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When the efforts of Spring had been and gone and S

When the efforts of Spring had been and gone and Summer was yet to get going, glaucous pods ripe to burst butted up against clouds of purple and discs of lunaria fluttering in amongst the ladybird poppies. Paper thin luminosity, and each stage of their life cycle defining the shape and silhouette of the June scape. A baton relay through July and August, with still enough puff in September to keep company with cornflower.

There’s a pause in September. A drawing breath.

There’s a pause in September. A drawing breath. Summer slowly yielding its warmth, but still with enough residual heat in the ground to collide with a colder quieter air and stir up the mornings. The countryside covered in a blanket of fog this past week, and only kicking off the covers with a gentle rousing from the sun. A steam bath of dew and mist.

The hedgerows are ticking along with a seasonal fa

The hedgerows are ticking along with a seasonal familiarity, and in that there’s a comfort. Crispier in gait and wrapped in Old Man’s Beard, and a much needed botanical distraction.

The sun’s getting more sluggish by the day. Less

The sun’s getting more sluggish by the day. Less of a rise and more of a shuffle. A drowsiness sifted by leaves and boughs until it’s gauzy 10 - 20 on the scale of denier.

October is usually the month given to undulating s

October is usually the month given to undulating swoops from the starlings, but for a few nights already and they’re already beginning to amass. Not in their thousands, but in enough volume to hear their collective whirring of wing beat overhead. A fingers drumming out a beat sort of thrumming, that is another persuasive plus in autumn’s favour.

All the usual prompts are making themselves known,

All the usual prompts are making themselves known, and the next season of smoulder cued, and waiting in the wings. It’s a persuasive prologue. Just with the shortened evenings still yet to convince.

Sometimes, you can get a better sense of colour wh

Sometimes, you can get a better sense of colour when it’s in black and white. Sepia edged mornings are a rough approximate.

For all the bent forward and doubled up stoop of s

For all the bent forward and doubled up stoop of stem, there’s the light step of cosmos picking its way through early September.

There’s twitchings of Autumn, but the pace has s

There’s twitchings of Autumn, but the pace has slowed. Something of a change of heart, or at least a slackening, to make the rapid sprint towards chillier spun climes and diminishing light pause and take breathe. A few weeks of mellowing fruitfulness, but still enough of Summer to temper any hankerings for crumble with the odd scoop of ice cream. And eaten outside, just with a jumper within reach.

Mellow with a low lying slink of mist in the morni

Mellow with a low lying slink of mist in the mornings. It only takes a breath of wind to rumple the grasses, but in this new September scape and they’re fountain heads of dew.

After the launchpad of Spring, it’s a diving les

After the launchpad of Spring, it’s a diving lesson in progress. Numerous takes on the pike, twist and tuck before a nose dive entry in various states of grace and poise.

Mid way through September and the mornings are thi

Mid way through September and the mornings are thickly plastered in dew. Enough to sluice the wellies and leave a meandering trail of steps through the grass. But there’s still a bit of June, and enough of it yesterday to stretch the corners of summer a little bit further.

A fanfare of early morning.

A fanfare of early morning.

There was a gathering of Martins a few weeks ago,

There was a gathering of Martins a few weeks ago, and then they were gone. And with them the burble of Swallows under the eaves. A playground for the Robins for the time being, with more buzz than chirp.

Slow smouldering mornings in no particular mood to

Slow smouldering mornings in no particular mood to rush and the pace similarly slackened to keep in step.

Mornings are now heavily drenched in dew, and the

Mornings are now heavily drenched in dew, and the so say time for sunrise only a rough benchmark, give or take an hour or two.

A few weeks of lull. Too early still for the colou

A few weeks of lull. Too early still for the colour to run, and the ginkgo biloba to mop up the sulphurous shades from the petals. Rudbeckia is generously giving, so there’s enough to share around.

More pod than pick.

More pod than pick.

The dew point is on the up. Not because any temper

The dew point is on the up. Not because any temperature check says so, but going by the sudden onset drenching to the feet and the wellies now swapped in for daps. September hanging by a thread, a looped and glistening one.

The morning at a shuffle, and in no particular hur

The morning at a shuffle, and in no particular hurry to get going.

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