Autumn
Is here. Much cooler days and nights and the first skeins of geese have been sighted and heard honking their way south adn the cyclamen are in full bloom in the woodland fernery although in the last couple of days a chiff chaff has been heard calling out regularly.
It's the season of mists and mellow fruitfulness, well so far no mists but unfortunately no fruitfulness either, it's been such a poor year for fruit. There are (or were) quite a lot of berries but they're being eaten up quite quickly which our local farmer soothsayer says means a gentle winter because the birds are not saving the berries. No sloes either so perhaps that's warm toes?
Although Autumn might have arrived some people think that means Christmas is here, this tweet came through from WWF this morning -
in reply, yes it probably is, although adopting a rhino is a good idea and we know you need to get in early as the Christmas season creeps ever earlier. (And if I'm honest I've done half my shopping already). But to have Christmas hurled at you so early is a bit much, it's not even Michaelmas yet never mind Hallo'een and the card shop in town already has the Christmas cards out and the local Co-op is selling mince pies in boxes with festive snow and holly but at least we don't have any decorated trees up yet unlike the Old Post Office bar in Linlithgow who put their up last week. See the report in the Daily Record. We're in favour of keeping all Christmas commercial activities in check until after Armistice. That way you can enjoy it more (spend less time getting stressed over it all).
Having said all that - You have to be prepared so if you've got your Christmas activities and events organised or have planned any courses for over the winter and into next year don't forget to send details to Helen for free inclusion on the Training Directory, we've had quite a few brochures through already but there's always room for more. (116 courses going online today).
The office has been busy but subdued this week. Busy because we've been covering for AW who with her and family has had a week's holiday in lowland Scotland, we hope the weather held for them and it wasn't too blowy; subdued because occasional office hound Finnegan has been hospitalised again for yet more emergency surgery, peritonitis this time, it was touch and go for a while and although he's home at last he's still very poorly and not out of the woods yet.
Being busy means a big edition this week, twenty pages in total, over seven pages of news, the training calendar for November which is five pages and then there's the jobs of which we've got 39 this week,31 came to us direct and not forgetting the 18 adverts for volunteers.
It's the season of mists and mellow fruitfulness, well so far no mists but unfortunately no fruitfulness either, it's been such a poor year for fruit. There are (or were) quite a lot of berries but they're being eaten up quite quickly which our local farmer soothsayer says means a gentle winter because the birds are not saving the berries. No sloes either so perhaps that's warm toes?
Although Autumn might have arrived some people think that means Christmas is here, this tweet came through from WWF this morning -
in reply, yes it probably is, although adopting a rhino is a good idea and we know you need to get in early as the Christmas season creeps ever earlier. (And if I'm honest I've done half my shopping already). But to have Christmas hurled at you so early is a bit much, it's not even Michaelmas yet never mind Hallo'een and the card shop in town already has the Christmas cards out and the local Co-op is selling mince pies in boxes with festive snow and holly but at least we don't have any decorated trees up yet unlike the Old Post Office bar in Linlithgow who put their up last week. See the report in the Daily Record. We're in favour of keeping all Christmas commercial activities in check until after Armistice. That way you can enjoy it more (spend less time getting stressed over it all).
Having said all that - You have to be prepared so if you've got your Christmas activities and events organised or have planned any courses for over the winter and into next year don't forget to send details to Helen for free inclusion on the Training Directory, we've had quite a few brochures through already but there's always room for more. (116 courses going online today).
The office has been busy but subdued this week. Busy because we've been covering for AW who with her and family has had a week's holiday in lowland Scotland, we hope the weather held for them and it wasn't too blowy; subdued because occasional office hound Finnegan has been hospitalised again for yet more emergency surgery, peritonitis this time, it was touch and go for a while and although he's home at last he's still very poorly and not out of the woods yet.
Being busy means a big edition this week, twenty pages in total, over seven pages of news, the training calendar for November which is five pages and then there's the jobs of which we've got 39 this week,31 came to us direct and not forgetting the 18 adverts for volunteers.