the Radio station rang me to ask if I'd like to review the newspapers on Sasha Twining's Saturday morning show. How exciting!! I listen to the show most weeks, so I knew what to expect. At 6am I was waiting outside the newsagent in Cowes to buy a few papers and get a head start. 

The BBC Studio in Southampton

The other guests were Fran, a lady from Southampton City Council's Fostering and Adoption Unit and Bobby, a lawyer. Emily had bought croissants and gave us tea/coffee but I was much to nervous to eat anything. We whizzed through the papers and chose 3 front pages to talk about and some inside stories and before we knew it, 8 o'clock had come and we were on air.

One of the radio studios

Of course, I had to have the squeaky chair, so I was really conscious of keeping still so it didn't sound like someone was re-creating Frankenstein's monster on the mixing desk; then my throat went dry, which made me want to cough!! but after a few minutes it just felt like sitting in a room with 3 other people, chatting. Sasha was absolutely lovely and made us all feel at ease and I was glad to be sitting next to Bobby, who really sounded like he knew what he was talking about when the subject of the Middle East came up.

It was really useful to have highlighted some quotes from the pages and stuck big pink post-its on the side of the newspapers to find the pages quickly. 

Before we knew it, 9am had come and I was off to do some shopping in Southampton before heading back to the Island.

I'm delighted to find that this morning that I have sold some more books over the weekend; this I must put down to the lovely article that the Isle of Wight County Press had in this week's edition or my appearance on the radio. It's very exciting when things move fast!

From the Isle of Wight County Press, 21 June 2014

If you want to order a copy of The House on Hare Hill, you can HERE. It comes straight from me, so I can sign it for you, if you'd like to let me know who it is for.

Have a groovy week!!
Jules
xx