Autumn leaves

I went is search of some autumn colour today - there is very good colour around at the moment, and when the sun is shining it all looks so lovely. The problem is that the places I know that have a good show are over run with cars and kids as it is half term, so I got frustrated trying to take some photos and ended up taking this photo of a tree in a neighbour's front garden!

The Bake Off final tonight! I have my fingers crossed for Andrew but I think Lipstick girl will beat him to it. I won't be watching tonight as we have some friends for supper, so I hope I don't hear or see the results until I get a chance to view it.

For dinner tonight I am making some of my favourite things, which in a way have a very vague tenuous Moroccan link - pea and mint soup, the Moroccan bit being the mint, then Moroccan lamb tagine with cous cous, and this will be followed by a South African brandy tart (also known as Tipsy Tart) which knocks spots off a sticky toffee pudding, so much more moist and gooey (and of course quite boozy with the brandy in it) - and it has dates in it, so there in that dubious Moroccan link again!

Now I am off to fetch Murdoch from the dog groomer - he was looking so woolly as he was long overdue for being groomed. Being a Standard Schnauzer his coat is 'stripped' as opposed to cut like Mini Schnauzers so it takes time to get rid of all that excess hair. He has been going to the same groomer all his life, and when she saw him today she just laughed and said he looks like a porcupine!