Autumn colour

In Orkney we get fleeting glimpses of Autumn. It’s not so much a season more of a long weekend. The gap between rain and storm. The realisation that the leaves on the trees have vanished since yesterday and the grass has taken on a tired, soft look and the only flowers left are too busy holding on to their stalks to care about their appearance.

Then, the glories shine out. The seaweed on the shore turns gold and rich red. The sea changes colour between blinks and the lichens that cover our walls and roofs and ancient stone circles, become the star of the show.