Looking For Signs Of Autumn...

The blackberries came early, the figs didn't ripen properly, the weather has been really warm even though we are in mid October. So are there other signals that we are moving into Autumn? The shops sell "back to school bargains" before the Summer Term ends, and Halloween and Christmas displays went up in August. But here are three definite markers...

1 - The Royal British Legion have put their poppies on sale. They say there are no actual rules about when to wear them, but suggest from October 31st to Armistice Day [11th November] or Remembrance Sunday, whichever is later. [this year November 8th]

2 - Last Thursday we called in at  my favourite affordable hatshop in Dalegate Market. The manager has removed the displays of cotton bucket hat, floppy straw sunhats and natty cream panamas with petersham hatbands.  In their place are

fleecy beanies, fluffy bobbles, felted numbers, tweedy titfers,and earflapped jobbies. 

"I've gone fully woolly!" she announced. Or should that be "fully wully" or maybe "foolly woolly"? It is a phrase which sounds better than it looks! 

But I saw the definitive sign that autumn is on its way, as I stood at my kitchen sink the other morning, poking through the window to see what was happening in the Close. 

3 - Naked Running Man was wearing a teeshirt and a woolly hat! [Obviously NRM is not his real name]. He appeared at the start of the summer. He runs a loop round the village, once, sometimes twice a day. We are the middle of the run, I think - like the dog walkers, he comes round the Close, then through the alley back to the main road, and back down the hill again.

He is a young chap, always pushing a baby in a three wheeled "jogging buggy" But over the summer, he just wore trainers, a reversed baseball cap and running shorts. As he run towards you, the buggy in front of him, his shorts were obscured, and it really looked as if he was just wearing shoes and cap. All you could see was his trim, bronzed figure.[Remember those Diet Coke Break ads from the 1990s?] He is concentrating really hard, I suspect he is training for something. People who call out a cheery 'morning!" get a smile and a nod of the head, but he has no time [or breath] for conversation. I admire his diligence, especially now the weather is definitely getting autumnal. If he is preparing for a charity run, I would definitely sponsor him, he brings a smile to the morning.

What signs of autumn have you seen round your way?