Getting ready for winter

Autumn has finally arrived at Clare Park.  After a superb sunny and dry summer, the leaves on the trees are finally turning and showing off their splendid gold, red and yellow foliage and the seemingly never-ending task of leaf clearing is well and truly underway.  This is the time for long walks on Dartmoor or along the coastal paths, leisurely lunches overlooking the river and cosy evenings in front of the TV or curled up with a book from the extensive selection provided in the house bookshelves.    The panoramic estuary views provide a continually changing scene, with an abundance of sea and freshwater birds passing by and sometimes settling onto the lawn when the tide is particularly high.    The dinghy sailors and rowers don’t stop their races and outings over winter so there is always some activity to watch from the sitting room windows or from the garden.  We have recently had some rather fine rainbows arching over the river and some dramatic squalls whipping up the waves and making us feel glad to be safely tucked up inside.