Autumn has arrived with its usual squalls, high winds and sudden outbreaks of glorious sunshine. Despite that it is getting cold and I must take a day to hunt down and seal off as many draughts as I can. Fuel in Ireland, in common with much of Europe, is ruinously expensive and sometimes hard to get. Knowing what autumn would bring I ordered our gas early but when the delivery arrived they were almost empty and we only got a third of a tank. I waited to see when the rest would arrive but instead received an invoice for the small amount. There are only two suppliers of LPG in Ireland and ours is supposedly the better of the pair. I feel an angry phone call coming on.
Autumn does offer some lovely sights, despite the chill. Our wood is now showing at its best as the Maples turn gold, orange and red. The new Copper Beech trees suffered in the summer and began to shed their leaves very early despite our efforts to water and nurture them but there was some growth before the cold set in so we have hope for their survival. There has been an outburst of fungi along the margins and across the drive this year. Charlie is most interested in these though thankfully doesn’t try to eat them. Instead he loves to pee on as many as he can. It seems the dog psyche really is “eat it or pee on it”. Well, we are too cautious to try eating them anyway, which is just as well.
Although Jacqui’s eye is improving every day she will not be driving until the specialist has cleared her so I have taken over for a while. I do find this stressful on occasions but there are a few magical moments. Last month I was on the narrow road home when two female pheasants with four young birds burst out of the hedge and started running along in front of me. I say ‘road’ but it is more of a paved cart track doing its best to imitate a country lane. Well, three young birds ran in front. The other dodged sideways and tried to double back, pursued by one of the adults. There was a lot of noise from the group and a lot of determined herding before they finally dived back into a field which made us laugh as we crept along.
This week I was driving into town and a small animal, with red fur and a lovely flowing tail, ran onto the road. For about a hundred metres I inched along behind the first red squirrel I’ve seen here. It also ducked into a field safely leaving me grinning like an idiot. The Chestnut trees and Oaks are shedding their autumn fruit and I hope this little beauty finds what it needs for a good hibernation.
Despite being here for almost six years there are still new things the suddenly catch my eye. Many of the older buildings have been repurposed as shops or businesses, often with interesting results. The striking cornices on one building have been well preserved and actually make a good advert for the shop. If this fellow is an example of the Beauty Bar’s work they seem to know their business!
Sometimes a building stands out after being ignored for years. When using a bottle bank last month I wandered across the car park and was struck by an old cottage surrounded by trees that could grace a novel by Tolkein. My little writer’s mind began to frame a story around it and I took a picture to file away until I need just such a location. Which leads me on to my next point. I have finally started writing again seriously. This is partly due to encouragement from Jacqui who has never doubted me and partly due to my writers group in the Society of Authors.
Last Wednesday there was an excellent talk by a publisher who, unlike most publishers in the UK, expressed a willingness to take on an existing series. I am currently editing (again) and polishing the next Alex Hastings novel that I intend to submit to them. Maybe nothing will come of it but I am travelling hopefully once more. And writing, indoors with the fire on, is a very comfortable occupation for cold autumn days.
Well, we are getting closer to Jacqui’s post-op appointment when we will push for an early appointment for her other eye. Even so she can see colours again, watch the television, read from a book and remembers why she chose the striped bath mat. Her distance vision is probably better than it has been for many years and she only needs some of my old reading glasses for close work.
Thank you for all your good wishes and for staying with us through this long journey.
See you in a couple of weeks,
Jennie.
(c) Jennie Finch 2026