Seasons. Autumn

Since ancient times autumn has been a time of reaping the harvest and preparing the house for a long frosty winter.

In September, field works come to an end and there is only one thing to be done – to till the soil for the sowing in the following year. It is a time for ploughmen to mill grain crops. This month is closely related to preparing food for winter. But not only people lay food in stocks, but also animals such as beavers, squirrels, hedgehogs, moles and a lot of other animals.
Nature feels the approach of winter. Wolves, foxes, hares change their summer fur into winter. By the end of this month bears go into hibernation. Birds of passage get ready for a long distant travelling. The rest of them gather into flocks and start on a journey.

Forests, meadows, gardens meet autumn in bright clothes. In the middle of September maples get red, lime-trees and birches put on a golden cover, oak leaves grow brown.

It’s rather warm and sunny in the morning but nights are already cold. The first autumn frost sets in. Orchards smell sweet as in summer. At noon the Sun is as hot as in July. Quite often we have a spell of warm days with the Sun shining in the clear blue sky.

Like every season autumn has its own special smell. Everyone who went picking the last mushrooms in forests or just took a stroll along the forest paths noticed this unusual heady smell of dry leaves which so sweetly rustle under your feet.

But an Indian summer passes quickly. Rains fall more often so the roads especially in the country are usually washed away. The wind blows wet leaves high in the air.

October sets in. Days become shorter. There’s usually a sudden spell of cold weather. The first snow falls.
A severe temper of October is clearly showed in cold winds which blow hard even from the South. Dark clouds floating low across the sky indicate the approach of cold weather.

By the end of October there are hard frosts set at night, hoarfrost covers the grass. And for the first time winter is really in the air. But weather is so unsettled and changes many times. After frost there’s a spell of thaw. The ground which was covered with the crust of the ice melts, turning to slush. It’s slippery, dirty, and damp in such weather.  Tedious drizzling rains turn to wet dirty snow.

People feel miserable, depressed in such weather. But isn’t it better to gather the whole family and spend this nasty evening within a family circle? It’s unpleasant to go out in such weather. Cars and buses going along streets splash the mud and slush on passers-by. So people must be careful. No one wants to feel lonely these days. We are so vulnerable and need someone to talk to, to laugh with. I think autumn brings people together.

There is no permanent weather in November. There’re times when ponds and rivers are frozen over but then they suddenly begin to melt. There’re times when nature puts on a snowy white dress but suddenly changeable weather takes it off baring black branches.

 But colours in such a gloomy picture are added by merry birds which remain with us. They gather is small flocks and gladden us with their amusing twittering.