Autumn's progress

October felt like an odd kind of month to me. I suffered a nasty cold that left me feeling surprisingly rough for the best part of three weeks. It seems to get harder to throw off such viruses these days, although having a flu vaccination in the middle perhaps wasn't, with hindsight, the best plan! Anyway, I've recovered now. I then had my youngest granddaughter to stay for a few days, and after that I went away for a short break, so I've been neglecting my local patch. A brisk walk along my 'usual route' was refreshing and it was interesting to see how far the colours have moved on since I last came this way. It hasn't been a spectacular autumn; it's been very mild and I believe the good colour only comes after a sharp frost. There are plenty of bright yellows but not so much in the way of amber and gold, and it's all rather patchy. Still pleasant though, and I always feel fortunate to have these beautiful paths to explore. Walking alongside water (in this case the canal and river) is always a pleasure. I saw the kingfisher again too, flying along the river, though it's so small and speedy that taking a photo of it seems impossible.