Autumn.

              This is the weather the shepherd shuns
              And so do I;
               When beeches drip in browns and duns
                And thresh and ply;
                And hill-hid tides throb, throe on throe,
                 And meadow rivulets overflow,
                  And drops on gate-bars hang in a row,
                  And rooks in families homeward go,
                   And so  do I.


   Walking the dogs up the track earlier this morning, this second verse of Thomas Hardy came to mind. I too, made haste to cut the mandatory dog exercise short and return to the warm kitchen, where the wood-burner is keeping things snug and dry.
   And yet, it`s not cold and it is a magnificent sight to see the golden leaves streaming to leeward as the tall trees shed their dangerous wind-resistance. All is in order in the countryside and in due course we will be able to say ` This is the weather the Cuckoo likes` again.
  And in fact, a bit of blue sky up to windward has spread, and the sun is out again, better conditions for the afternoon, I expect!

  Bye for now, I hope your weather is being kind to you!