The Summer Is Ending

 

Here are the last 6 months of tree pictures - from barely any foliage in April up to this week when we got back from Manchester. My tree has stayed pretty much the same shape all year
The ground below is looking very parched, and I think the leaves are just on the edge of turning to their autumn colours.
We were very conscious as we drove up  and over the Pennines last Monday that there were clear signs of autumn the further north we went - and when we came back on Friday, this was even more apparent. 
The fig tree crop is over, the children are back at school, and next Sunday will be Harvest Festival at chapel...
I am glad for our climate here in the UK, each season has its own special beauty. [but for me, Spring is my favourite, with  new birth, fresh starts, Easter...]

What is your favourite season? Why?

The Green Leaves Of Summer

The tree does not really seemed to have changed since June - but notice that the crop beneath continues to change colour.

The music is the song from the 1960 film "The Alamo" . The lyrics have nothing whatsoever to do with that historic siege, nor yet Davy Crockett!

 

A Golden Carpet

 

I photographed my tree on Friday, still not much change - but around the base is now a rich golden carpet of blooms. The oil seed rape has come into flower. Rapeseed is the third largest source of vegetable oil, and the second largest source of protein meal in the world! The name rape comes from the Latin word rapum meaning turnip. The rapeseed cultivars bred specifically for oil are known as 'canola' and much of their development has been done in Canada. 

The downside for many people is that the pollen causes hayfever. But I think the flowers are lovely to look at, and I often use canola oil in my cooking. 
I hope my tree has lots of green leaves soon

A Tree For The Year

A number of bloggers choose a tree near them, and take a photo every month of the year. I dithered about this last January - and by March I realised it was too late to start. This year, I have been more organised and I 'found' my tree in December.
It is on the road out of the village [called Swanton Road] and just the other side of the farm which used to sell free range eggs. And less than 1 mile from my house. I can walk there, but there is a convenient place to pull in on the opposite site of the road. So this picture was taken from my car window...

I love its size and shape, and I think it is going to be fun to watch how it develops each month, as winter turns to spring. 

Do you have a special tree?