Autumn

It's almost, but not quite, winter up here.

We've had -7C for a few days a week or so ago, but now it's +5 again.

All the annuals are dead, except for a mauritania mallow which manages to hang on and keep flowering.

All the perennials have withdrawn to their roots.

A half-hearted storm ripped the last prettily yellow or red leaves off the trees last night, so things are going towards the dreary black of november.

Things will perk up again when the snow comes, of course. Then, the landscape will be all shiny sparkly white, and there'll be skiing, snowmen, snowballs, and the yearly washing of carpets and woolen sweaters in the snow (= you put them on clean moist snow, add more moist snow on top, and jump on them for a while).

Until then, we can look forward to dark and darker mornings and evenings, as our days get shorter and shorter.