I love autumn!

I like England in September–October. It is, in fact, one of the most glorious times of year here. The unsettled and disappointing summer weather has passed but we are left with majestically sunny days and cosily nippy nights.  During the day, it makes you want to go out and do 'stuff'. And, in the evening, it's lovely to curl up in front of the fire with a glass of vino in one hand, a contented cat in the lap and Strictly on the telly. We also topped it off with a curry last night, so perfect! 

This morning I woke up to a sunny, misty field with three deer in it. I need to get my blog-writer head in gear and learn to take more photos – quicker – but I took this a bit later, just moments ago. 

View from our bedroom window this morning.

We have also had quite a few rainy days, with enormous amounts of rain falling to the detriment of some areas of the country. So it has not all been great for everyone. We have been lucky here in Oxfordshire and haven't been inundated, but I did have to watch my footing this morning in the chicken run, when letting the girls out, as it was a bit squitchy muddy underfoot, and I really didn't want to dip myself in the chicken poo! (I didn't) 

The competitive dance of sunshine and rain has also created some great rainbows in between. I am now kicking myself as was at the yard a couple of days ago and had let my own ray of sunshine, Rainbow, in the Back School (a fenced area where the horses are let out for a bit every day). After I had mucked out and went over to her to catch her, she was standing by the opposite gate watching some horses over on the other side. But I happened to look up and saw a perfect rainbow in the distance over the fields. I exclaimed to Rainbow, "Rainbow, look, a rainbow!" - and I think she looked up. Bless. ...I really should have taken a picture of Rainbow with a rainbow... 

This weekend is rather exciting; I have been roped into writing for a dressage judge tomorrow at Blewbury Centre's unaffiliated dressage competition! Well, the judge is my instructor/friend Annika and she has previously mentioned to me that it might be a good idea to write for a judge as you get to hear and see what the judges are looking for, which will also help with doing the test myself one day. So I volunteered! I get to sit in a warm glass booth and watching the horses go around from the best seat in the house. Plus, I think I heard someone say we'd be waited on hand and foot tea and other nibbles. That's my Sunday sorted!

Woolly socks, fire, cat and Sunday papers. The perfect weekend (after a hack out in the sunshine with the horse, of course!)