Sunday 22 September 2013

Seasons

And so Autumn is officially upon us.   I suppose, living in the country, each season is much more clearly defined.   The coming of
Spring for me is always that first showing of daffodils, the buds on the Horse Chestnut trees, that green smell in the air.   Summer, perhaps the least possible to define, roses coming into bloom, young fledglings on the lawn, beaks open, being fed by their mothers.
Winter is always 'in your face' with Christmas, fairy lights, all the razzamatazz - but out in the countryside it is personified by the long nights and short days, the bare trees, the robin singing.

But Autumn, for advertising itself, always wins here in the countryside.   Every tree is losing its leaves, slowly but surely.  But - if we are lucky - some Autumns these trees put on a splendid display, a 'swan-song' if you like to tell us 'look, we are going but make no mistake about it, we will be back again next year.'

This Autumn promises to be a good one.   Already the trees are beginning to turn and the berries are ripening - hawthorn, rose-hip, elderberry, rowan.   Our rowan has not lasted long as the blackbirds have stripped away every single berry.   Every crab apple tree in our field hedges - and there are many of them - is laden.   The birds, mainly blue tits, are eating the apples on our orchard trees, but not a single crab apple is being touched.   Later, as they begin to fall onto the grass, the cattle will happily eat them, impervious to the incredible sourness.

We need these clear season boundaries I think.   They define our lives and they bring so many memories with them.   "Do you remember that terrible Winter when we had thick enough ice for skating on the pond?"; "Can you remember that Spring when the daffodils lasted for ever?"; or "That glorious Summer when we swam every day for weeks and weeks."

Maybe our memories play tricks on us.   I'm sure all Winters when I was a child were not icy and snowy.   We couldn't sledge, skate, snowball and build snowmen year after year could we?   It just seems like it.

13 comments:

JoAnn ( Scene Through My Eyes) said...

Each season and turning brings new memories - and remembrances of old - what a delightful post.

Anonymous said...

What a beautiful cover picture. You always have such wonderful pictures on your blog page. The season changes in Arizona are more subtle. Now the days and nights are cooler (if you consider high 80"s cooler). The aspen trees on the mountain tops are starting to show a hint of gold and the mesquite beans are hard and brown and ready to harvest. Fall is my favorite season.
Sandy O' @ My Yellow Swing

Thickethouse.wordpress said...

Ah, what a beautiful photo on the cover! I love this season!

Barbara said...

Oh, I love the photo of ALL those apples! What a bounty!

Cloudia said...

Having grown up in a changing climate zone like yours, living 25 years+ in the more seasonably subtle subtropical I enjoy this post like a visit to youth - agreeing with your sweet essay of the day, dear P



Aloha

Robin Mac said...

Wonderful new cover photo. What I miss most living in the tropics is the defined seasons you have just described - but I would not like winters now, my joints would ache too much! Cheers

sonia said...

Autumn is my favorite season. I bet it looks amazing where you are.

Heather said...

What a lovely sight those crab apples are - a perfect image for the autumn equinox. I never like parting with summer but once the berries and leaves begin to take on colour I have acclimatized to autumn and begin to enjoy it, and after all, each season has it's joys and benefits.

Em Parkinson said...

It's definitely here isn't it Pat? I love your apple header picture - beautiful.

A Heron's View said...

I think that each country and also the area in which you live actually determines the season.
To elucidate: August, September and October are considered to be the months of Autumn and Winter starts in November with the First day of Spring on 1st of February in Ireland,

Gwil W said...

Astronomical autumn started at 22:44 last night I was told on the radio by an Austrian weatherman. Nice apples, Pat!

Bovey Belle said...

The leaves were starting to change yesterday, as we drove across Powys & Herefordshire. Chestnuts first, and sprays of gold coins on the silver birches. I love autumn, but as I get older, I think I prefer spring more, as I don't "do" the cold days of winter.

I love your header photo and your eloquent writing about the seasons. I can only remember one REALLY bad winter and that was 1963. I remember good summers though, and we lived out of doors, walking for miles . . . Thank you for stirring up some memories . . .

The Weaver of Grass said...

The crab apples in my header photograph are extremely sour - the photograph doesn't tell you this does it!