Socks n Walks

Phew! It was looking a bit dicey around midweek, and I did have to work till 3 this morning, but I pulled it off and my manuscript is finally ready to go! Let's ignore the next paralysing stage of the writing process (shhhh... querying agents) and look at the delicate smudges of colour on these *completed sock heels*:

Aren't they gorgeous? And all I have left are feet and toes, with more than four weeks to go before Halloween.

This time of year is my absolute favourite and today in particular is a dream - chillyish temps, just enough for a light sweater, and clear skies with sun spotlighting the leaves which are just starting to fade from green. Perfect conditions for walking. Here's what our usual trail looks like:

and if we get in with enough time before dark, also this:

 

which means you need shoes with enough tread to handle the slope you can just see in the background there. Plus the other slopes.

I kind of like these Merrells - they're Moab 3 if that means anything to you, a budget hiking shoe which our local store happened to have in stock in my size when I realized my other shoe options were too worn to be useful on this terrain. 

They did fine for a 90 minute walk and that's about our normal, plus the colours are so muted and friendly for whatever sock I might throw in there. 

The other day Pete spotted something interesting on a run and brought me back later to take pictures:

 

I have never seen a mushroom like this, have you? Apparently it's called Chicken Of The Woods because it can sub in for chicken in any recipe. It tastes like and has the consistency of chicken. 

I decided to take the internet's word for its being delicious and was just glad to be able to see it in its glory

... before it starts getting nibbled by insects, like this tree.

Really gives me a craving for Halloween candy corn though! Even nature knows orange and yellow go great together.

 

Okay that's me for today - got a house to clean after all that neglect while I was working so hard! Hope your weekend is relaxing and delightful, and I look forward to seeing you next Saturday. By then, maybe my chompy socks will have finished their conversation and grown up into useful warming Halloween sockies!