Autumn

Autumn has been creeping up since mid-August, and then suddenly, and in a technical sense, it's here. This morning, after a night-time rainfall, the huge spiders' webs in the Park were bejewelled orbs or lacy baskets. We saw the first fly agaric toadstools of the season and the frogs were sucking the last few therms of heat out of the air before they have to hunker down in the mud at the bottom of the pond.

And on TV, suddenly the drought of summer has been replaced by a downpour of new programmes, or new series of old favourites. But the trick is to save some for later. Don't watch it all at once, because just when they have you hooked, they have a week or two of desert. Sort of like the reverse of an Indian Summer.

Sandals have been replaced by boots. At the weekend I put away the summer dresses that I never wore in any case.

At work, Kris gave me a research paper to read, but fortunately she explained it first. Rough-skinned newts are prey for garter snakes, but the newts produce a neuro-toxin. The snakes have developed immunity to the neuro-toxin. So the newts have upped the ante, they have developed a stronger neuro-toxin in the areas where they are prey to garter snakes. Fascinating stuff, but with a message. Never lick a rough-skinned newt, you'll only do it once.

And the leaves are falling.