Dog Walking has been a real pleasure over the last few days (apart from the mud and subsequent hosing of dogs). The autumn colours have been exceptional – we may not have the reds found in North America (although some garden trees currently have red leaves) but there is a fantastic range of orange and yellow hues. Even the after work dog walk in a gathering dusk is enlightened by the foliage which seems to glow just as the last light disappears. Oak trees are a particularly vivid orange this year, and since the oak is the last to lose its leaves (and the last to produce new buds in spring) hopefully there is still a couple of weeks left of colour in the countryside.
Tonight’s dog walk was in complete darkness. I always have a head torch with me, but don’t use it for most of the time. There was clear starry sky, the large crescent of a new moon just above the horizon, the LED lights on the dog collars darting around the field like overactive fireflies, and a string of Chinese lanterns that had been launched from the top of Croft Hill floating across the sky.
Even on a dark November evening dog walking can be a pleasure.
Technically we live in Oaktree House, but sadly the tree had to go.
We now have a thriving Oakstump at the front of the house.
