Early Autumn

There was lots of autumn colour to photograph on my walk yesterday morning, more than usual I thought for early October.

Once home, I looked back at last years photos ( isn't it convenient how all the photo information is stored on the computer - so easy to compare dates) and it looks as if autumn is about 10 days maybe two weeks earlier this year.

I wonder if it is the lack of rain. The photo below is our village pond. It always does dry out in summer but there is usually a very soggy muddy bit in the middle. By this time of year it is starting to fill up again but its been dry for so long that grass has started to grow on the bottom. I wonder if all the frogs and newts are safely buried somewhere.

Whatever the reason, the early autumn colour was brilliant in the sunshine.

Common Field Maple

Hawthorn

Ash

Oak

The weather today is the opposite of yesterday and as I have been writing this, it has started to rain (which is a nuisance as I have a load of washing in the machine and I hate draping wet washing around the house!) so perhaps the pond will be a bit more pond-like in a while.