...bouncing back

We've recently taken the plunge and had measurements taken for new carpets throughout the house. The current ones have been in situ for over 17 years, and have finally reached the point where even the best carpet cleaner in the world could not restore them to anything approaching respectability. They really have to go!

Due to the inordinate amount of stuff we possess, the fitting of the new carpets will have to be done in three stages over three consecutive weekends, emptying one of the three upstairs and one of the three downstairs rooms each time. Trying to figure out the logistics reminds me of the puzzle with the fox, the chicken and the sack of corn. I'm hoping to use the whole process as an opportunity to rearrange furniture and lose some more of the clutter, so things need to be done in the right order.

Given that pretty much every room needs a lick of paint or a patch of woodchip somewhere, (so much easier to do when a room is empty), I'm anticipating a non-stop marathon of shifting furniture and DIY for at least a month, which should take my physical pain and exhaustion to a whole other level. At least when it's all over I'll be able to console myself by being glad that my everyday pain is so much more manageable than getting-new-carpets pain!

In the meantime I've been limbering up with a little extra walking, gardening and de-cluttering - the more you can get rid of, the less there is to move! Knitting has taken a bit of a back seat (my current project has stalled) but photography is keeping my creative juices flowing. 

Last weekend we had an early morning walk with friends and their dogs at the park. A long swathe of grass has been planted with meadow flowers and it's just incredibly lovely to look at. 

The colours and textures in these photos remind me of Gustav Klimt paintings. Gorgeous!

Gustav Klimt

Gustav Klimt

Couldn't resist getting a few close-ups too.

Later in the week there was something about the light that made everything Day-Glo - like a final Summer flourish of bright acidic colour everywhere I looked...

...then, on this morning's walk, the light was different again. Autumn is fast approaching. 

Hawthorn berries, sycamore seeds and the first falling leaves.

The XXSCat dog had a lovely time tearing through the long wet grass, and is now having a well-earned rest at my feet.