Anybody else glad it's Autumn?

Do let us know how he/she gets on.

Am currently in Bannf Canada with my son DIL and beautiful grandaughter for my sons 30th birthday today.
Heavy fall of snow last night with zero visibility.....magical.....first snow this year

Got the last of the logs into the wood shed this morning and DH has cut up the odd bits of wood that seem to pile up in the summer. So weare already for those lovely cold Sunday afternoons, sitting inside with the stove lit and the lights on watching the weather 9rain and wind).

Roll on Autumn.

Right hand side of garden nearly cleared. Just got to tackle rose bed - and under plant with Rozanne and agastche. Planted up new shrub border today just waiting for climbing roses to be delivered. All white and yellow and shrubs had to be white or yellow and as fragrant as possible. Got to wait now to see if it works.

The excitement of it all made my typing go all over the place!

Oh Granjura, how sad. I don't suppose there are any cat rescue organisations near you? Ours would trap the cat, and take it to vet.

Monica, that sounds lovely, getting all the logs and kindling ready. Sounds really cosy.

Can I join you, please, monica?

Love September with early mists and promise of colourful trees, autumn walks and cosy longer evenings.

We had a walk this morning and, getting caught in a sudden squall, sheltered in a stand of horse chestnut trees until it blew through. Conkers are always a herald of Autumn for me. Problem is now, what the devil am I going to do with the pocket full of conkers I couldn't resist picking up?? Any small boys around?

They are so tactile aren't they? I do just the same and find them hard to resist. I notice a small horse chestnut is growing by the side wall just by the entrance of my mums flats. Probably someone like us with a pocketful who off loaded them before they went indoors!

I'll always remember how sad and disappointed I was, aged perhaps 5- when I discovered that the wonderful conkers I had collected had turned mouldy and dull

Well, this topic has certainly divided us clearly- seems that autumn is a bit like Marmite- you either love it or hate it.

I'd love a real fire, but we made the decision to have a gas "coal" fire installed because of the work involved in a real one, but I do so envy those with real fires.

We've just bought an electric 'real fire'. Its unbelievably realistic -infinitely variably flickering flames and even smoke! Great heat and economical too. Even the cat loves to curl up in front of it. Autumn nights? Lovely!

Wot, you are very welcome! We had the stove put in after a piece of wood we put on the open fire exploded and a piece went over the fireguard and set a chair on fire. Thankfully I was in the room at the time and managed to dowse it with a cushion. But it was quite frightening how quickly an ember became flames. After that we never left the room empty for even a minute if the fire was lit, which got very tedious, so we installed a stove.

Anyway to continue my autumn ramblings , we had our first 'winter' lunch today, a portion of venison stew from the freezer, left from last winter, with red cabbage and roast root veg followed by a baked apple. Then I made some apple chutney.

And I'll stay for lunch, if I may because it sounds delicious!

Greyduster The conkers will discourage spiders from moving into the house if you put them wherever they sneak in. I intend to get some from around the zoo at the meet-up on Friday. There are some magnificent horse chestnut trees there. It is probably a bad idea to load my pockets too much and have extra weight to carry around up and down the hill, but I will forget that when I see them gleaming through their shells.

I love Autumn, all the delicious casseroles that I can do in my slow cooker, watching the leaves change, the smell of wood smoke from my neighbours chimney, having the excuse to draw the curtains and shut the dark our. oh yes what's not to like!

Bbnan I am deeply envious of your Bannf visit and snowfall. Is the all year Christmas shop still there?

Actually, Elegran that's probably the last thing I'd do with them. I'm one of those strange people who are quite fond of spiders! ?

I would rather discourage them than put them out or kill them. I could send them to you in a matchbox?

Only if they are of the most respectable sort! I'm choosy about my lodgers! Have you vetted them?

At this time of year it is the big ones with long legs that are moving in. I have not interrogated them about their respectability. They won't stand still long enough.

It might have to be a Swan Vesta matchbox. They won't fit in the smaller ones.

Elegran