Summer wasn't very exciting on my living room mantelpiece, which doesn't really matter as most of my time is hopefully spent outside.
But when Autumn arrives it's all change. With today being the traditional first day of Autumn, the equinox or Mabon, it was time to pull out the box from under the stairs and cheer things up as we head to shorter days.
My Hare stays there all year (A hare-for-all-seasons!) and this is the fourth autumn for the leaf swag, jug and wooden fruit, the second year for the mushroom cluster and the first year for the 2 wooden mushrooms, sent to me from my penfriend. I've added a little "Happiness is Home made" plate this year for a change - it usually sits on the dresser - might need to stick it to the wall with a bit of blue-tac as I don't possess a plate stand thingy of any sort. The mantelpiece has cheered things up for a few weeks, and bats and pumpkin will be added for Halloween.
Speaking of Bats........... anyone know how a cat catches a bat? Have you ever seen it happen? I ask because on Sunday night Polly came through the cat flap in a rush, always a bad sign! Luckily the door into the conservatory was open and that's where she took her catch, which I assumed was a mouse. But when I went to investigate I found a bat flitting about desperately looking for a way out. I quickly opened the outside door and went back into the living room shutting the door behind me and it must have found it's way back out into the dark - probably in a state of shock.
This is the second time my small black cat has brought a bat indoors and I have no idea how she does it, how does a bat with its built in radar get caught by a wimp of a cat.
And a PS - hello and welcome to some more new followers, just noticed numbers have reached 630. If you've just found me I hope you enjoy reading.
They do occasionally land. I once found a bat on a wall, about 3’ up.
ReplyDeletePerhaps that's how she caught it - a mystery
DeleteWe once had a bat flying round upstairs. I shut it in one of the bedrooms, opened the window wide and it managed to find its way out. The cat was going berserk outside the bedroom door. He hadn't caught it, but did once catch a swift. I had to use a scalpel to cut the carpet fibres from its claws then launch it into the air. The hunting instinct is still strong in our little "lions"! xx
ReplyDeletePolly is such a wimp, any loud noise or sudden movement sends her off hiding somewhere yet like you say that hunting instinct is always there
DeleteF would probably turn me into a Davy Crocket hat if I caught a bat and brought it home. I, the Tigger, like hunting but apparently robins and bats in particular are to remain off my hunting list. Not that I see any robins these days - other than the ones in my videos for cats. xxx Mr T
ReplyDeleteOh dear Tigger - you really don't want to be turned into a nice furry hat!
DeleteAutumnal decorations creeping in here too, Sue. Now, I would wonder if the bat was healthy or not, if it was that easy to catch, maybe it was on the ground? Same thing really as when you see a hedgehog in daylight usually means it's unwell.
ReplyDeleteIt probably had a headache after crashing around the conservatory for several minutes!
DeleteI am getting my Autumn things out today i did put my front door wreath on the door my Carol had made me a few years ago. I like Autumn with the lovely colours on the trees but it does mean it will be getting winter days are ahead hope fully it might not be to hard.
ReplyDeleteI love your mantelpiece and remember things from last year.
Hazel c uk 🌈🌈🌈
I quite like being able to change a few things each season. Doesn't take long to do.
DeleteThose two floral jugs look just right together - like a mother and child.
ReplyDeleteWhat was the metal ring at the end o&the fireplace used for?
It's a little piece of an old horse harness that I found here. I fixed a screw into the wooden mantlepiece so I could hang it up as I already had an old horse brass fixed on the other side
DeleteAt a different place we rented, early in our marriage, there were bats in the attic. Each night at dusk, they came out a small hole under the eaves. They had a distinct flight pattern and had to swoop a little lower due to a big lilac bush. Our cat lay in wait on the grass and when the bats swooped down, she sprang up in the air. Sometimes she just swatted them, but occasionally she would catch one and carry it around. She wasn't interested in killing them. She then taught a young cat that we bought the same spot to lie in and he took over from her. It was a game for them. Husband often set bats free by picking them up off the ground and tossing them gently in the air where they flew away. -Jenn
ReplyDeletePolly rarely kills the things she brings indoors! she leaves the mice for me to catch and kill! but I'm glad the bat found a way out
DeleteThe Autumn mantlepiece looks lovely, I do so love Autumn and all it's colours and coolness. Your Summer mantle was just missing a piece of fresh green ivy (fake or real) wound between the hare and jugs etc ... something to look out for at a car boot sale perhaps.
