Despite my love of warm weather, I think Autumn has to be my favourite time of year. There is something about the nights drawing in, the early morning nip in the air and nature’s stunning display of reds and golds through the trees. Between the social buzz of the summer and the chaos of Christmas, the few months in between give me space to pause and relax. And the dogs love it too. Without the constant in and out of boarding dogs, they get Mum time and I’m sure my ambient mood adds to their good spirits. Chasing each other through the thick bed of leaves underfoot and the bombardment of kamikaze squirrels, a dog’s life is pretty good right now. The only downside is the amount of outside that they bring inside, a white walled extension was probably not the best idea.
Perhaps it is my current state of mind or perhaps my love of the autumnal months that brings out reflection. Tony loved the change of season, I think mainly because the football started again but he always preferred cooler weather. It’s also the time when we went on holiday although those got rarer as life got busier. Some of my best memories however are of those trips abroad, Tony loved flying unlike me but the destination was always worth it. Maybe one day, I’ll revisit some of those places but for the moment, I’m happy to let the thoughts flow over me like a warm blanket.
Despite the inclement weather (someone up there really needs to put the plug back in), it looks like the forecast is for clearer skies and colder days. Now that I’m solely in charge of the heating, the house is lovely and toasty and the extension allows for so much more light throughout the day. I’ve dug out the turtlenecks, dusted off the woollen hats and untangled the scarves. I’ve yet however to find one matching pair of gloves and Alice has already chewed through one pair of furry boots. Still it’s my birthday next week, you know the day that everyone celebrates by dressing up in ridiculous costumes and eating their body weight in sugar? And I turn 35 backwards. And I’m looking forward to it. Autumn, the woofers and me….
“The greatest pleasure of a dog is that you may make a fool of yourself with him, and not only will he not scold you, but he will make a fool of himself, too” (Samuel Butler)
Widow plus woofs 