Autumn Reflections

A Carpet of fallen leaves

The signs of Autumn are all around.  There is a definite chill in the air and the night-time frosts over the past week have brought more and more colour to the landscape.  The trees are glowing with gold and red and russet hues.  Even the drive to Balloch today was through arches of yellow and brown.

This weekend the clocks go back and although we will be glad of the light in the early mornings, it will certainly be dark by tea time.  Halloween this weekend and then Bonfire Night - at least there are plenty of opportunities to brighten the darker evenings.  The shorter days mean that we have to make the most of what daylight there is and there are still apples on the tree waiting to be picked.  It has been a bumper crop everywhere this year and our apple tree which has previously produced less than a dozen rather wizened specimens is this year laden with fruit with boughs bent over and touching the ground.  The apples are small but sweet and will come in useful in pies, cakes, crumbles and chutneys, as have all the others generously given by neighbours.  All this fruit in gardens and hedgerows is not necessarily an indicator of a hard winter ahead - but of the mild Spring we had this year which allowed all the blossom to set.

There have been some magnificent fungi in the garden and woods - far more than I have been able to identify.  Here are a few of the finer examples A giant puffball the size of a football, a magnificent Fly Agaric and A pebble fungus - well named as is hides in the path.

The other indicator that winter is approaching is the loss of the cattle from the fields.  Today has been the day when Coopers lorry has trundled up and down the lane to fetch the cows to their winter quarters in the steading.  They don't sound too happy as they go past but no doubt will appreciate the warmth and security of their indoor winter home.  We miss seeing them in the fields all around us but will probably get a chance to visit them later in the year when they are settled in.  Every year there are calves born in the steading who first experience the joy of the meadow when they emerge again in Spring.

There is something about the 'transition' seasons - Spring and Autumn - that is quite magical.  There are changes every day and I look forward to cosy nights by the fire and the Christmas lights ahead.