One hazy, autumn day please

Autum is my favourite time of the year.  

The reason for this is probably because I was born at the end of April.  There is something about this time of year that I find magically special.  Is it the cool, darker mornings, and the hazy, sunny afternoons?  Is it the thick mist on the road to Stellenbosch every morning?  It could be the fact that the trees are turning their leaves into all my favourite colours which make my blood pump faster - red, scarlet, burgundy, orange, amber, tangerine, yellow.

Is it because winter is creeping closer and that soon we'll be nesting around fires with fat glasses of ruby port and creamy bowls of steaming butternut soup?  

It could be that I'm excited about dressing for cooler weather.  Think scarves (I love scarves!), thick jackets and coats, stockings, boots, even fluffy gloves and beanies.  I love to wrap myself up in layers of wonderful, comfortable clothes in a variety of vibrant colours.  

Another reason could be that soon the winter rains will arrive.  Days and days of glorious rain.  Can you think of anything more fantastic?  Fresh streams of water carrying leaves and tiny pieces of plants with them before sinking deep, deep into the heart of the earth.  The sound of heavy rain on a tin roof does something to my soul.  It makes me feel safe, it makes me feel invigorated, it makes me feel quietly and happily excited to be alive. There is very little that can beat that!  The smell of rain is like a drug - a drug I started developing an addiction for when I was still a little girl.  I remember quite a few smells from my childhood, but one of the strongest remains the smell of rain.  The smell of rain in the air, when it's still on the way.  The smell of rain when it flops down on dry earth.  It smells green; it smells alive. It smells like home, like heaven, like happiness.

Here's to a happy autumn for all of you!

The Liquid Amber tree in our garden is also starting to change colour!  I love this tree.

PS: I've just noticed that I wrote a similar post almost a year ago!  I remember posting a picture of the tree before, so I went back to have a look and there it was.  :)  Some things never change!