We've finally made it to autumn, my favourite of all the seasons. I start looking forward to autumn on the summer solstice, which was December 21 last year, the longest day of the year and the start of shortening days. After that, even though we still have a lot of heat and humidity to endure, little by little I know it's trickling slowly down towards autumn, cool days, warm cardigans, flannel sheets, hearty homemade soups and lambswool Ugg slippers.
It's now the fourth day of autumn in Australia and the coolness has come early to our area this year. I think it's still warm north and south of us. On Saturday night Hanno woke up cold and had to put another quilt on the bed. So yesterday, I carried out one of my favourite annual rituals - making the first winter bed, with flannel sheets and an extra layer on top. It's such a defining moment when I think about the coming season, when we'll be working in the vegetable garden, cooking and baking warm food in the kitchen and closing the doors and windows early to keep the cooler air out.
The strange weather is continuing. We've had so much rain here - since the beginning of the year 42 wet days and 20 dry days. This is our wet season but usually we'd get a handful of storms in the afternoon and evening, not all day rain for weeks. I am grateful for it though. It's drenched the gardens and given the trees and land the boost they need after a six month drought. Our local dam is full again.
Ernie and I start our workshops this week and I'm looking forward to it very much. We'll get the update on the bookings tomorrow but last week the blogging ones were almost all booked out. There will be more writing workshops than blogging workshops and I have to admit, it's the writing sessions I'm looking forward to the most. I don't claim to be a master writer but I'm keen to share what I do know with my community and, hopefully, get others on the road to self expression.
I'm writing this on a cloudy Sunday afternoon and it's just started raining again. Soon we'll have dinner, and after I tidy up and do a spot of knitting, I'll have a shower and get into that fluffy winter bed and listen to the rain on the roof. In the meantime though, corn beef and cabbage are slowly cooking in the kitchen so I'd better get a wriggle on.
What is your favourite time of year?
