“Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower” (Albert Camus)

Today we celebrate the Autumn Equinox and the start of my favourite season. Summer is lovely while it lasts but as I sit here listening to the rain gently falling on the skylight, it’s as if Nature is doing its job and cleansing all around us.

Today is the first day of spring and also St David’s Day - always nostalgic for me, having been brought up in Wales. It’s also my brother, David’s birthday. He underwent major heart surgery in January which was a bit of a shock but he is now recovering well.

It may still be February but the first signs of spring are already starting to appear in our garden - tiny snowdrops, brightly coloured crocuses and cheerful yellow daffodils - my favourite flowers (it’s a Welsh thing). The birds sound more optimistic and temperatures are slowly rising. The days are gradually getting longer as we anticipate the end of what seems to have been quite a long winter.

Winter has arrived here in the New Forest and as the temperature drops, the temptation is to hibernate until the spring But if we wrap up warmly and brave the cold, it’s actually one of the most exhilarating times of year to go for a walk/jog/run/cycle. We’ve had some stunning sunsets over the last few weeks and the winter sun streaming through the trees is so magical.