Debbie, the leaves are still green here. I long for real fall. I’ll just close my eyes, sip my cider and pretend that it isn’t in the sixties.

Just took some fabulous photos today with the fallen leaves all over the cobblestones in all the beautiful autumn colours.

If you’re going to hire a cottage, I suggest one at Haworth, then you can go out on the wild and windy moors calling out, ‘Heathcliff, oh Heathcliff!’

Britain at this time of year is mostly wet and wild – especially with the warmer winters we’ve been having. Yes horizontal rain is also found in Northern Ireland too! But there’s a reason they are the Lakes… it’s all that rain wot falls on the area!

Definitely walk in the Lake District it’s said to be quite beautiful, but be careful too, violent weather up there can be really treacherous. If you can find someone to go with – or a group to go with, do that. Don’t go up on your own whatever.

Ah a wet pillow… many’s the time I’ve had one of those as I cried myself to sleep remembering how that cad Heathcliff had nicked the last bit of pudding!

Somehow I knew it would be Griffin who figured it out. I was touring the Yorkshire Dales with my best friend, her Yorkshire born/bred husband and sweet little daughter. I do believe that I have found my own personal heaven and intend to bring Phil back to rent a cottage and tromp around the fells. I should also mention that as a child of Herriot, visiting the Dales was something I’ve wanted to do my entire life and it did not disappoint.

The weather was incredibly rainy, even by my standards. I believe I heard the words horizontal rain bandied around a little. Word to the wise or at least fashion conscious; dresses are not appropriate attire for touring the Dales in the fall, no matter how cute those knit tights look with your new Wellies.

What did disappoint (and continues to) is whatever hideous illness I have been laid out with for the last few days. My trips to Derbyshire and now Nottingham have sadly been cancelled. This is the first time I’ve been able to look at the computer for more than two seconds in days. Thanks for the invite Griffin. That would have been wonderful, if only I had the strength or stomach at the moment.

I hope to be well enough for my long weekend in the Lake District. I’ve been reading up on my Wainwright and hope to get a little more use out of my new Wellies before I head back to California and they become obsolete.

Thanks everyone and I am all over the pies and puddings. Well, in a few days when I can take real food again. For now it’s back to bed.

Curlywurlyfi, Welcome to The Endive Chronicles! Are you from Derbyshire?

Jen, The sling was in the car drying off. We were posing on this road overlooking this gorgeous dale, when in literally the blink of an eye we were caught in a torrential downpour that even shocked this Seattelite and the neck rest got completely soaked. It was a bit like wearing a wet pillow.