A Cheat

This year we had a wonderful summer, weather-wise, according to my memory.    However, my young granddaughter recalls it as a wet summer.   We live right next door to one another...

Memory is a bit of a cheat, I know,  selecting certain memories, erasing others.  We had lots of sunshine and heat, too little rain - perhaps too much heat, for some.       I can only think that perhaps there was a rare day of rain which spoiled some outing or other for her.

So far we have had a beautiful autumn, lots of sunshine and some wonderfully warm days with blue skies, brilliant sunshine.   The drift of bonfire smoke on the air, crunchy leaves underfoot and even the occasional butterfly enjoying the warmth.    I need to fix those wonderful days in my memory.

The last few days have been cold, a seeping creeping type of cold.     We have had very heavy rain showers, sleet, hail and lead grey skies.    Even those trees which normally blaze out a fiery red and orange are dull and dismal.

Recent walks along the old railway line have been squelchy and muddy.    The colours  mainly purplish browns, brownish greens, greyish brown and dirty yellow/yellowish brown.   Lots of browns.  Rather like walking through a bowl of soggy bran flakes.   

The hedgerows are still beautifully illuminated by orange and red rosehips and I had the pleasure of spotting a family of rabbits scampering away, and some very quiet female pheasants, refugees from the weekend shoot and, most excitingly, two large and very beautiful deer.     Soggy bran flakes, it seems, have some advantages over crisp and crunchy ones.

Yesterday, I reached the point where I either turn back and retrace my steps, or cut through the fields and byways and enter the village on the far side from Parsonage Cottage.     The wind suddenly became fierce, blowing in from the north, heavy rain fell.   I pulled up my hood, the wind blew it down.   We fought all the way home, he won.   I was drenched.

There came a point where even Toby, the dog who really doesn't like getting wet, realised that it was futile to take his usual detours around puddles, trying to avoid wetting his paws because he was drenched, too.     

He is a Labrador crossed with something,  possibly a cat, given his dislike of water.

The jury is out.   Will my memories be of sunshine or rain, warmth or cold?

Today dawned frosty and very cold but the sun has been shining brightly.   The colours have been restored, thanks to the brilliant sunshine.   It clouded over for a while, but the sunshine is back.  Another splendid truly autumnal day.  Trees are acquiring a different kind of beauty, their stripped back winter form,  structure on show.   A different kind of beauty, but I like it.

Now I have run out of time, lost the thread of what I was going to say. 

Ah, well!