A Good Harvest

Hello again!

Well, ’tis the season to pick apples and blackberries and plums and make jams, cakes and crumbles, but this post is about a different sort of harvest.

This summer, my family and I went walking in Derbyshire again.

While we were there I did my best to keep my camera in my pocket for some of the time at least, and not take pictures of every tree, shrub, and rocky outcrop.

 

I did try, honest to goodness, but I still came home with 565 photos. That’s the harvest I squirreled away for the winter months, or for any other time when I’m in need of inspiration.

On a bright sunny day, I could sit and stare at the Derbyshire countryside forever and imagine Elizabeth travelling with Mr and Mrs Gardiner to discover the beauties of the Peak, or Mr Darcy riding hell for leather to take his mind off her, for all the good it does him 😛 .

(Derbyshire landscapes – Photos J. Starnes)

 

I couldn’t help myself (of course I couldn’t 😀 ), so I dashed off to spend some time at Pemberley as well:

(Lyme Park and Chatsworth – Photos J. Starnes)

 

No blue skies then, which was a pity, but the flowerbeds were a riot of colour, and the orangeries were more luxuriant than ever.

I think the orangery will make an excellent hideaway in my next WIP.

Those evergreens gave me a few ideas too. But you’ll have to imagine them much taller and wider, and capped with lots of snow.  Sadly, I haven’t managed to take snowy pictures at Pemberley as yet, and I’m guessing I never will, unless I move to Disleyland 😛 . Whenever there’s snow on the ground, traffic seems to grind to a halt, so I don’t suppose I’ll have much chance of getting there before the snow melts. But hey, never say never. Until this summer, I’ve never seen the foxglove tree looking so lush either (pictured below, left and right). Those huge leaves are really something. A single one would be large enough to keep Elizabeth’s bonnet dry in a summer downpour.

(The orangery at Lyme Park and Chatsworth – Photos J. Starnes)

 

I don’t know if we ever get to be neighbours, Glynis, but thanks so much for coming up again to meet me at Pemberley! It was so lovely to sit and chat, after all this time!

Have a good week, everyone, and I hope you liked the photos.

I can’t post all 565 of them, but if you fancy a spot of armchair travel have a peek on Facebook or Instagram later today, I’ll post some more there. Bye for now, and see you again soon!

Joana Starnes

Joana Starnes lives in the south of England with her family. She swapped several hats over the years – physician, lecturer, clinical data analyst – but feels most comfortable in a bonnet. She has been living in Regency England for decades in her imagination, and plans to continue in that vein till she lays hands on a time machine.

She loves to look for glimpses of Pemberley and Jane Austen’s world, and to write about Regency England and Mr Darcy falling in love with Elizabeth Bennet over and over and over again.

She is the author of twelve Austen-inspired novels: From This Day Forward ~ The Darcys of Pemberley, The Subsequent Proposal, The Second Chance, The Falmouth Connection, The Unthinkable Triangle, Miss Darcy’s Companion, Mr Bennet’s Dutiful Daughter, The Darcy Legacy, The Journey Home To Pemberley, A Timely Elopement, Twists of Fate and Snowbound.

Joana is also one of the contributing authors to the Quill Ink anthologies.

35 comments

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    • denise on September 29, 2021 at 12:35 am
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    What wonderful photos. Looks like it was a wonderful visit… and fodder for more books.

    1. I’m so glad you liked the photos, Denise! Thanks for stopping by to have a peek.

    • Katie Jackson on September 29, 2021 at 12:51 am
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    How wonderful to visit such beautiful places, Joana! Thank you for the armchair travel.

    1. Thank *you* for travelling with me, Katie 🙂
      I’m so glad you enjoyed it!

    • Mihaela on September 29, 2021 at 3:20 am
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    💜💜 Thank you, Joana, for making me traveling this morning with your wonderful photos!
    As I have yet to put foot in Derbyshire – sadly, I know ! Please, don’t revoke my card! – they are like food for prisoners!

