Autumn

Rowantree you expressed how I feel about autumn perfectly and poetically. Like you, August is my birthday month. But I also enjoy the shorter days and I love winter. I love coming home to a warm house, of lighting the stove, pulling the curtains and settling down to an evening of reading and sewing.

When I look around my house and wardrobe I see my love of autumn reflected in my home décor and my clothes, cream walls warm autumnal colours in the soft furnishings. My clothes are similar. I recently attended a funeral where we were all asked to dress in blues and greens rather than black. I ended up wearing red and grey as blue and green (or black) do not feature in my wardrobe.

My village has a long cobbled tree tunnelled footpath and when I walk it first thing in the morning with the sun shining through the leaves, my heart sings and I know what heaven is.

How beautifully said rowantree. Friends of my parents moved to Spain when they retired. Their life-long dream. They loved it totally for nearly 8 years- then on day, he got out onto the patio and though 'I am sick and tired of this sun' - he daren't tell his wife- but a few days later, she told him exactly the same. They packed up and came back to the mountains- with real seasons, and 'proper' winters and were very happy to be home.

I think I would hate not having proper seasons.

I love Autumn - always have, even though some very sad a turbulent things have happened in my life in Autumn.
I start to get fed up with Summer after midsummer, and I don't much like August even though it's my birthday month. It's neither one thing nor tother!
I start to look out for the first blackberries and other hedgerow fruits to forage and make into jam. I love the mellow light, the soft golden evenings, the mist, and the spicy smell of falling oak leaves. I look forward to the rich, burning leaf colours and I am even starting to enjoy some aspects of winter with the filigree tree shapes, the muted tones of the sleeping landscape and the morning frost. I've discovered that some plants are at their best in winter, so I've been trying to bring winter colour, shape, texture and scent into my garden. It's always a delight seeing the first snowdrops coming through too. I planted so many!
I don't like the evenings drawing in though: especially after the clocks go back. But generally I feel reassured by the turning of the year. I love the changing seasons and I would never want to live somewhere hot all the year round.

We don't seem to have Autumn just yet, here in East angular. It's been summer until this afternoon, and the trees are only just starting to turn and lose some leaves. I noticed the cherry is just starting to darken, as is the parthenocissus. The grapevine is turning a pale gold, so maybe it will hit us in a couple of weeks.

It's my birthday this weekend, but apart from that, I too wish I could enjoy the autumn more, but SAD hits and so what used to be my favourite season, no longer is.

Oh of course- I love all seasons- and each time a new season comes along, I think 'wow, this is my fabourite'. And yet- there is an extra special space in my heart for autumn. It's another glorious day up here in the mountains- the colours and the luminosity are so wonderful. Just about to drive up to one of our mountain inns, where the sunshine stays till very late. for a fondue with friends.

I too love autumn, although I love all the seasons in a different way.
The beauty of the leaves and the brilliant blue skies are the most obvious things we see but I also love the feeling of dampness in the air after the hot summer, the smell of woodsmoke and bonfires.
The cold nights have a lovely feeling too , I put on my jamies after work and snuggle on the sofa under a throw. I could go on for ever.....

Print miss

That reminds me of the Colditz film . [shakes mud out of trousers scene]

Shame the poor old 'conker tree' has so much disease hitting it at the moment. Leaves rusting.

pompa you can rest assured that all those young people who knocked on the door to collect conkers were suitably equipped with the gear you describe. They also had the necessary bags which were of course not plastic, and were told not to run when they left the garden. My most amusing remembrance of these occasions is one very young lad (joining in with the 'big boys' - he was about 5), didn't have anything to carry the conkers home in, so stuffed them up his t-shirt (or jumper), down his trouser, and the top of his socks. As he wobbled off home, he shed conkers all over the place.

I remember vividly the huge disappointment when I found out (aged about 5) that the basket of shiny conkers I'd had turned dull and then mouldy

Shysal, you are right, a newly emerged conker has a colour, gloss and sensual feel that is magical, one of life's simple pleasures.

OMG, I forgot the dangers of getting a hole through them, when I think of trying to push a meat skewer through them whilst in the palm of my hand, that was dangerous.

