Autumn… season of mists and mellow fruitfulness…  but it’s not all beer and skittles for everyone.  It can be easy to see the onset of autumn and the approach of winter as things to ‘get through’ while looking forward to the longer days and warmer feels of spring and summer once again, but what if we take a different approach? Focus on the positives.

The shorter days we are moving into right now allow us to witness the sunrise. Whether it be through the kitchen window, the commuter’s windscreen or directly on your face during the morning dog walk, the more sociable hour of sunrise does let us see it more often than we would in the summer.  And haven’t there been some beauties recently?

The wetter weather is a great excuse to slip on wellies and stomp through puddles and leaves.  Your doggo may get muddy, but a pile of old towels stashed right by the door will help avoid those shakey messes up the walls!

Autumn is a great time to step outside and just breathe.  Notice all the smells.  At the moment, our garden has the faintest tinge of cider from next door’s magnificent apple tree’s unpicked bounty.  There’s the slightly metallic smell of damp soil, as nature composts the summer’s spoils into next year’s goodness on the ground.  I love the freshness of the cooler air, particularly at night.  I love to stop and look up at the stars when taking Puppy for her (approx 100) bedtime wees 😊   

If you’re carving pumpkins this week, go zero-waste, try composting the watery innards (supermarket carving pumpkins make terrible soup) and make sure to do the same with the finished and mouldy carcass.  Contrary to popular belief, it’s not a great idea to leave your spent pumpkin out for wildlife. The mouldy fruit certainly isn’t something you’d want your pets to nibble on, so composting is the way – or your food caddy, if you don’t have a compost bin. If you don’t have a food caddy, try writing to your council!

We cannot halt the approach of winter, but we can stop to admire the beauty along the way.

Photo by Jakob Owens