    But wait… Over 500 you say? I hope you delight us with more soon! And with more than such a itsy-teasy piece of info as your WIP….💜💜

    1. LOL Mihaela, I’d never revoke your card!! 😀
      Yep, over 500. As if I didn’t have thousands already. I drove my kids nuts with the number of times I stopped for photos, but I can’t help it. I’ll post some more on FB asap. Have a lovely morning and I hope you’ll like the other pics too.

    • Glynis on September 29, 2021 at 5:25 am
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    Wonderful photos Joana! I loved that tree, amazing sized leaves. Fortunately we didn’t need umbrellas? 😉 but alas, we didn’t need parasols either 😢.
    It was fabulous to see you again after all this time. It was a shame the restrictions in the cafe didn’t allow for scones but maybe next time? 🤞🏻
    I hope you managed to find much inspiration for your books. Good luck with your writing and happy travelling. 😘

    1. It was so good to see you, Glynis! Thanks for coming up! Shame about the scones, but I’m keeping my fingers crossed for next time. The NT must have a secret recipe or a secret ingredient. Their scones are the best I’ve ever tasted. Definitely better than mine 😀
      Oh my goodness, yes, that foxglove tree! I’ve never seen anything like it. With any luck, I might catch it in bloom someday. Or maybe I need to move to Disleyland for that too 😀
      Take care and see you again soon!

    • Marie H on September 29, 2021 at 7:49 am
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    Lovely! I’ve see it all before too— but only in my dreams! Someday. Heavy sighhh. Thanks for sharing my dreams, Joana! 😉 Looking forward to reading about your hiding place in your WIP. You and Glynnis are so lucky!

    1. I do hope we meet at Pemberley someday soon, Marie, and not just in our dreams. Thank *you* for sharing mine!

    • Carole in Canada on September 29, 2021 at 9:34 am
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    What vistas! What views! I can see why you keep going back! I’m surprised you haven’t moved to live there yet! I am determined one day, when this virus mutates itself out or its potency diminishes, I will get over to see all you have show us today. I just hope its sooner than later! Sounds like the wheels are spinning for your next novel…can’t wait! So glad you got to see Glynis again too!

    1. I hope it’s sooner rather than later too, Carole! And if I ever move up there, you’re welcome anytime!

    • Mary A Coble on September 29, 2021 at 10:46 am
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    Thank you so much for sharing! Hopefully I someday can view in person. Until then, thank you again.
    I hope this trip brought inspiration for your next book – another gift to us all! Stay well.

    1. Thank *you*, Mary! I hope you’ll be able to come over someday soon!

  8. These pictures are making me yearn! I’d love to visit these places someday!

    1. I hope you do visit these places, Christine! I’m so glad you liked the photos!

    • T C on September 29, 2021 at 1:58 pm
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    Such a beautiful place! Thank you for sharing. I am looking forward to the stories these scenes inspire.

    1. Thank *you* for having a peek, T C!
      I hope the next story is shorter than the last one :))

    • Martha on September 29, 2021 at 4:09 pm
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    Thank you for showing your photos. Hope I get the opportunity to visit Derbyshire someday!

    1. I hope you do, Martha! Thanks for stopping by to have a look at the photos. I’m so glad you liked them!

    • Sheila L. Majczan on September 29, 2021 at 4:17 pm
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    Thank you for sharing…what lovely photos. However, I cannot imagine taking that many myself! But to each their own. Glad you found some inspiration for now and the future. Have a lovely season.

    1. Have a lovely season too, Sheila! LOL I know what you mean about the number of photos. It’s an obsession. If I had a photographic memory, my hard drive would be a very happy bunny :)))

  12. Joana, how lucky you were able to visit at a time where no one was wandering in and out of your photos! They are lovely. I can’t wait to see what they inspire from your pen in those long winter months.

    1. PS: I enjoyed seeing Glynis in there – she looks very much at home at Pemberley!

    2. Thanks so much, Susan! Wishing you lots of inspiration too. Can’t wait to see what treat you have in store for us next!
      I did try to go on a weekday so that it wouldn’t be so busy, but my fixation with taking photos that look like it’s 1812 is the surest way to drive my family nuts :D. I stay glued to one place for ages until everyone wanders out of the shot, and then clouds drift over the sun and the lighting is a bit off so the camera takes a while to focus, and someone else wanders into the picture. It’s a long game :D. That’s why they drop me off there these days and go walking over the hills.

