We seem to be having an odd autumn around here. I watched our local avenue of horse-chestnuts change from green to dusty brown without stopping at all in any part of the yellow/gold spectrum. Red seems to have been missed out almost completely – except for the holly berries which are trying very hard to fill the void. There are a few trees attempting to play the game, but it’s a half-hearted effort.
Then last week, the acres of green bracken suddenly turned a washed out beige.
Already though, this has begun to change, as the first light frost, followed by hours and hours of heavy rain, has started to turn the bracken black. And now it is all beginning to sag. Sometimes it feels like only yesterday that I was excitedly spotting the tightly curled emerging fronds, and now the vast growth, taller than me in lots of places, is all about to sink back to the ground.
Melancholy is supposed to be the emotion of the month, but I try hard not to go down that road – it can be too hard getting back. Instead I like to enjoy the changes.
I can already sense the woodland opening up as the leaves start to fall in greater amounts and the floor changes from a green mattress to a scrunchy brown and gold leafy carpet. Soon we’ll have a heavier frost and wake up to a spangled scene. And in the meantime, I relish the mornings when the sun streams through the canopy…
Impossible to feel melancholy with all that going on.
-)O(-
Mostly Motley 
Beautiful photo of the light streaming down. I’m also fighting the melancholy with sunlight. We just changed our clocks back and thankfully its now light when I get up in the morning!
Oh yes, that makes such a difference. Oddly enough, I find that lighting candles in the afternoon as it starts to go dark helps me too – maybe I find the candlelight comforting and a bit special, rather than dwelling on the short daylight. 🙂
Love that second photo. I too have noticed that the reds and yelows are in short supply this year maybe due to the lack of frosty nights. One advantage of the autumn is that once the leaves – even if not as colourful as usual – fall there is more light and distant views than when they are in full leaf so let’s look on the bright side!!
It’s a big help for me when the leaves fall because I can see other dogs approaching – and get the Delinquent Dog out of the way quicker! Every cloud…
A somewhat dingy autumn here too, though I’ve noticed the beeches and silver birches making a bit of an effort in the last week or so. 🙂 I love it when the big ash trees between us and the valley lose their leaves and the view opens up. Your photos are super.
Yes, funnily enough I spotted some colour in the beeches too this week – otherwise we’re definitely getting browner (thanks to the incessant rain).
The illuminated road photo is magical.
Mother Nature has all the best tricks…