Tuesday 15 September 2009

Any day now.......







Sometime around the beginning of next week (Sep 21 to Sep 23, depending on which book you read) the autumnal equinox will occur, when day and night are equal. Whether or not we notice it will depend upon the weather. Yesterday (in spite of very high pressure on the barometer - can somebody explain how) it drizzled here all day and by half past six in the evening it was almost dark. Today - as the sky photograph above shows - it is glorious, although as the wind has swung round into the North East - it is distinctly autumnal in temperature.



Lovely how everything is drawing to a close - leaves are beginning to turn brown, fungi pop up everywhere overnight, flowers in the garden have taken on that faded look, cobwebs hang between branches, giant spiders (I believe these are always "lady" spiders who have eaten their mates - I like the idea but am not sure whether or not it is a myth!) lurk in the corners of rooms and come out at a rate of knots just as one is sitting down to watch something on the telly.
I went with my daughter-in-law round the garden centres today - and there is a distinctly autumnal feeling there too - very few customers, everything has 20% off and all the plants are beginning to doze off. However - the hebe was still in flower and the butterflies were mad for it.
As our own contribution to the season, the farmer has just lit our wood-burning stove for the first time - very exciting (see photograph!) - all that remains is to tip the jig-saw out onto the dining table, settle down for the evening, draw the curtains and it's Goodbye Summer!

29 comments:

Teresa said...

What a lovely post! Gosh, wish it was cold enough here for a fire... give me fall and winter over summer any day!

mrsnesbitt said...

Yes! Autumn is knocking on the door!

Reader Wil said...

You describe this autumnal atmosphere excellently! The butterfly is stunning! Thanks for the visit and comment.

Gwil W said...

already the glowing spitting stove is lit ... and just when I was wishing for an indian summer ... fetch us the cocoa mugs Mabel!

Heather said...

Your woodburning stove looks so cosy Weaver - you must be so pleased with it. I have been feeling rather down this week - not like me at all - and very reluctant to embrace autumn. I think it is because we haven't really had a summer this year (or the 2 previous years). Normally what the weather does is not a problem - I just dress to suit, but this year has been different somehow. I must buck my ideas up and think of all the benefits of autumn and winter. I know there are some really.

Heather said...

It's me again - I've only just found your lovely comment on my blog. We have never had a travelling exhibition - there would be many extra complications involved in organising one and Sedburgh is rather a long way away and we usually have to provide stewards.

Raph G. Neckmann said...

What a lovely woodburning stove! Just the place for drinking your blackberry whisky!!

I love the mellow golden light in autumn, it makes my heart really sing.

Leenie said...

The butterfly photo is a beauty! And your stove looks like a nice addition. We enjoy our wood stove often in cold weather. The guys have our wood supply split and stashed. I enjoy your writing.

Tess Kincaid said...

I love your little woodburning stove, Weaver! We've been talking about installing one at the manor for years. I'm sure it keep you toasty warm.

Tommaso Gervasutti said...

Marvellous photographs, and great post. Thank you for the comment on my blog. R.S Thomas is one of my favourite poets. I have answered to you quoting another poem of his in the comments on my blog.

Best wishes, Davide

(Tommaso Gervasutti)

Maggi said...

Definitely Autumnal although I am holding out against lighting the log burner. I hadn't heard that one about the spiders although they are certainly big enough to have eaten their mates - even the cat avoids them.

Anonymous said...

Hi Weaver. Here, we are moving in the opposite direction, The gardens are awakening and the days are getting warmer. Colour is creeping out from under the blanket of winter. Spring has arrived. in fact this past week we had 29 degrees Celsius, 84 degrees Fahrenheit. Looks like you are going to enjoy your renovation especially the wood stove. that jigsaw sounds very inviting.

Anonymous said...

Woodburning stove!
Oh no!
Except I can remember a log fire in Cornwall in August.........

sunny and lovely here

Cloudia said...

This dear song of Summer fading touched my heart. Thank you for providing me what "paradise" lacks: the flame and ruddy cheeked apple of autumn, the smell of woodsmoke and a big orange moon.
You are blessed, and share your blessings with us. I will enjoy my balmy midwinter sun, no doubt. But this time of year, England sounds a very paradise indeed!
Please accept my thanks and admiration, Weaver.

Fond Aloha,

Comfort Spiral

Titus said...

Hi Weaver, felt like a Summer day just up the road here, though a little bit nippier tonight. September 21st, I reckon.

Amy said...

oh you have hebe there!!!!! how wonderful! that's one of my favourite nz native plants, I have some of the same purple in my garden :-)

Totalfeckineejit said...

Love the stove, Weaver.

Hildred said...

When spring came to you, Weaver, I was still searching the hills for the wanton lass, and now here you are welcoming fall while the days here are still warm and there is only the tiniest hint the autumn will soon be here....patience, patience.

Golden West said...

Gathering around a toasty fire is hard to beat - autumn is truly a wonderful time of the year!

Pondside said...

You make it sound so cosy! We've lit the fire once this year and it was lovely - a book, an afghan and a cup of tea by the fire. The cool spell only lasted two days and now we have Indian Summer, but it's nice to look forward to the season ahead.

Acornmoon said...

I love your wood burning stove, it looks so cosy and I can picture you with a plate of crumpets and a good book.

Your poem about music and hearing loss is outstanding.

Anonymous said...

How cosy that woodburning stove looks! We are approaching Spring now, so I hope to see some butterflies as beautiful as the ones you have photographed. They are lovely.

The Weaver of Grass said...

Can't help thinking Poet's first line could easily be the first line of a poem!
"Already the glowing, spitting stove is lit."
(It is only a stone's throw from Dick the shepherd blowing his nail, methinks.)

The Weaver of Grass said...

Thanks to you all for your response.

Unknown said...

Hello Weaver,

I was just wondering if your new mantlepiece does slope like that or if you had already been tasting the blackberry whisky?! Lovely pics. It was a good day here yesterday but today is rather cooler!

CHummelKornell said...

Lovely writing. As I read your comments, my flock of Canadian Geese (which is getting larger by the day) is flying overhead. Fall is coming and with the approach of winter I'm afraid my 'winged children' will be leaving. I will miss their greetings.

Love the wood stove.

The Weaver of Grass said...

Please note (after reading Derrick's comment) - I never touch the blackberry whisky until after the sun goes down! Hadn't realised the mantelpiece was sloping until he pointed it out - blame the camera not the photographer.

Caroline Gill said...

I have just returned from Skye. Last year I was on the island in June, when it hardly got dark at all (& we saw the clearest light off the north coast I have ever seen anywhere - though not the aurora borealis, alas!).

This year, due to the state of the equinox, we were very conscious of the fact that the daylight hours were pretty much the same as they would have been at home here in South Wales. It all seemed quite strange, somehow - and yet all part of the natural cycle of things.

Janice Thomson said...

Autumn is definitely here. Loved the bit about the spiders! Nowadays I have to brush my way through them in the outside foyer...and they seem to be getting much bigger...fattening up for winter maybe? :)