Autumn

The flowers are dying, the berries and fruits are appearing, the leaves are changing colour and dropping. It must be autumn. One thing about living in England is you really do know and appreciate the seasons. The chill in the early morning air is crisp and clean and provides just a glimpse as to how cold it is going to get in Winter.

Unlike Australia with our many evergreen trees, the vegetation here knows that winter is just around the corner and the entire countryside begins to prepare for its three month hibernation. Even the hedgerows, that were once a flush of green reaching out across the narrow lanes, appear to have been defeated and retreat back to the edges.

Most noticeable is the beautiful yellows and oranges that splash across the landscape as the oak, ash, maple, blackthorn and guelder rose reveal their autumn hues. The woodlands become a mystical place as the sunlight streams in through the broken canopy and the grounds crunch under your feet in the fallen leaves. One of the oddest wildlife arrives hidden among these fallen leaves - the fungus. Weird and wonderful shapes and colours emerge in the strangest places.

Out the back our resident grey squirrel is busily collecting all manner of nuts and berries and burying them in the lawn for the winter ahead. I sat and watched her (I am guessing it was a her by the way she was so indecisive as to where she wanted to dig) busily run from the tree to the ground and back again for what seemed like hours.

As the days get shorter, getting up in the morning is getting that little bit harder. While it does mean that you get to see the sun rise and the beautiful streaks of colour in the early morning mist, it also means heading home from work in the dark.

The benefit of spending an entire year in a place is the opportunity of experiencing the sights, sounds and smells of all the seasons. Only a couple more weeks and even Autumn will be behind us as we march towards the end of the year and the chance of hopefully experiencing our first ever white Christmas. Something to look forward to.