Joys of Autumn

Lovely afternoon though anno, sunny but a bit chilly.

Today the weather is absolutely horrible here - brief glimpses of sun interspersed with heavy downpours. It's gone dark again now, so we're in for a shower again.

Following several disappointing summers, Autumns of late have been getting better and better, so much so I find myself often looking forward to this season more than the summer. Just one downside, winter will follow!

Flickety - Mine too.

Autumn colours make my heart sing

love Spring, love Summer, love Winter - and yet Autumn has to be my favourite. The brilliance of the light, big skies, amazing colours- and the hunter gatherer in me takes over - mushrooms, hazelnuts, raspberries and blackberries- wonderful.

I watched a squirrel chase a magpie around the lawn in my aunt's garden the other day. At first I thought that silly bird should just take flight, then realised they seemed to be playing as they stopped and started again. It amused me no end

Bags how lucky you are - they are so magnificent

Planted a brilliant acer today and a hazelnut, on our boundary. Rain arrived tonight to give them a good watering. Sometimes we do need rain- as much as we don't like it.

WOW! I really should be cooking dinner but have been watching a barn owl in the field and alongside the garden . A couple of magpies were chasing it some of the time. WOW again!

There's something utterly glorious about autumn red leaves, isn't there, flickety?

Went for my morning walk through an avenue of trees today, looked up through a gap in the branches to see the sun shining on further tree which had patches of bright red leaves among the green. It took my breath away

I enjoyed the early side light on the sycamore keys that I could see from my sewing room window at half past seven this morning (yes, I do sew that early), and it has been a lovely breezy bright light day today after two days of very heavy showers and dark clouds. There's a briskness in the air (max outdoor temp here today 11.4°C) and I've got a lot done as well as having some fun 'web-bursts' between tasks.

There's something special about Autumn, isn't there soop. It's the one season that reminds me of the passing of time...

Lovely, Soop. Autumn seems to have come overnight. I walked in the forest yesterday and there is already a new carpet of golden leaves, in spite of the warm sunshine. Still a little snow on the further peaks, on the way to Mont Blanc.

Autumn sunlight throws lengthening shadows across the rich, warm colours of the landscape. Bonfire smoke is carried on a lively breeze. Autumn is my favourite season.

How lovely, butty! I'm quite envious

That made you smile, Butty They are pretty creatures.

A beautiful red squirrel has been scampering around the garden and bouncing on and off the walnut tree branches all afternoon. So busy!

I have brown fingers - I can never keep a pot plant alive. My daughter used to give them to me but she gave up in the end.

I had no idea how much bees and butterflies love sedum; I only planted a load this year [for some reason couldn't get any last year]. Also full of moths at night. Annoyingly the fuschias [I bought lots of them at a B&Q two for one day] which have done nothing all summer are now flowing away like mad just as I wanted to throw them out and put other plants in the pots. Plants always die on me except when I want them to....

I need to scythe some rushes but Devil's Bit Scabious is flowering among them so I'll have to wait until their seed has ripened and fallen. Maybe there will be more next year. It has been too cold/wet for the bats to come out for the last two nights, but I expect they will again before they really hibernate.

Providing the sun comes back - you'll have a bellyfull every day

Don't eat all those raspberries before next week!

The phlox, rudbekias and sedums are resplendescent (sp?) and full of bees and more sphynx, like little humming birds. The woods are just beginning to turn very slightly, and the woods are full of ceps and other wonderful and tasty mushrooms. The autumn raspberries are absolutely delicious.