Autumn

As a personal reward for a day of chores around the house, I took a walk up 'the land' around 4.30. While the cortijo was still bathed in sunshine on the first completely clear day for 2 weeks, the shadows were creeping down the hill as the sun set. A cold breeze was blowing but the sky was blue and lifted the spirits. The sun going down gave some wonderful light effects as I walked through the grape vines and, as I had my camera, I thought it would be nice to record some autumn tints. It did not seem possible 11 weeks ago when I arrived that the parched landscape that greeted me then could, given some rain, quickly turn into lush green fields patterned with saffron crocus and that I would get something akin to a late English autumn (complete with chestnuts!).