autumn – Donich Website

Blue Skies

donich_admin — Tue, 01 Sep 2015 20:29:52 +0000

This was the view out of the front door about 7:15am when R and I were setting off for our walk. It was quite cold though (no more than 6C) – so very fitting for R’s theory that 1st Sept is the first day of autumn.

Soon the boats will be coming off the Loch and the tourists disappearing for another year. I actually like it out of season here far better than in the summer…

Autumn on its way

donich_admin — Sat, 15 Aug 2015 15:36:16 +0000

This weekend is the last one of the Scottish school summer holidays, and last year we saw everything become much quieter locally after this point. Particularly the road into the village (single track) tends to become much less busy as we move into September. I don’t want to be accused of being nasty to our visitors, but I must say that some people who come to Lochgoilhead don’t really seem to understand the proper etiquette of a single track road, and either drive at 5mph the whole way, or barrel along completely ignoring the needs of the people coming in the opposite direction. The A83 which is the main road to Glasgow also starts to calm down, with generally less bikes, caravans and canoes (the canoes are not actually on the road – just on the top of cars).

I have to say that much as I love it here all year round, summer is by far my least favourite season. Too many people, too many midgies.

So roll on autumn, and in fact the trees are already dropping a few leaves. This time last year our plum tree was dripping with fruit and also dripping with wasps; this year there are a few green fruit and not a wasp in sight. Our apple trees seem in general to be doing better than last year though…

Busy, busy, busy

donich_admin — Mon, 17 Nov 2014 13:39:51 +0000

I just had a comment that I had not done a post recently. R and I have been super busy and this last weekend we both had to work. I really hate doing this as come the Monday afterwards I keep feeling it is Friday and the weekend is still to come.

Unfortunately, being busy has also coincided with some of the most beautiful weather we have ever seen here. Autumn, winter and (to a lesser extent) spring were terribly wet last year, and although the summer was surpassingly lovely, we did have the midgies to content with. But over the last few days we have had the sort of autumn weather you could kill for, crisp, clear and perfect weather for walking. It was pretty sad yesterday to only have an hour’s walk and then have to get back to work.

I did get a few nice pictures though – a couple from home in the morning and then some as the sun was setting. The loch was beautiful when we had our walk at lunchtime, but unfortunately the sun was shining right towards us so not good for photography.

Summer coming to an end here

donich_admin — Tue, 19 Aug 2014 19:34:42 +0000

Well it is feeling a bit autumnal here for all we are still in August. A few leaves are coming off the trees, the brambles are nearly ripe and the polytunnel and greenhouse are nearly empty after the last month of glut.

This evening R mowed the lawn (which doesn’t seem to be taking the hint about autumn and is still growing apace) and I cleared the decking of many of the annuals which had just gone to seed.

It was actually one of the nicest evenings I have seen – cool but bright (perhaps 12 degrees with the sun full out at 8pm). In general far more pleasant than a month ago when you just couldn’t have stood in the garden for more than about 30 seconds because of the midges.

In a way it is quite sad because summer is nearly over (and we are still not saved), but in a way I am glad because I think I like Lochgoilhead better out of season. It would be sensational if we could have a cold crisp autumn with morning frosts.

Tomorrow evening I will try to get my first crop of brambles. We nearly lost the apples to go with them yesterday when a small herd of red deer seemed to be getting perilously close to them – luckily R managed to chase them off. He calls them ‘the tick bags’ – I quite like them though if they attack my apples I may quickly change my opinion.