It’s been a very quiet few days of late, work has begun to slow down, the days are becoming shorter, the weather is becoming much more autumnal and the nights, once spent sat outside enjoying the long hot summer nights with friends around the table, are now replaced with evenings hanging around the house. The sound of birds singing and glasses clinking have been replaced with sounds of laughter and the occasional crack of the logs on the wood burner filling the house.

This time of year is the favourite season of both Mrs Bob and me. Not only do we have our local beauty spots like Dartmoor National Park and many  beaches back to ourselves for another year, but while the tourists depart and return back to their hometowns, the roads become clearer and parking is less of a nightmare. On top of this, the weather is more to our taste. We both prefer the cold, and I’m rather partial to the occasional rainy afternoon sat watching the birds on the feeders from my comfy chair at the back of the house. There is just something so very relaxing watching around about 15 sparrows and various other birds. It’s like a soap-opera type story with all of the birds having different characters and personalities.

We have also now sorted the garden lawns, cut bushes, trimmed trees and all the garden furniture has been put away in the summer house. The rest has been covered over to protect it from whatever the impending winter can throw at it. We also have a hedgehog habitat this year with special food, so we can do our bit to help them over the winter season. So, as I sit writing this watching the rain and the latest episode in the feathered soap opera on my window, I’m reminded that many people long for the cold and the dark of winter to be over. Strangely, though, for my wife and me it’s a welcome and relaxing break for us to recharge our batteries before the madness of the season grasps us once again.

Stay safe X