Early mornings have a special quality in October. Not so early as summer early mornings and not as late as winter mornings. Obvious really. Polls suggest that most people in the Northern hemisphere love May the best; for me, October comes a close second as my favourite month of the year. It is something about the quality of light, the sharper shadows formed by a more steeply angled sun. There is also a sense of preparing for a hibernation of sorts. Warmer clothes that have been hiding away in cupboards and drawers start sneaking out. Boots replace sandals.

Soup becomes a food choice and coffee cups start to be hugged.

In a habit formed during the Covid years our herb and spice collection got a freshen up yesterday and was relocated. Not a ‘Spring’ clean, obviously but maybe an ‘ ‘Autumnal’ Den prep. Prior to Covid lockdowns our spice cupboard was a mausoleum of out-of-date products cleared out only during house moves and always containing something long dead. The tedium of living through lockdowns made us much better curators of all things domestic.

After nearly three weeks from home there was another more urgent sort-out. The indoor plants have suffered from neglect. There have been casualties, two fatalities and some remarkable tales of plants that survived near-death experiences.

Everyone in the plant family has had 24 hours of proper care and been moved about a bit to show them the love they so visibly need.

If it is true that plants talk to each other I suspect there is nothing good being said about us currently.