ReplyDeleteThe Ivy is a good idea. My Summer mantlepiece was actually the spring mantlepiece but with one thing swapped for the two little pictures that I picked up at the car boot sale a few weeks ago- I got lazy in summer!
DeleteHi Sue,
ReplyDeleteI love reading your blog every day! I'm in the US and am fascinated by some of the things you talk about. Can you tell me the name of the plant with the red berries currently on the top of the blog? The berries look like holly berries, but the leaves don't look familiar to me. Our hollies mostly have spikey leaves. Also, I read in English books about ''sloes'' and ''rose hips''. What do they look like? Thank you!
The berries in the header are Haws - the 'fruit' of the Hawthorn - much used for prickly hedges - not edible for humans but good for birds.
DeleteSloes are small blueish fruit of the Blackthorn - a viciously thorny bush used for hedging in the past makes a big bush- not edible again but often used to flavour gin. Rose hips are the fruit of wild roses or dog rose also not edible but can be used to make syrup
No mantle piece to decorate, haven't had one now for more than 4 years. I do have three pumpkins out on the buffet in the dining room. My little bit of autumn.
ReplyDeleteI hadn't really thought about changing things round each autumn until I moved here
DeleteWe once had a bat in our living room - we had a nursery roost in the eaves - husband & son were trying to encourage it out. Welsey, our rather daft ginger tomcat, sat on the sofa watching the bat's every move and then he suddenly leapt up and caought the bat between his front paws. Husband threw a towel over them both and got them outside. No harm done, but fascinating to watch.
ReplyDeleteSo THAT'S how it's done!
DeleteThe throwing the towel thing is what I did last year when she brought a bat all the way up to the bedroom one night and then let it go, took me several minutes to wake up and think of how to catch it!
Doesn't she know it's illegal to catch bats? I can't imagine how, either. It's difficult enough to photograph them when they're flying near the warm wall at the back of our house.
ReplyDeleteShe obviously hasn't read the Cat version of "What's illegal to catch"!
DeleteThey certainly move pretty quickly
I always love your mantle! You have a real knack for decorating it. Did Polly catch a baby bat that could have fallen out of a nest maybe? Was it dark when she caught it? If it was daylight I would be concerned it might have been sick with something. Polly is obviously a very talented hunter! Not only is she a great mouser she's a great batter too! (ouch!)
ReplyDeleteYes it was dark so I'm sure the bat was OK.
DeletePolly is such a wimp, I'm always surprised she catches anything at all
The mantel looks so pretty, love the jugs.
ReplyDeleteThe jugs are now back on the dresser. I love them - both car boot finds at different times.
DeleteLove your autumn mantel-piece. It looks so cheerful to head into winter with.
ReplyDeleteI also brought up my tote of Autumn decorations. Lots of leaf swags, silk mums and sunflowers, brown, orange, gold, burgundy, rust. I had a young friend help Farmer (with the broken wrist) throw 3 straw bales out of the barn loft for decorating the berm. The Grandbabies (& mom/dad) are coming out on Sunday to pick their pumpkins. We have at least 12 basketball-sized; MANY mini-pumpkins and a few gourds. This was Farmer's first year growing pumpkins and he is super proud of his yield. I will also gather some corn stalks and I have a scarecrow to put up with the rest. I will look for 3 more Mums to add more color. I love fall decorating. (But I don't recognize that Oct. 31 event.)
ReplyDelete