Autumn

I think Autumn is truly here.

To me, autumn usually starts in September (when the schools in the UK start back with the autumn term and then there's always the harvest festivals and so on) the weather always seemed to switch onto a cooler setting as soon as August changed to September but this year has been....weird!
In the last week we went from an almost Indian summer (no coat required, maybe a cardigan or knitted jacket, but no more) to full blown Winter, frost on the ground, iced over cars and gloves needed to walk the dog. Madness!

But then today we awake to grey skies and heavy persistant drizzle - autumn has decided to appear after all!

I think I'd rather miss out on the dankness that autumn brings and go straight into the crispness of winter actually. At least then I don't have to put up with wet dog, muddy boots and the threat of my umbrella blowing inside out!

The Germans like to decorate their front doors according to the season, there's often a wreath of some kind on the door (no matter the season) and from September onwards the front doors have pumpkins of all manner of shapes and sizes squatting outside, not carved for Hallowe'en, just placed in a decorative arrangement (the carved ones appear just for the week of Hallowe'en at the houses where there are children in residence). After Hallowe'en and into proper winter (but well before the official Christmas period) they decorate their houses with lights, the actual Christmas stuff only goes up on December 24th - needless to say it gives me great glee to put my tree and decorations up as soon as possible in December, just to ensure that they can walk past our house and huff at the outrageous foreigners!! They really shouldn't stare!