Another year in Cornwall comes to an end. It has been an unusual year with family illnesses, a redundancy and visits from all the grandchildren, including the three who live in Australia. We didn’t quite manage to get them all together at the same time, but 6 out of 7 wasn’t bad. Spring was a bit of a washout and I managed to miss out on visiting the Cornish gardens famous for the camellia, magnolia and rhododendrons, but a week in south Devon at the end of spring made up for that and my tulips were magnificent. Mid-summer saw me in Doncaster for a month with my middle son in hospital. Who knew how much daily hospital visiting tires you out. He accompanied me back to Cornwall in August to recuperate with the fresh Cornish air and home cooking. His sister and family came down to see him in August and September, then his younger brother, wife and daughter along with the ‘Aussies’ (eldest son and his family) in September. Beaches were visited, coastal paths were trod, family lunches shared, pasties, fish and chips and ice-creams bought, seas paddled in (with and without wellies), rocks climbed and lots of salty kisses and sandy toes and smudges on the window panes…
When everyone had gone home, including the invalid, life in Cornwall slowed down and felt a little flat for a while until we renewed our pledge to go out once a week for a walk and have lunch somewhere, and we also incorporated a daily stroll close to home to try avoid last year’s joint stiffness. The autumn sunsets continued to give much pleasure whenever the clouds allowed and the starlings and garden birds returned. December was filled with the usual consumer madness with every town and village seemingly holding a Christmas Market or some event but I did pop over to the Eden Project for their Light and Sound Show, even though a round trip of almost 100 miles in the winter darkness and Cornish mizzle is not something I relish. Christmas lunch at Trevaskis farm was followed by an evening in Heligan’s Lost Garden for an illuminated stroll celebrating the winter solstice before we relaxed in front of the fire for a very quiet Christmas at home.
I will leave you with yet another photo of my new muse this year, the delightful and photogenic Godrevy Lighthouse – inspiration for Virginia Woolfe in her book “To the Lighthouse” and for many of my photos published on this blog this year.
Will I have a new muse in 2018? Well you’ll just have to follow me and find out 😀
Cornwall in Colours 
I didn’t realise either that you shared a muse with Virginia. The slideshow is wonderful, and family photos are a rare treat from you. May 2018 hold no nasty surprises.
True, I rarely show family photos, but last year was somewhat unusual! [seems odd to be saying last year already…]
I’ve enjoyed your year and look forward to more of your beautiful photos. Thank you for sharing.
You are very welcome, thank you for visiting 🙂
You’ve had quite the year, Jude. I hope 2018 goes easy on you. Love your photos of Cornwall and I have a soft spot for lighthouses. And the name ‘Wheal Alice’ still makes me giggle. Always makes me think of some Scottish man talking to his wife “Weeeeell, Alice….”
It was a year of mixed blessings H. Lots of fun with the family and sad to see them go.
Your ‘curly top’ looks a bit like my Layla 🙂 and I’ll be here whatever muse entrances you Jude.
Yes, Isla is a little sweetie, hair like mine at her age. And thanks for accompanying me on the journey Gilly.
Your grandkids are gorgeous — love ‘driving the car’. And I see what you mean about your beautiful little redhead 🙂
He’s a stubborn little tyke too – they have their hands full with him!
I bet. He reminds me of the boy-child at that age. 🙂
Really lovely photos, Jude, so many precious moments and so many troubled times you all had in 2017. Wishing you all the best of health for 2018! Hopefully your foot will get better. Very much looking forward to more photos from beautiful Cornwall.
Now I’ll order Bill Bryson’s follow up to Notes from a small island, I giggled myself silly reading that one and Klausbernd is chuckling as he reads the reviews to “The road to little dribbling” – thanks for the tipp! 🙂
All the best to you and your family. x
Wishing you and your family all the very best for 2018 Jude. Some lovely photos here to treasure 🙂
It was lovely to see all the grandchildren this year. First time we met the little one.
That’s so lovely to hear Jude – I know what it’s like with families in different parts of the world. Our younger daughter is settled in Europe though we are kept busy with our family in Perth and our 2 little granddaughters here. Just waiting for my dad who is on his way from the airport now – nearly 85 and he has come out to visit us (he didn’t feel he could be away whilst my mum was still alive). Wishing you and your family all the best for a happy 2018 xx
Oh, that will be so special having your dad visit. He is going to notice a huge difference in temperatures though, so I hope you have air con!
Actually it’s been rather wet this week but the sun has come out today and it’s heated up – so far he’s coping well as we have a shady garden and air con!
I hope your middle son is recuperating from his illness, Jude. It sounds like a mixed year, but you did have many special times with your grandchildren and some outings as well. Your photos are gorgeous as always; I especially love the one with the birds and the clouds. Your grandchildren are all adorable. 🙂
I am lucky in that all my children and grandchildren get on with each other and are good friends. It makes family get-togethers so much fun, though somewhat noisy!
You really are lucky in that regard, Jude. I’m glad you had a fabulous holiday. 🙂
Thank you for sharing all these wonderful pictures of Cornwall.
Looking at them I realise why Daphne th Maurier set so many of her novels here.
I think Rebecca
My Cousin Rachel
Jamaica Inn
Fisherman s Creek
are all set in Cornwall.
She did indeed and spent much of her life in Cornwall.