It's that time of year when suddenly the disappointment of August rain, damp heat and biting flies clears away, the air is comfortably cool and pleasant and the sun shines.  I had blackberries and hazelnuts for breakfast on our morning walk.   I don't think the nuts are going to hold out much longer, but the blackberries are particularly generous this year.

When we walk past the pigs, I always pick a handful of blackberries for them, although getting a berry to an individual pig is somewhat hit and miss.  Pigs seem to have appalling eyesight and are not as good as I'd thought they might be at finding small items of food by scent, either, though they become very excited and run about squeaking delightedly. I'm not sure if this is in the nature of all pigs, or if perhaps these particular pigs are of a commercial variety where ability to scent food and see has been bred out in favour of swifter growth.

I didn't manage to pick enough whortleberries this year to make whortleberry jelly, mostly due to the need to travel fast and light across country in order to adequately watch what Rosie is getting up to.  I just grabbed handfuls in passing and ate them there and then.   But I have picked some crabapples and rowan berries, which are currently in the freezer.   Rowan definitely needs freezing before you jelly it, or the flavour becomes overwhelming. It's a good year for apples, here.