This past week or so has just been wonderful hasn't it, beautiful blue skies, golden sunshine and a warmth that has been lacking for months. To lift your head and feel the heat of the sun smiling down on your face, to close your eyes and yet still sense the orange warmth that seems to reflect all around us, has been uplifting, energising and makes us thankful for these last few truly golden days of late Summer.
Even without the truly abysmal summer that we have just had, there is a sense of the specialness of these days, of one season spilling into another, of things running their natural course. We have been out walking on the Downs and really, really enjoying the moment. Impromptu picnics on top of the hillsides, wondering at the change in colours, grasses that were just a while back lush and green, now bleached by the sun, ready to move on and slip into the gentleness of Autumn.
Did anybody see the harvest moon last week? It was beautiful. You can smell the onset of Autumn now in the mornings, it is so exciting. I do love summer but it so often brings with it so much promise and hope and leaves us feeling cheated. At least with Autumn you know where you are. As the door on Summer closes and we catch glimpses of our Autumn, we know that with or without the sunshine, the leaves will colour and fall, the air will smell excitingly of change and any sunshine that comes our way will be golden.
Last week I walked through the park to the dreaded dental appointment and pinched myself for not taking my camera, the gardens were just beautiful, rows of dahlias, late summer blooms holding their heads high to the sunshine, whilst under the trees the squirrels were busy and through the bushes the bees and butterflies got on with their daily business.
We had friends over this weekend to celebrate my birthday. I picked the last roses from the garden to put on our table, Little Sister spent the day on the hammock reading, the cats slowly melted in the sun, our friends arrived early evening sunkissed from their walk on the Downs, and we ended the evening cheeks flushed from laughing, wine and the warmth of the fire blazing in the living room. As we opened the door to say goodbye to them, the chill of the air that greeted us reminded us that change was on its way, and it's exciting.
33 comments:
I love the excitement of a new season dawning upon us, autumn has to be my favourite season, I got married in autumn, and the dewy autumn smells takes me straight back to our lovely romantic day, cold, yet the sun was shining brightly X
It is lovely to have this extra burst of summer isn't it? We've been going to the beach and making the most of it.
Yvonne
Hi Kim Doesn't it prove what a little bit of sunshine can do, your photo's are great and they portray just how I felt this weekend. I love Autumn especially when the weather is kind, I don't mind the frosts either. Glad you had a super birthday.
lots of hugs Lynn xx
Oh, I love a new season! Your pictures of the downs are wonderful. We keep talking about making a trip for some camping as neither of us have been.
x
Such beautiful pictures Kim! We had beautiful clear skies for moon viewing last week too. And the evenings are getting shorter (well, they're really the same length, but you know what I mean!) -- change is definitely on the way!
What beautiful pictures, thanks for sharing them. The moon was so bright last week it shone in my bedroom window so brightly that I thought I had left a light on:-)
Your lovely description of Fall sounds just like ours only...does Tobabcco grow there? Because what I smell outdoors is the barns hanging with tobbaco and the woodsmoke coming out from them. I hate the smell of cigarettes but love the smell of these barns each year!
Your birthday gifts were sweet! I also HATE to go to the dentist.
I love how you write! It makes me want to come and drink wine with you!
love love love this post!
(Happy belated birthday, I don't know, call myself a blog friend!!)
I love autumn as it is my favorite season but oftentimes it is also a bit of a cool version of summer here in Holland. We have enjoyed autumn sunshine with chilled mornings and evenings for weeks now. Just perfect! I love being able to wrap a shawl around me outdoors and yes, there is a wonderful smell as well as the feast for the eyes. Our leaves are starting to change.
I am so glad you had a wonderful birthday my friend!
How did you dentist's appointment go?
Hugs ~
Heidi
Autumn is slowly creeping into our garden too...yet for the past week we have had the most glorious weather,here in Devon!
I love your photos ;-)
Oh yes how glorious the eekend has been - and how much I am looking forward to the changing of the seasons - I always find this time of year so exciting and full of promise.
Your have done these golden days great justice with your words and photos..
It is a time of year I embrace wholeheartedly.. the thought of colder days and a sense of hibernation is most welcome..Time to dig out the woollies and hottie! Not forgetting the winciette..
