THAT AUTUMNAL MAGIC.

It was bliss today, to walk along a track where the beech trees seemed aflame with the colours normally associated with Autumn.

Yes, there were deep puddles (full of shed beech leaves) and the going underfoot was soggy and muddy, but above wellie height, the air was clear and crisp and ... surprisingly warm. The daft dog was in his element, lots of scents to sniff, water to splash about in and he also loved sneaking along "under cover" in the now autumnally brown bracken. At times, all I could see of him was the very white tip to his tail as he thought he was hiding. (on winter days, breath clouds give him away.)

In the out bye fields, sheep were quietly grazing beneath the flame coloured beech trees.

Some had lost nearly all their leaves, others still had an almost full show of autumnal canopy. I love the way that beech trees show such diversity, even in the spring when some trees burst into leaf early and others seem to be slow to open up their their buds and the opposite happens towards the end of the year; some lose their leaves early whilst others cling doggedly on.

But even as we  navigated through the puddle strewn tracks, the skies were dramatically changing.

Across the other side of the valley, clouds were obscuring the mountain tops and there was a change in the air, as what seemed like rain laden clouds approached.

The top of Mynydd Maen in the distance became almost invisible as the skies over us too, darkened and seemed to threaten rain, but it amounted to nothing.

As we headed back towards the car, the skies in front of us were  full of other interesting cloud formations.

<<< this one reminded me of a dog named Dude!

Now ... there is a ...

"Cloud Appreciation Society."

Google them, not only will you learn a lot about different cloud formations and their vast variety of names, but check out their section on clouds that look like things ... it's quite amazing!

I felt happy today, not only did this feel and look like autumn, but for once the conditions were, mainly dry.

As we headed back to the car, there was a gathering of Land Rovers. The sheep that have so far evaded capture off The Commons were hopefully going to be at last, herded in for the winter months ahead. As no rams are ever left free to roam as it were, there is only one way the ewes are going to get pregnant, and that is by getting caught and brought safely "home."

At least, unlike recently, the farmers had clear and dry skies to gather in the last sheep.