Signs of Change

I really enjoy summer, but I'd never call it my favourite season. I never start a day thinking "It's lovely and warm today, but is this a spring day or a summer day? Can't wait for summer!" Maybe it's just because I'm enjoying spring and never notice the gradual change, maybe it's because there is often so much rain it is hard to tell where summer begins.

I greet the other seasons with great anticipation though, I look forward to winter with cold dark nights, festivities and snuggling up inside in the warm; spring with new sunshine warmth, finding buds and flowers opening and remembering what it's like not wearing a coat. This morning there was a chill in the air and with September already upon us I was thinking of jams, stews and walks through leaves and mist.

There's something about Autumn that fills me with excitement. Maybe it's some animal instinct to start preparing for the winter cold but I'm filled with an urge to bake and store up food and staying in becomes much more appealing than venturing out, even when it's not actually that cold outside. Autumn feels like a time for using up odds and ends in craft projects (maybe for Christmas presents) and creating meals out of leftovers. I don't know why it feels like a month for being thrifty, but it does.

There are signs outside that show the seasons are on the change too. Swallows and swifts are disappearing from the sky and geese are making triangles as they fly. Spiders are appearing in the house and although the leaves are still green on the trees it wont be long before they're turning too.

I'm making lots of train journeys this week so I'll be looking out for more signs of autumn. At home our crop of runner beans has finally ripened and we've picked a good handful while the flowers still blooming look likely to give us another later crop. There's nothing tastier than home grown, home cooked food!

September still feels like the start of a new year, even though I'm not heading back to college or university. But it's always a good time to set resolutions and start new challenges. This year I've signed up to be an RSPB Campaigns Champion volunteer and I'm looking forward to getting involved with campaigns and  contacting my local MP too. Why not start a new green hobby too as the year draws to a close.