Three islands and Summery Autumn

These September days holding onto Summer's warmth a bit. In the daytime anyway. Sunny walks and outdoor cups of tea, decorated with many colours now; dots of orange and red berries,  yellow leaf speckles underfoot, trees brushed with rust and gold. In the evening though, Autumn is at the door, the light retiring sooner and chill, smoky scents in the air.

Above: 
Three islands. One with an ancient ring fort edging a 100 metre high cliff, the one in the middle with the smallest population, and the smallest one with a lighthouse and a dolphin visitor. Boats instead of buses - stay on til the last stop!

Getting late earlier.

These days the evenings are getting late earlier. The light and the warmth becoming more precious. Breakfasts sitting outside becoming fewer - the dew and the shadows resting longer and reaching further.

Quieter evenings too. Birds saying goodnight and going to sleep in the darker trees earlier (maybe I should do the same). At least two layers of long sleeves for walks now. Imperceptibly, yellow and brown hints appearing on trees. Inaudibly too, but then a breeze and they are more rustle-y than a week ago.

Above: a lighthouse, a dolphin, and a landscape like a green patchwork blanket. Painting Aran Islands in June on an August afternoon in Dublin.