cold dews, falling leaves

It's fascinating to live in a country with visible seasonal changes. London seasons don't match up to New Jersey seasons, much less to the measure of the Chinese solar terms, but we have our own seasonal observances here.

Mural by Seb Lester

In the Chinese calendar, late October passes from "Cold Dews" to "Frost". On our mild, damp island in the Gulf Stream, the frost hasn't yet arrived, but trees are already preparing for the bite.

On the rare nights when clouds don't cover the sky, the stars are bright and cold. My favourite Orion still stretches out in the late evening.

And now the clocks have moved forward. British Summer Time is over and autumn evenings get longer and longer. 

Days are getting cold and windy; the flowers are disappearing with the sunlight. A few blossoms cling on, the last late bloomers of summer.

These are the last summer colours to brighten our daily walks. The blazing leaves sweep over the summer green: a red flag raising the alarm for the approach of winter.

So of course, we turn to comfort food. We look to the berry harvest for a seasonal morning pick-me-up or a bright spot of dessert.

At night we turn to warming meals with rich vegetables and salty slices: shiitake and shimeji mushrooms with bok choi, Chinese chorizo and sticky rice.

We track how time has passed from spring to autumn by the length of our hair. No lockdown haircut, only waves growing longer and longer!

We swap summer dresses for waterproof coats, fluffy fleece and knee-high boots.

But gloomy and grey doesn't have to mean ugly. Autumn is a season of nostalgia and anticipation at the same time, remembering summer and preparing for winter. We should enjoy it purely for itself, and live in the October moment!