October rains

Ive changed the photo for one at the start of the day. I've put the original one in extras for completeness.



The biggest regatta in the world in the Gulf of Trieste was called of early this morning. The Stelvio Pass is under deep snow although the Giro is meant to pass through on Thursday. Here it has rained pretty much all day. The wind is now turning to the NNE - the Bora - and rain and falling temperatures are forecast through the night and tomorrow.

The brusque changes are unsettling. It feels like an overlong summer has given way to an angry proto winter with little autumn in between. The mountain stream in the field is roaring tonight; the ground is getting to super-saturated; the leaves tumble off the walnut trees and cleverly hide the late falling fruits; the last figs struggle on providing sugar for hornets, emerald beetles, butterflies and me.

I squelched around in an interlude directing water away from delicately poised terraces and collecting the first chestnuts. The fire has been on all day as we burn poplar wood from two years ago. There is not much to it but it makes a blaze and enough heat to keep the middle and top stories at 18C. The shutters are closed against the night and the blow to come.  

Nine new Covid cases in the Casentino today. Contact tracing is being ramped up.

I had a different photo set to go for today. But the rain and fog interrupted the radio wave internet signal and the lightning got too close and we shut down the router and computers.

It goes like that sometimes.