Scenting change

It’s the fourth week of August and my keen Spaniel nose is scenting a subtle change in the countryside around me here in West Cornwall that tells me Autumn is on its way.

The temperature is dropping, the leaves are losing that bright summer green and the blackberries are coming on a treat, as I know only too well from the ones I have managed to snaffle on our recent walks.

In the morning, my long ears get very damp with the heavy dew and my nose is forever getting caught up in spiders’ webs everywhere. When I am having my afternoon nap under the St John’s Wort hedge, I can see the swifts wheeling madly about the telephone lines twittering away as they prepare to head off to warmer places.

In the evening, there seems to be a very short time between my supper and having to go out and shut the hens up and do a final site patrol before I can curl up on the rug. And I’ve noticed the humans have already brought in some logs, which are drying nicely on the slate fireplace in anticipation of those colder times to come.

But the summer isn’t quite over with plenty of visitors still here and I’m hoping there may just be a few more dog days of the season to enjoy.