I do love the feel of a new conker. When I am out walking I often head for the neariest tree and pick up one for each hand, which I stroke with my thumb for the rest of the walk. By the time I get home they are quite dull!

Pompa
I was out for a walk yesterday with my 81 year old neighbour and we were both waxing lyrical about conkers . I used to stick pins in them and make dolls house furniture! Ruby they remind me too of new school shoes - glorious colour and shiny which eventually become wrinkled and dull!

As a child, Autumn was always the presenter of happiness and misery - leaving summer and home behind, packing my suitcase and returning to boarding school. These days I think I love all the seasons equally but for different emotional reasons. Spring because my first baby was born then; Summer because it always seemed to be summer when I was small and reminds me of my Mum in her tennis dress; Autumn is very 'sensual', full of colour, smells - of smoke and decay, crunchy leaves and shortened days; Winter, cold and frosty, the excitement of children and Christmas, but it reminds me most of my wedding day - blue sky and snow and much happiness.

Conkers.
I do hope you consider Health & Safety when allowing children to collect conkers.

If collecting from the ground, hard hats are essential to protect from falling items, kevlar gloves are also required to prevent being spiked by an immature conker. As contact with soil is inevitable, tetanus injections are mandatory.

If missile are use to loosen the conkers, eye protection and body armour is the order of the day.

The area should also be cordoned of to prevent members of the public being injured by flying debris.

You could of course negate the need for any of this by collecting them yourself and giving them to the waiting hoards.
BUT !!
Are you covered for any injuries that may ensue from the use or ingestion of the items, supplying a H&S notice with each one would be a wise precaution along with third party insurance.

What did do before H&S, we had fun !!!

I can remember staying at Pontins many years ago, a conker match for the kids was suggested. Not long before the Dads took over, way overran the allotted time and upset the rest of the weeks schedule. AND, next morning Dads appeared at breakfast with slings, bandages and ice-packs.
If we had had H&S then what excitement those big kids would have missed

We had two horse chestnut trees in our garden at one time, and at this time of year we were plagued by youngsters getting over the fence to collect them - we quickly came to an understanding that if they knocked and asked they were welcome, otherwise they were not. I quite looked forward to them collecting them - I had forgotten that. Conkers and acorns galore at this time of year, and so many of them seemed to take root so easily and a pain to dislodge in the spring time.

I've just been out collecting conkers for DS2 and his GF as neither of them like spiders and Conker's are supposed to keep them away. Fresh conkers always remind me of the new shoes we used to have for back to school on September.

I lie in bed watching the wonderful kites each morning.

Since they were introduced into the Thames Valley about 15 years ago they have multiplied at a rapid rate.

We went on a red kite walk a few years back and the forester who took us showed how she could communicate with them by whistling. DH thinks he can do it, but I am not so sure.

they often glide just above our house- just love them.

The kites seem pretty laid back - I saw one lazily circling, as though its hands were in its pockets, and it must have flown over a balckbird (or other smaller black bird) nest: the smaller bad came barrelling up from the ground like a Hurricane fighter, and started to harry the kite. If ever a bird shrugged its shoulders the kite did - it just sloped off slowly, ignoring the attacks completely!

Those red kites are spectacular aren't they especially when they swoop low ?

A glorious day here in the mountains- birds are twittering away in the garden, and on the way home I saw 15 red kites and 6 buzzards.

autumn is fine but give me spring plus summer anytime.

I absolutely understand and appreciate the beauty of autumn, particularly one like this. It always makes me sad though: I used to hate it when the summer holidays were over and the children went back to school. The house felt empty, even the air stopped moving in the silence. The birds don't sing in Seotember either. The feeling has always stayed with me. Sorry for the downer....

Had a fabulous walk with friends today, along one of my favourite and wild dale- trees turning, warm sunshine, dippers and lots of other birds- really lifted my spirits, even though my knees are now complaining. Bootiful.

No problem Joy I make tippo errors all the time.

Must go and do the bl*****y hoovering now. I really need staff ASAP.