I love those aisles in stores that are marked ‘seasonal’; there’s no knowing what kinds of treasures you’ll find there, an ever-changing hodge-podge of things you don’t really need but absolutely want once you’ve spied them. But my favourite seasonal things are to be found in the great outdoors. As summer slips into autumn up here in the northern hemisphere, the hedgerows are bursting with free food for those willing to forage. Just remember to leave some for the birds.
My favourite seasonal marker for winter is snow; which I haven’t seen enough of these past few years. Freshly fallen snow always brings out my inner child and fills me with wonder. The last time I trudged through proper snow was at the summit of Sauk Mountain in the northern Cascades. The snowpack provided a welcome respite from black biting flies and mosquitoes that turned the rest of the hike into a bug-filled nightmare.
Teeny tiny little snowdrops are my favourite harbinger of spring.
Think of summer and I defy you not to think of the beach, no matter if you’re in Hawaii….
… or Ireland …
… or off-roading along the Lost Coast.
Are you ready to share your seasonal favourites? If you would like to join in (everyone’s welcome!) here’s what to do:
- Create your own post and title it Travel theme: Seasonal
- Include a link to this page in your post so others can find it too
- Get your post in by next Thursday, as the new travel theme comes out on Friday
- Don’t forget to subscribe to keep up to date on the latest weekly travel themes. Sign up via the email subscription link in the sidebar or RSS.
xxx Ailsa
The seasons are what a symphony ought to be: four perfect movements in harmony with each other. – Arthur Rubinstein
The coursemof the seasons is a piece of clock-work, with a cuckoo to call when it is springtime. – Georg Christoph Lichtenberg
Where's my backpack? 
You’ve been mind reading again? For yesterday’s post I used all four the seasonal tags… with the mind to actually do a seasonal post using only the four tags as topic! So… here we go… winter, spring, summer… and abundant! 😉
Aha, great minds think alike, Vossie. Or is it the other one – you know – fools seldom differ. 🙂
Well… we have a 50/ 50 split on that! You flip the coin!! 😉
Pingback: Travel theme: Seasonal – ladyleemanila
Pingback: Travel Theme: Four Seasons in Hastings, NZ – decocraftsdigicrafts
Pingback: In Season – delicious |
We were supposed to go to our local produce swap this morning and I thought that would be the ideal opportunity for a photo for this them. But it’s raining so the swap is postponed. I’ll look for something in my archives. I never mind a rummage in there.
And here’s the one I decided on: https://jennysotherstuff.wordpress.com/2016/09/18/travel-theme-seasonal/
Lovely, and all covered in raindrops, how beautiful. I l am intrigued by the idea of a produce swap, is it a small community thing where you bring excess veg from your garden and barter with other folks for what they have? xxx
That’s pretty much how it works but we don’t actually barter. Everyone takes their excess produce … fruit, veges, eggs, herbs. Lots of different things. Some people bake as well (I like that a lot because I don’t) and there’s usually some magazines and DVDs as well. We all set it out on tables then simply take what you want and can use. It’s not a barter system. You just have to bring something and then you can take something. No one gets greedy. It’s very civilised. In fact sometimes people are reluctant to take more in case they look greedy.
It is funny how what is “seasonal” changes depending where you live. When I lived in Pennsylvania, Winter meant the appearance of heavy coats, snow removal equipment and trying to preparing your mind for at least months of cold, dreary days. Except for those mornings when you woke to stunningly beautiful ice-covered trees that twinkle like Christmas lights in the sun or the very first major fall of pristine snow, I preferred all the other seasons with the exception of the dog days of late Summer.
In the tropical climate I now live Winter is my favorite month because it means moderate temps with no humidity, balmy breezes and sunny days.
But then even in this mild climate there are some “seasonal” aisle things that are the same wherever you are in the USA.
Mums ,Pumpkins, Gourds, Wheat stalks, hay stacks & Halloween paraphernalia are forever Autumn; and Poinsettias, Holly Berry & Ivy wreaths, Eggnog, Christmas decorations, New Year’s party supplies and Valentines are forever Winter.
