Equinox

The autumnal equinox is upon us. 

 At about 2.54 am the sun will be directly over the equator, night and day will be of equal length and we will enter into autumn.

The equinoctial gales have made their presence felt by scattering the apples over the lawn and breaking some of the more heavily laden boughs.

Kilos of windfalls have been carted off to the cider makers in exchange for last year's cider and the bigger branches sawed up to dry out for the stove come winter's chill.

Some clung on  even as the branch broke

The autumn crocuses have survived the blast as has, surprisingly, the delicate Harvest Lily.

The swallows are long gone

We await the arrival of the fieldfares and redwings and have left enough of the windfalls for them.

Bruised and starting to rot, these are a magnet for the butterflies, the red admirals in particular, now that the storm has passed and the sun is warming their wings again.

The harvest moon is almost full... a day or two to go.

The hairst, the Scots for harvest, is done. The fields have a shaved look with their designer stubble already being ploughed under.

The year has moved into a new phase.