Dxx
Here, here, I'm with you on all of that. Autumn is so much more satisfying than summer, I can't wait to light the fire!
Julia xx
True enough that you know where you are with Autumn. It is a comforting, and comfortable time. But I did enjoy the sun!
just beautiful pictures! t.x
I used to be a dental nurse, but have never in my entire 40 years visited a dentist. Yes before you ask I do have a full set of my own teeth. Hee Hee. I did ask to get numbed up one time from my employer so I could feel what it was like. I may have to go for the first time in my life as I have a loose wisdom tooth giving me jip, but having been at the 'horrible end' of things as a nurse it makes me more nervous.
Great post!
M ^..^
Glad you had a lovely birthday, Kim :o) And speaking of lovely, that last floral photo here is a charmer. These days really are golden days as we say goodbye to summer and welcome in autumn. I love all the possibility that comes with a change of seasons! Happy Autumn Days to you & yours ((HUGS))
We too made the most of the recent glorious weather, it was a little cruel however and made me feel that summer was on its way!!
Just caught up on your blog. Fabulous presents. Those very P.J's and matching dressing gown were on my xmas list but I'll have to try them first now I think! Thanks for the warning.
I have the same bag in Antique Rose oilcloth from the summer. I LOVE it, great size and fab for sticking on the back of the pushchair when it rains! I do love the green one.
Happy Belated Birthday
Jane. x
Oh Kim! you make autumn sound like another country instead 300 miles south of my domain. I envy you your 'big skies' something my husband and I miss from our early years in the sunny south. Re my little knitted ducks, the two sisters might like to use them as a cross stitch pattern, easy to follow and very effective. There will be some little elephants following soon! Eli
Beautiful photographs of late summer charms...
Thanks for sharing
cielo
Glad to hear that you had a great time! Something about an open Fire I think...ours has been lit since about Mid-August as our House is soooo cold!! x
I think the onset of autumn is exciting, though I doubt I would have said that in July or August! =) One thing for certain is that the beaches are much quieter (grin-grin)! And I can leave the windows open for that late afternoon breeze, which makes the house smell lovely in the evening. We haven't had our woodstove on yet, but a neighbor up on a hill overlooking the beach did, and the smoke wafted down and made the neihgborhood smell heavenly! I'm with you, Kim, this autumnal change is exciting!
Hi, Hope you had a fab birthday. We had wonderful weather over the weekend, but are paying for it now! I know what you mean about things beind exciting, this is my favourite time of the year. Can't wait to turn the clocks back and draw the curtains on the darkness and snuggle up with a good book.
Rosie x
This wonderful week has certainly lifted my spirits. You are right, there is something about the sun in Autumn that gives everything such a nice glow.
Thank you my birthday card Kim. I hope your day was special too.
I am off now for a nap...we leave 5 hours !
Cxx
The picture of the berries & the fallen leaf is just gorgeous! For once, I think I'm actually anticipating Autumn =) Blessings... Polly
I think you're right about autumn. It gives you what you expect and no more, no less. Plus it is quite stunning in colour.
Oh how I wish we had "seasons" here. We have summer and winter. It started to cool off but has climbed back to the 90's today. There was one day when it was so nice that I sat outside and read my book on my swing. I need more of those kinds of days. Enjoy your beautiful weather.
It jolly well IS exciting. I love this time of year, when the rain dries up and frosty mornings emerge in their place.
Did you ever sing 'Autumn Days' when you were at school? When the grass is jewelled, and the silk inside a chestnut shell..tum tum tee tum...love that song!x
Beautiful pictures; I also love Autumn. Glad to see you had a very lovely birthday ... :0)
Wonderful photos......I especially love the first shot.
Thankyou for capturing just a little bit of the late summer for me. Here in Wales it has just been so dull, wet and gloomy ALL summer, and so we have been making the most of the brighter spell, especially out in the garden. Thanks for sharing your last roses of summer too - I have just a tiny few on the Crimson Showers, but they won't hang around for long.
P.S. I am very envious of your WONDERFUL haul of birthday books. I have a slight, ahem, addiction to books . . .
It's been nice here to the past few days, still chilly on a night tho. Lovely pic of the butterfly.
Lisa x
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