So seasons, like people, are more alike than they are different.
Ooh, you took me on a wonderful journey with your prose, I can almost see the twinkle of those ice-covered trees. It just goes to show you don’t need photos to take people on a visual journey using language. xxx
Pingback: Travel Theme: Seasonal | The 3rd Drawer Down
Thanks for another great challenge, Ailsa. Here is my response: https://naomibaltuck.wordpress.com/2012/09/27/autumn-in-italy-every-day-a-slow-day/
Pingback: Autumn in Italy: Every Day a Slow Day | Writing Between the Lines
Pingback: Seasonal – Splendour! | Ouch!! My back hurts!!
Pingback: Take Three Eggs – ALMOST ITALIAN
Hi Ailsa, Haven’t made a contribution for a while. It’s Spring here, wet, cold and a little boring so a seasonal cooking post might be fitting. https://almostitalian.wordpress.com/2016/09/18/take-three-eggs/
OMG I’m so hungry after reading that, it looked delicious. Totally craving pasta now! 🙂
Pingback: Seasonal Bounty | The Beauty Along the Road
I love your picture of all the wild, foraged fruit, Ailsa. My choice for this theme was the bounty from the garden: https://beautyalongtheroad.wordpress.com/2016/09/17/seasonal-bounty/
Wow, looks like you’ve had an amazing year in the garden! The big winners in my garden this year were runner beans, summer squash and chard. My kale got murdered by caterpillars and my tomatoes are taking forever to ripen. I may be making a big batch of green tomato chutney if they don’t hurry up. 🙂
Perhaps some fried green tomatoes?
Pingback: Travel Theme: Seasonal | Travelrat's Travels
Here’s this week’s contribution: https://travelrat.wordpress.com/2016/09/18/travel-theme-seasonal/
Beautiful photos, all of them but that field of wildflowers is breathtaking. xxx
I went to the forage page, but wasn’t sure, what’s the little black berry you show in the pic?? I’m so jelly, we forage too when were out hiking and panning, but I went into shock this year when the Salmon berries were falling off the vine in March!! They usually don’t ripen until May and June. I think we’ve messed up our planet seriously. My Rhubarb was ripe for three pickings…. good for pie, sad for planet. 🙂
Those tiny black berries are elderberries, they have an amazing floral flavour. Three pickings of rhubarb? Wow! And yes, poor planet, what have we done? xxx
thank you .. 🙂
Pingback: Travel theme: Seasonal | A Day In The Life
love the seasons! https://dailymusing57.com/2016/09/19/travel-theme-seasonal/
Pingback: A Seasonal Love Note – Jennifer's Journal
Pingback: Travel theme: Seasonal – Marsha Lee
Pingback: Mums the Word | The Day After
Pingback: Travel theme challenge: Seasons – Cee's Photography
Beautiful photos Alisa.
Here is my entry for this week.
https://ceenphotography.com/2016/09/20/travel-theme-challenge-seasons/
Pingback: Travel theme: Seasonal | Leya
http://wp.me/p1hCI2-78y
A beautiful theme, Ailsa, and beautiful choices!
Hi, love the theme, it’s something I thought about all last year. Here’s my entry of a park bench close to my house. https://netdancer.com/2016/09/20/travel-theme-challenge-seasons/
Pingback: Travel Theme: Seasonal | gwh photos
Lovely theme and photos. Here’s my contribution, with a couple of bonuses: https://gwhphotos.wordpress.com/2016/09/21/travel-theme-seasonal/
Pingback: Travel Theme: Seasonal | Middleton Road
Pingback: To Every Place There is a Season – Step-Parent's Sanctuary
Pingback: Travel theme: Seasonal | Figments of a DuTchess
Adore the food photo, Ailsa. Fruit and berries in abundance.
Here’s my seasonal photo: https://figmentsofadutchess.com/2016/09/23/travel-theme-seasonal/
Pingback: Turned yellow | Le Drake Noir