      It was so good to see Glynis! Hope I might meet you there too someday!

    • Alexandra Rivers on October 1, 2021 at 5:53 am
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    No matter how much I love cakes and crumbles (!!!) I prefer this harvest you share since I can enjoy it, too!
    (Even though a piece of that pie/cake would be appreciated.)

    The photos are so good and I love that one of Pemberley with the grey sky. It’d work amazing for many purposes (hint, hint) and it’d fit greatly an angsty story.
    Thank you for the giveaway– I’d like an apple pie! 😛

    1. LOL Alexandra ‘Thank you for the giveaway– I’d like an apple pie! 😛’ It’s a deal. I’ll get to work on that, and a few other things 😉
      I’m so glad you loved the photos! The grey-sky one would be a perfect fit for an angsty story. I’ll keep it safe :)) . I’m actually trying to behave at the moment and write a not-so-angsty story for a change. (Yep, I know, and pigs will fly in tight formation over Pemberley 😀 😀 ).
      Take care and have a lovely weekend!

    • J. W. Garrett on October 2, 2021 at 3:28 pm
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    I absolutely adore your pictures. Heavy sigh. It almost makes me feel like I am there. Thanks for sharing. That dessert made my mouth water. I may have to fix a cobbler or crumble or whatever you call them. Something sweet. Yep, you have ruined my waistline. I’m so glad you were able to see Pemberley again and spend time with Glynis. Blessings, my friend.

    1. Blessings to you too, dear Jeanne! I’m so glad you liked the pictures! Did you make a cobbler or a crumble? The one in the photo was from my gran’s recipe for summer plum cake (more like a plum sponge, really). My gran’s recipe was along the lines of ‘a handful of this’ and ‘flour as much as it takes’ but I found this online, which seemed to achieve the same thing while being a bit more specific 🙂 allrecipes.co.uk/recipe/17476/easy-plum-cake.aspx
      The quantities are in grams not cups, hope that’s not too confusing. Caster sugar is the same thing as your superfine sugar, I think.
      Let me know if you liked it, if you give it a try.
      Take care and all the best!

    • Deborah on October 4, 2021 at 1:52 am
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    Hi Joana! That was a beautiful walk. I can feel your joy to finally return again. Will we have another lovely and hidden impromptu dance in the orangery in your WIP, as was in Miss Darcy’s Companion? I adore that book! I’ve never been in an orangery and stupidly, images of orange trees in pots come to mind lol🙄🍊Thanks for banishing that!

    1. Thanks so much, dear Deborah, for coming on the walk with me, even if it was a virtual one! Keeping my fingers crossed for you coming on the real thing one day.
      That’s such a lovely thing to say, it was a joyful return indeed. I’m so glad you remember the hidden impromptu dance from Miss Darcy’s Companion! I’m not thinking of a dance this time, but ‘hidden’ is going to be the word of the day :)) . I hope you’ll enjoy what I have in mind. Best wishes, and hope you’re having a peaceful and colourful autumn!

    • Jen Dowdy on October 5, 2021 at 11:43 am
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    Love those really beautiful photos!

    1. I’m so glad, Jen! Thanks for having a peek!

    • Patrick on October 5, 2021 at 1:58 pm
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    I’ll be curious to know what camera you did use, that could be kept in your pocket, but could also take such well framed and exposed shots.

    1. Thanks, Patrick! I’m so glad you liked the photos! I try to frame them as best I can, but I think the good exposure was more luck than judgement 🙂 . I’m still using my old Nikon L25 and experimenting with the exposure options. A while ago some friends and I were taking a group photo and someone offered to take the shot for each of us. Everyone gave him their phones, I handed over my Nikon. The gent took a look at it and said ‘Ah, you’re still using your Edwardian camera.’ Yep, close enough 😀

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