autumn

Autumn has settled seemingly overnight.

This morning I awoke to see mist hovering above the river in the valley, winding through the blue-green landscape like a giant white serpent. The ash, oaks and hawthorns scattered thinly along the roadsides are glowing with golden and red hues and the odd pink gum leaf is apparent, but the majority of the bush remains its usual delicate greyish green.

The bark peels off the trunks of the manna gums in long brown ribbons, catching in the forks of the branches and creating wonderful natural sculptures silhouetted against the sky.



The air has a bite to it and suddenly we are reaching for our woolly hats and scarves. In the evenings we light and gather around the fire, nibbling fresh walnuts from a friend’s tree. Surely it was only two weeks ago I was wearing a sleeveless dress and sandals?

I feel much more connected to the earth and seasons here. At the city house we had central heating which cocooned us from the elements. Very comforting and, it must be said, addictive, but I am enjoying the nip in the air and the smell of woodsmoke in the house. The children have happily taken on the new experience of collecting kindling and making sure the basket by the fire is full of logs.