Our onboard clocks became very confused yesterday (Saturday), like much of nature it turns out, as the temperatures soared to about 16 deg C and the sun blazed through the autumn leaves.
Although it was quite soggy underfoot after the rain overnight, we escaped to the woods for our walk and were rewarded with carpets of golden leaves and fantastic sniffs.
The weather has been most unusual given that it is the middle of November almost and we all should be shivering with cold. It is like a mid-spring day.
As we start to write this update on Sunday morning, the windows are open on the house and it is a very pleasant 12 deg C outside. No sign of the winter duvet coming out yet for the humans, or the heating going on tonight.
To the woods
As mum and dad had loads of stuff to do at home this weekend our walk had to be quite local, so we headed to the north of the city and the woods behind the Kingstown Estate.
Quite a large number of other dogs were also taking advantage, like us, of the fantastic conditions.
Since our last visit, many of the trees have lost their leaves and these now lay scattered on the ground.
Many have curled up and now act like little water reservoirs collecting the rain. These are ideal water sources for ground clambering bugs and it also helps the leaves rot away into the forest floor.
Camera testing
Dad purchased a new camera about a week ago and so the fantastic leaf colours and low dappled light gave him something to work with, as we walked around between the trees and bushes.
It is another Canon camera, the Powershot SX150 IS , and his first impressions are quite favourable. The long zoom lens, 12x optical, allows for some good framing and the fact it uses AA batteries allows him to use the many rechargeable ones he has around the house.
The macro facility is causing him a few problems however, if he read the manual, these are more likely operational quirks rather than a problem with the camera.
First signs of spring
Although many trees and bushes are now bare of leaves mum spotted the first signs of spring with these very new catkins forming.
Still closed up these flowers clusters are, when open, full of pollen which drifts in the breeze in mid-spring.
Whilst we mention about spring, we spotted in the garden the first of the bulbs starting to break through the damp brown ground in the garden.
Given the size of the shoots they were possibly from some of the many hundreds of daffodil bulbs mum put in the ground last year.
If they keep on growing like they are doing, and we do not have any hard frosts, we may even have daffodils out for Christmas, in five weeks time.
Until next time
Big licks
Buster and Charlie