Autumn seems to have arrived two weeks ago. The rowan berries have been feeding the birds for weeks and the lawn is full of apples. The early summer winds ravaged the pear trees, so not a single pear this year as opposed to last year when we picked them right into the winter.[Gorgeous they were too!] We do have hundreds of plums from an old plum tree safely sheltered in the courtyard though.
It's also mushroom season, with lots of weird and wonderful varieties sprouting everywhere. I wish I had the nerve to eat some of them as I'm a real mushroom adict, but sadly I don't. It never ceases to amaze me how they seem to appear from nowhere. We have a lovely toadstool ring which comes up every year, the beautifl red-spotted variety. I keep hoping to see the fairies......no doubt I would if I ate some of the mushrooms! Talking of hallucinations, I've noticed deadly nightshade growing in the garden this year, I don't know whether I should let it stay or not.
The nights are drawing in at speed now, and with the early twilight comes the big moths. They seem to get bigger every year along with the spiders. I saw a strange larvae yeasterday. I still have no idea what it is. It was about an inch and a half long, black, segmented, with a large horn on it's head.... a moth? Anyone any ideas?
I love the autumn smell, always earthy with a hint of burning, especially after rain. While walking the dogs earlier, I saw a complete rainbow in all it's glory, arcing across the whole of the sky. If you can see boths ends, where is the pot of gold?
Well, I'm off now to clean the solar lights and do something about clearing the ponds much to the distate of the little brown frogs.....
