There was a different mood around Blenheim Park this morning. A distinct change of air. It was almost as if the earth has been breathing in all summer long, but just this morning it has started gently to exhale.

The leaves on the trees are (mostly) still green, but they know their days are numbered.

The squirrels, who were hardly to be seen at the height of summer, have shaken off their lethargy and are gathering nuts with a grim look of determination on their faces.

Their urgency seems to have affected the other animals around the park: the deer have retreated further from the roads and pathways, and they dart into the bushes with a palpable sense of fear now. The pheasants still coat the hillsides, but the green grass has browned at the edges and their flecked plumage makes them suddenly invisible against the background. They seem to know what’s coming next.

 

No doubt there is an official “first day of Autumn”, though I can’t remember what date that might be. But at Blenheim Palace, I know that it’s today.

All of which could be interpreted as some kind of metaphor for my own life. There’s certainly plenty of change in the air, with a range of interesting new career options to explore and new experiences to be had.

But frankly, I’m not done with summer yet!