Leaves, Street Life and Ghosts

I've been involved in a couple of writing projects, but have been getting out and about in London too over the past week, including another cycle through Regent's Park.   We've had a really spectacular autumn display this year, with the beeches even redder than before

with various types of wildlife in evidence, particularly squirrels of course. I know they're pests but I do love to look at them flitting around so gracefully. I turned to find this one examining me closely.

A peaceful scene here, as a narrow boat chugged quietly along the Regent's Canal.

Today, I noticed that most of the leaves have fallen. I snapped these, twinkling gold against the blue sky.

so we are reaching the end and will have to hunker down for winter at last. 

I never tire of walking (or cycling) around London, there are always things to see, and often you come across something by chance. Five minutes later and I would have missed this scene. The lady in silver was quite goose-pimpled close up!  

Here she is a few minutes later trying to get warm. But who on earth is that behind her?

This gent was sitting happily by himself with a traffic cone which made a very good megaphone. He was singing old music hall songs and seemed most contented.  The sound's terrible but he's singing "Maybe it's Because I'm a Londoner"

Cycling back, the fountains in the park looked delightfully creepy.  This one reminded me of a veiled ghostly figure.  I like London parks at night, they seem to have quite a different character from how they are in the day. 

 

Before I forget....

Thank you to everyone for your kind wishes about my mum.  We are spending a lot of time preoccupied with her and with her care, so I'm not at my computer much but will check everyone's blogs when I can and I do appreciate the comments very much!

In what free time I have, I am taking every chance to do something that is NOT involved with sickness, like our walk in Hermitage Woods, West Berkshire,  just a couple of weeks ago. It was before we had the high winds but we knew that we would lose the autumn leaves very soon and Hermitage Woods quickly took my award as Best Autumn Woodlands Ever.  They were planted with so many  different kinds of trees, each with their own characteristic appearance, undergrowth vegetation and even wildlife. 

Above is a general view,  but one of the best things was that there were so many details to examine, like this pretty silvery leaf...

and these orange leaves, almost like sparks fluttering in the wind. 

  Here's a blazing glade of yellow.    

Here, my shadow on the smooth trunk of a beech tree

Yellowed bracken caught the light. 

One area was almost dark, except where a small gold birch caught the sun.

 

Looking up, everything was blue and lacy

And here are burst chestnut-cases  their nuts long since scattered. .

Most of the time I took photos of  different kinds of fungi. I know not everyone loves fungi but I love to see beauty in decay.  I might post those another time.

The woods are Open Access land,. This means that their owners allow the public to walk there unrestricted.  We so appreciated their generosity.     So who owned them? We discovered it was the Gerald Palmer Trust, part of the Eling Estate.  I looked up the Gerald Palmer Trust and its objects are to:

"Advance the Christian religion more particularly according to the teaching and usage of the Orthodox Church. Advance medical research and the study of medicine. Relieve sickness and/or poverty."

 To that should be added "To lift the spirits and remind ordinary people of the beauties of Nature." 

Goodbye Autumn

Hello winter