Autumn Term

At this time of year our employers give us new diaries for next year. Suddenly the clocks start whirring faster and the next three months will disappear in a blur. We have already finalised our programmes for next year before sending them out to be printed. In a way, it almost feels like 2010 is already here. The summer holidays are just a memory now.

All the same, I'm always shocked to see Christmas goods appear in the shops while outside it's still summer. I really think it spoils the fun because, instead of being a special, mid-winter holiday, it has spread out over a quarter of the year! But we are into October now, so I suppose it is OK to be planning for Halloween. Now that our son Dan has diabetes, we have to find away round all the treats, so any ideas would be welcome. I have already suggested giving out Brussels sprouts instead of sweets, but Hanna thinks we might get our car covered in egg as a result.

It truly is autumn here now, but we have had no frosts yet and many trees are still green. We have seen up to eleven frogs in the garden pond and a few butterflies are still about. Bird migration is at an interesting point where we still have many of our summer visitors (such as swallows ) around but many of our winter visitors are already here. Last week the first whooper swans came in from Iceland. On the same day a vagrant glossy ibis dropped in from Spain, and a buff breasted sandpiper dropped in from America a few days later. I can't stop watching the sky for more fantastic birds.

All of the students have finally returned to college for the start of the academic year. Just a few days after he got back from India, I took our son Nick back to college in Hereford. h

He's moved to a lovely house this year, in a quiet cul-de-sac, backing onto a park, still within easy walking distance of his classes.

Hanna and I spent today in Cambridge as a late celebration of our 26th wedding anniversary. Of course the place is full of students. What would Cambridge be without them? We love overhearing their earnest conversations and I could take photographs of them and the colleges all day. I always take a camera with me. We nearly always seem to include a visit to Borders bookshop, followed by lunch at the Yippee Noodle Bar. The food is good, the place is spotless and the service is quick. More importantly its always quite busy and the clients are interesting. A high proportion are young Japanese, along with a smattering of students and older academics.

We often take in the outdoor market which looked especially attractive today (see the picture above). This weekend there is a Continental market in Huntington, so we might get some good cheeses from Holland, some smoked garlic from France and some sausage from Spain. Perhaps I'll get some more pictures.