Here and there: Autumn

It's Halloween today, but it's really not the celebration here that you have, and certainly nothing will be happening in my house. Next week will be Guy Fawkes' Night, or Bonfire Night, which was a much bigger deal than Halloween when I was a child. I am hoping it doesn't rain, and the Prof and I, plus the Young Philosopher and Miss S if they are around, will be wrapping up warm with scarves and gloves and heading off to the local firework display, stopping at the local chippy for a big bag of English chips to keep our hands warm. I don't know if you have 'English' chip shops? they are not like a bit like American fries, though I like those too, but they can't compare to a big bag of steaming hot chips, liberally doused with salt and vinegar.

I love the colours of autumn, though don't see much of them where I live. Unless we go out for a drive in the country, the only trees I see are here and there along some of the residential streets, like the tree in the photograph, which is across the road from my house. In the other photos are the pyracantha which grows along my fence, and the virginia creeper in my back garden - every year it loses its leaves just as it starts to go red, such a shame. I found a few rare red leaves to photograph, it's mostly bare now.

At the weekend the clocks went back, and now it will be dark so much earlier in the evenings. I love these chilly autumnal evenings, the curtains drawn early, the fire blazing, feeling warm and cosy on the sofa, and the knowledge that it will soon be Christmas.