Autumn Reflections

Autumn Reflections

Our long, hot, dry summer ended after the third week of August but it was possible still to believe that summer was with us. Not now. It's still dry but the days, and evenings in particular, are much cooler. Middle of the day temperatures are in the low 20s generally so it's still shirt-sleeves weather for boules but around 9 o'clock a sweater is usually required. I can still leave my balcony door open until after it gets dark but not for much longer, I suspect.

Autumn has come to the fruit stalls too. Apricots are long gone and now we are seeing the very last of the peaches, nectarines and melons. Dessert grapes, have appeared and so have figs and greengages; otherwise it's apples, pears and oranges. Before long, pineapples from La Réunion will be on the shelves.

Grape harvesting is starting. The lack of rain has meant that the crop will not be large but, with all the sun we've had, the grapes should be high in sugar content. The grapes on the vine above my balcony were ripe at the beginning of August but tart; for the last few weeks they have been beautifully sweet. The vineyard owners who make their own wine shouldn't complain too much, although they, like farmers in England, are never happy with the weather. The wine should be good quality so perhaps they'll sell more of it at a higher price. Those who grow grapes but don't make their own wine are at the mercy of a calculation for which I have the parameters but not the values. They get paid on quantity and sugar content. They will lose on the former and should gain on the latter but I have no idea how that balances out. The growers will grumble anyway.

I've been out taking the last few photographs I need for my website. I've also approached one of the village councillors about the village adopting it and his response was positive; but I'm not holding my breath. I will be happy if it remains purely my website. So it's in the public domain now, at www.mon-mollans-sur-ouveze,fr.  There's still quite a bit to do and, now also, the question of getting it seen.  So i'm about to do my homework on key words and phrases and links.