October 27th – first snowfall

Woke up to a totally white world this morning – an inch of snow on everything, with the odd rose sticking out like a drop of blood… and the clocks not even back yet (they go back tomorrow). There is still enough heat left in the sun for it not to have lasted long – mostly gone by midday – but it was very beautiful while it lasted, and even with the sun it only got a few degrees above freezing – this kind of weather I like, even if it is a bit early… Only yesterday I was thinking that autumn was well and truly here, with the leaves falling like copper rain… this part of the world actually goes in more for gold than red, the sycamores in particular giving the impression of the last of the summer sunshine. But then there are the amazing copper beeches – the beeches in general are simply stunning. Talking of trees, the news of the projected demise of all of this country’s ash trees is a real tragedy… it’s hard to imagine the countryside without them, they are one of the iconic sights of this part of the world… first the elm, now the ash… and they say the chestnuts are suffering “bleeding” conkers, and the oaks something we don’t yet understand… we are indeed in the end game of the old world….

Sam and I moved into Saltoun (the Big House) yesterday, as they were forecasting real cold, and the heating bills out in my studio will skyrocket if I have to heat it 24/7… sam is not sure about the move, the house smells mightily of old dog – but Tom never goes upstairs any more, so that is now sam’s territory. I lit a fire in the drawing room this evening to tempt him, but it wasn’t until 11pm, when everyone else had gone to bed, that he ventured down… yavash, yavash, as the persians say… good timing on the move, tho’, as the kitchen taps decided to explode last night, lucky I was here… always something…

I have written my first song from this part of the world – a rather lengthy bardic ballad, no doubt partly inspired by seeing Robin Williamson perform in Barney back in September – altho’ I actually started writing it up in Hamilton, NY, after a gorgeous walk through the autumn woods on the Colgate campus. There are also two instrumentals from my trip up to the Highlands in August, a slow air and a reel… has to come out somehow…