I smell Autumn.....!

I know it is far too early, but I truly smell Autumn in the air today. Everything tells me it is already here today -the temperature has dropped, the wind is blustering and the sky is that super-intense blue with the sun blazing but the heat is just not quite reaching the earth. And mostly, I can smell the crispness in the air.

All of these are typical of our early Autumn weather here. Strange thing is, it is only mid January! Spring doesn't start officially here until March.

Yesterday we were slapping on the sunscreen and hats, today it was socks and hoodies just to play outside in the backyard! When I was younger, it could never be too hot for me, 40 was bliss. But now, by the end of summer I am pleased to see the back of the scorching heat and searing, bushfire-risk temperatures.

The highest temp this afternoon outside has been 21 degrees c, what a change from the high 30's of last week. Apparently they are on their way back later in the week, but hey, I've seen a glimpse and I'm telling you ...... Autumn will be here before we know it. I'm looking forward to it already!

Autumn in my garden

I just love Autumn in the mountains ...
































I was despairing yesterday at the state of our back 'garden' since gettting our chooks (the price of free-ranging!) They have destroyed a lot of the soil, scratching up too much and turning areas into dustbowls. So I am trying to focus on the nicer aspects today, if I look up to the trees and not at the ground it seems so much better !!!


We have 9 maples in our back garden, and a few at the front. At this time of year they do look their best as the leaves start to turn ..... some just starting to change quietly to soft yellows and pinky-orange, others (like the one above in my front garden) screaming scarlet red.


The trees mark a definite season here, and I love that about this area. Somedays it feels as though Autumn is sort of lost somewhere summer and winter, as we can have gusts of really cold wintery weather, then strangely warm again for days. So it's reassuring to be reminded we live in a part of Australia that does have 4 definite seasons (the little bit of English left in me likes that!) and what better to remind us than our own back gardens.


:-)