Strathaven in autumn 3

Strathaven in autumn 3
Originally uploaded by byronv2

Its Scotland and its autumn and (when it isn't raining) it is stunningly beautiful - the blue of the sky, the soft, golden autumnal sunlight, its low angle creating long shadow as the year draws to its final quarter and the trees are a wonderful mix of green and gold and red. The wind carries leaves around in little spirals, slowly drifting on invisible currents to the earth where they gather in piles against walls, just waiting for a foot to kick them back up into the air again. Travelling through to dad on the train from Edinburgh to Glasgow at the weekend past harvested wheat fields, the remaining stubble glittering gold in sunlight, short and wiry tufts like the face of a man who hasn't shaved for several days, lines showing the patterns the farmer made upon the soil.