We arrive now at the time of balance again, the day when day and night are of equal length. From this point of the year, the darkness increases and the hours of daylight are noticeably shorter. The harvest is still going on, fruits and fungi adorn field and hedgerow, birds that are our summer visitors are gradually leaving for warmer climes and others arrive for winter. Some animals are getting ready to hibernate as their food sources die off with the approach of the cold.
There is a definite sense of Nature’s bounty declining as Mother Earth prepares to sleep. Misty days prevail, the winds gather pace, plants and trees with broad leaves are turning multi-coloured to reveal what was formerly only green as the growing season ends. It is easy to feel a sadness at all this decay, but wait:– like all seasons, we know this to be transient and full of its own special wonder. The scent of Autumn is the earthy mushrooms and toadstools, the tang of poplars, apples, pears, berries and jam-making, pickling and preserving. Gather with friends, fill a tub with water and indulge in the absurdly funny game of bobbing for apples. You will get wet! Wander outside amongst fallen leaves forming a blanket for the Earth’s slumber, watch as small whirlwinds spin dried brown leaves on lawns and roadsides, piling them up in corners. Feel the crunch of those leaves underfoot, pick them up, kick them up. See your shadow lengthen and note a crispness in the air. Stargazers will enjoy longer times looking up, so layer your clothing as you get those binoculars and telescopes out. Find out about fungus forays in local nature reserves. There is so much to love about this season.
Musical accompaniments could be the sad but exquisite Sandy Denny ‘Who Knows Where the Time Goes’, and Moody Blues ‘Forever Autumn’.
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