Big Wood, Allestree, Derbyshire
As another week draws to a close, a week that follows some stormy weather, it is now much calmer, and surprisingly getting much brighter, as if summer is returning. Way past the mid point of October and we have temperatures of 18c (higher is some places) and some really bright summer sunshine. OK it is lower in the sky, so now sneaks into parts of the woods that miss out in high summer. As to autumn….well there are the odd sign that the change is starting, but for the most part it is still a green woodland scene.
Silver Birch are usually the first into leaf and the first to drop, this year the now dry leaves are hanging on. Likewise the Ash trees only need one touch of frost and there leaves will just drop. The seasonal success is Fungi which is starting to show.
No matter that the seasonal change isn’t exactly to time… it is still great to be out in the woods.
Perhaps it is the Lake that has accepted that autumn is on the way!
The only thing for sure is that we cannot hang on to summer forever and autumn then winter will follow 🙂
20th October
(C) David Oakes 2018
DAVID OAKES - IMAGES. 
Yes the mushrooms are in abundance but wait snow next month apparently – I have a feeling we will pay for summer.
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We have a local weather watcher and predicter who is trotted out by the Local Radio Station to tells us what the future has in store. Two weeks ago he said October would start wet and finish with an Indian summer, November would be mixed (!) and it would snow in December (!!). So there you have it…… well as far as I can recall we have always had ‘some’ snow in December. November we can look forward to ‘mixed’. Did I say he was an amateur forecaster 🙂
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Ice on the car windscreen yesterday, lots of mist and a chill in the morning air! it may still be warm, but winter is definitely on its way!
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Ice on the screen….now that is a bad sign! We still need autumn ‘proper’ to arrive but we may just slip straight into winter 🙂
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and each is lovely in its time
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Lately, our News had an item on our well known trees that make out our woods and forests. Such as Birch, beech, oak, chesnut etc. Last summer had been particularly grimm for them and when Global Warming gets any worse, these trees will move North, where they will have a better chance than here. (latitude, so all over the world in fact). Your own BBC had an item on it: https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-35496350
Thinking about this, I find it rather shocking. Having to see our native trees die off and hope that trees from Southern Europa will replace them more or less. Young birches were planted here in our new park. Most of them didn’t make it through the summer. They did not get water, because we still have a water shortage and rivers run very low now. It is so sad to see young trees die. Not one, but dozens. On top we got the moth that devours Box plants. Some great topiary changed from bright green in dul beige and the poison of the moths is in the soil. You cannot plant anything anymore after your Box died is what I am told.
The photo’s are wonderful. They remind me of the better years. Sorry, I ‘m a bit moody…
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Not a happy thought…. but we just have to take any actions we can
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