Autumnal leaves and things ...

Autumn is here in its' full glory and I have some beautiful autumn colours to share with you.  Halloween seemed to creep upon us this year, complete with marvellously spooky ghost tales and tiny witches (her mum accompanied her to the door along with a pushchair, the witch really was that tiny!).  Bonfire night will be here in two days, crackling and sparkling its' way through the sky.  Ever so pretty but I wonder how the kittens will fare?  

It really is such a magical time of year, appealing to all the senses with wonderful smells, colours, textures and crunching underfoot.  What is your favourite season?  In the UK, it seems that more and more often the seasons are merging into one.  All except the autumn, which seems to have maintained its' distinct and wonderful nature.  Those days during September where it feels like summer but the light is just a bit different and the air has a slightly crisp feel to it, mean that autumn is on the way.  Those days bring with them magnificent colours, chunky knits and wonderful light for photography.  My favourite season, inspiring and transient.

Last week I had some bad news.  News of another family friend dying.  That makes a total now of ten people since I started my PhD.  I don't want to turn this into a really sad, maudlin tale, but I took myself off for a walk, which only served to highlight the transience around me.  It got me thinking about how much I love life.  How much I love my family, my friends and that I will probably never feel ready to leave this beauty behind.  I live in a wonderful place and am surrounded by wonder.  I also realised what my life should be about, doing something that makes an impact on the world.  The way how to do exactly that didn't jump out at me but I do know that I don't want to leave without putting a mark on the earth for the better.  So from here, I am going to strive to be a better person and to do great things.  No matter how much I love the dried up leaves, I will not become one by being a bitter or sad person, that has let the spark die.