Joys of Autumn

Storms and roof leaks during last night, but nothing beats the brilliant, glittering jewels upon autumn colours that sunshine brings, and lays around the garden.

My DD and SIL travelling back to London.No trains between Exeter and Bristol due to flooding.90 mins later they have just got a bus to Bristol > Temple Meads.

Took me an hour and a half to get to work this morning. It's about 10miles! Due to traffic and blocked roads due to floods.

The big trees across the brook are tossing, but their height gives shelter to my garden, so the bins have not yet waltzed across the yard. The topmost leaves on the biggest rowan are red, but so far autumn isn't quite showing its hand.

Air outside full of leaves when the gusts get fierce

Transient pinkish (wrote oinkish first!)-orange sunset glow on the hills' dying bracken.

A dusk of thunder grey and golden tipped clouds.

My Liquid Amber has decided to turn a brilliant red from the bottom up - and is now in full dual glory of red and bright yellow-green. Nature has such a way with colours

bags out of the window here at DD I have watched the assorted trees at the end of the garden turning this week, I should have had a time delay camera it would be stunning. Yes Autumn is here with a vengeance

A lot of the sycamores around here have great chunks of yellow in them, and today I saw a young one that was a most glorious red

We have had 2 families of swallows nest in the kitchen in the house we refurbishing, they can get in and out unaided and have probably be doing so for the last 30 yrs. When we were up 2 weeks ago the last brood fledged, last weekend we were given exhibitions of their flying skills but I think tomorrow I might find they have left, I always fell a little sad to see them leave but its a joy when they return and it all begins again.

Swallows circling overhead on the coastal path.Thought they had left a fortnight ago- fabulous display!.There must surely be a little sunshine left in the month.

Our blackbirds have disappeared, haven't seen any for a couple of months, and I'm wondering why.

LBJ's are in abundance though! As we swipe the crumbs and grains off our breadboard just outside the kitchen door, they gather there and bounce around happily. A constant source of amusement.

The blackbirds haven't started that here yet, marelli. Won't be long though, I suspect.

Frost here too, Bags! Sky is a clear, pale blue. Blackbirds are whipping the rowan berries off the trees as if there were no tomorrow.

Frost.

Our garden was all wet, dewy and strung with cobwebs this morning. And blackbirds, we're suddenly beset with blackbirds. I would love autumn a lot more if it wasn't followed by winter, and would like winter more if it wasn't so dark!

A huge spider-web strung across my gate this morning, bejewelled with dew drops. I was sad to break it thinking how hard the spider must have worked to spin it last night.

It's a 'Misty moisty morning' here. The mist hanging over the valley as I drove to work looked magical and beautiful.

B . The graceful silent flight and sight of a Barn Owl - lovely.

Barn Owl hunting over the field while we ate dinner last night.
Goldcrest and Treecreeper hunting on the silver birch tree outside the window while I drank my coffee this morning.

I adore beech woods - they have to be my favourite.

What a fine day you had, granjura

Had to get up early as someone was coming to check the boiler - the fields were all white with frost! But it turned out to be a beautiful day - the beech woods are just beginning to 'turn'. Went mushroom hunting and found little of what I was looking for, but many clouded agarics, which I don't like. I picked a big basketful for one of my elderly neighbours, who loves them - and she was very happy. Lots of buzzards soaring and meewing - and I so enjoyed the walk, 'bolets' or no 'bolets' (penny buns or ceps in France) - hopefully there will be plenty around when we come back from UK - and the woods will be at their best.

Love the colours of Autumn and walking through the woods with my grandchildren, kicking up the leaves.

As it turned out, Ella. I've been down to the pound shop and bought some bulbs for the spring pots. Also a new bird feeder, allegedly squirrel-proof, which I think they will just take as a challenge.