We are enjoying autumn…
Yes! It could feel sad to say goodbye to the summer, but there is so much autumn loveliness out there. We have noticed that even our calendar pictures (old and new) have cheered us up, as has noticing the changes in the hedgerows and on the trees. Busby says there are some particularly great scents around, although, like many pets, he’s not really looking forward to Bonfire Night.
Another beautiful illustration from Lucy Grossmith’s 2019 calendar. This is, of course, October. Why not try drawing it? 
What a great surprise to find that this flooded island, off the coast of North Germany, is our photo for October! It is by Ruth Hartwig-Kruse and comes from Eiland’s Nordseekueste Kalender. http://www.eiland.de 
This little Jack Russell puppy is from the WHSmith 2020 Jack Russell calendar which credits Wavetop/Getty Images 
Seeds we’ve collected on our walks. Can you identify them – particularly the top RH two, found under oak trees? We actually have no idea what the middle right hand one is – can anyone help identify it? 
Butterfly or beech nut case? Once you start noticing, it’s interesting how often one thing looks like something else. 
Beautiful Hebridean photo for the Quiet Paws Book Club island theme, sent in by a reader, who was volunteering there. 
These photos really convey what it feels like to be on an island, thank you, Diana! There are more of her fabulous photos on the book club Readers’ Page.
What can you spot?
You can find out more about autumn leaves and download a record sheet, here: https://www.treetoolsforschools.org.uk/activities/pdfs/pdf_autumn_leaf_spotter_sheet.pdf
You can find out more about autumn nuts and seeds and download a record sheet, here: here:https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/media/48348/fruits-and-seeds-id-sheet.pdf
And, you can see how much you’ve learnt, here! https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/blog/2020/09/autumn-leaf-identification-quiz-can-you-identify-these-10-trees/
If you like autumn leaves…
you might just like this animation: https://www.jacquielawson.com/sendcard/preview?cont=1&hdn=0&fldCard=3472593&path=393919&pmode=init
Still hesitant about the joys of autumn? Get inspired by these autumn animations on the Jacquie Lawson website, here: https://www.jacquielawson.com/cards/thanksgiving
And you might like this beautiful leaf sheet to colour in, click here: https://www.primarygames.com/seasons/fall/coloringpages/30-zentangle-autumn-leaves.php
We have been finding out about sea shanties…
We have been inspired by the island setting of our last book club book, Beyond the Bright Sea. This features many different types of sailing vessels from little skiffs to majestic schooners.
Life on board big sailing ships was tough, and the work was demanding. Sailors needed to work in time with each other and to keep their spirits up. They sang songs with a strong beat to help them do this.
Shadow of the Mainsail, etching by Arthur Briscoe, 1932. These men are working the halyards. British Museum, shared with a Creative Commons License.
These songs were called sea shanties, or chanteys/ chanties, from the French, chanter, to sing.
Recently they have been enjoying a revival in popularity. You can listen to a modern medley, here:
This is an illustration from the book “Songs, naval and national” by Thomas Dibdin, published in London, England in 1841. The caption is “Saturday Night At Sea,” and shows a group of sailors amusing themselves while off duty by singing. The illustration itself is by George Cruikshank (d. 1878).
A version of this sea shanty, The Wellerman, has had tens of millions of views on social media. Busby, however, has chosen this version. Something about this duo appealed to him…
You can join in with this melodic version of The Wellerman by duo, The Hound & The Fox (!) here:
What is a ‘wellerman‘?
It’s been puzzling Busby, so we did some research and the answer surprised us.
Children can find out who the ‘wellerman‘ was, here:
Older readers and adults can find out more about the song’s fascinating history, here:
We have been thinking about trying new things…
Did you know that trying new things is really good for us? Not just big things like travel to a new country or starting a new sport, even trying little things or making a small change to a daily routine can work too. These things help us to push our boundaries, change our perspective, keep a sense of fun and maintain a feeling of control over what we do.
There are lots of ways, but here are some simple, safe ideas, if you’d like to take the plunge and aren’t sure how:
Busby says, “This kitten might just be pushing its boundaries too far! Stay safe and always check with an adult before trying something new. I personally like a whole back-up crew when I try new things.”
See below for an example of this.
The above idea has been inspired by the ‘helpful habits’ in The Hidden Chimp by Professor Steve Peters. Adults and older readers can find out more about this happiness strategy in another of Gretchen Rubin’s no-nonsense and enlightening articles, here:
Here is the time Busby left his comfort zone a long way behind and gave something new a go.
As promised last month, Busby has volunteered this clip to encourage you to try something new. He says, “Frankly, I don’t feel it is my best moment, but I’ve given my permission for it to be shown to encourage our readers. If I can do this, then how hard can it actually be to try something new, such as colouring-in* or visiting a virtual museum**?”
Click on the link below to watch his big moment!
https://www.canva.com/design/DAEsO38L9YE/CTlL0ytoXtMjFAqp2Xu3lQ/watch?utm_content=DAEsO38L9YE&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link&utm_source=publishsharelink
* How hard is it? Try it and see! We’ve found this for you as a reminder of our previous post about how smiling can boost your happiness. You can save paper by only printing the second sheet.
**Still feeling hesitant?
Why not give this virtual museum activity a go? It is taken from our suggestions sheet, however, it’s far too good to hide in there. Aimed at children, but adults will love it. It is, quite simply, fabulous (no pun intended).
https://artsandculture.google.com/project/harry-potter-a-history-of-magic
This picture of Fawkes the Phoenix is by Jim Kay. It is one of many illustrations explored in the British Library exhibition.
We are now reading and getting ready to launch the new Quiet Paws Book Club book, and we think you will love it…
Thank you…
everyone who has signed up to follow this blog – every time I see a new name, I feel great and Busby feels (p)awesome.
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We will be back next month with some wintery wonderfulness to cheer up the darker days of the year.
IF you can’t wait until then, why not join our Quiet Paws Book Corner? If you like our blog page, you will almost certainly enjoy the information and activities on our book corner pages.
It’s free and everyone, young or old, is welcome. You just have to enjoy children’s literature. Head to the Join the Book Corner page in the menu at the top to sign up.
Buzzy Paws 