Hello fiends!
Another busy week and all sorts of exciting changes going on, from the Great British Bake Off news to the start of Autumn; the season when all of nature starts changing and getting ready for Winter.
It’s a great time for me and my fiends to go for brisk, crisp walks in the colourful woods and countryside.
We can see farmers harvesting their crops, leaves starting to change colour on the trees, the sun’s lower in the sky, it’s getting dark a little earlier and our mums might need to wear a cardigan as, it’s chillier.When the weather’s like this; the chemical that makes leaves trees green (Chlorophyll) begins to break down while other chemicals (including Carotene) remain to give the leaves their fantastic yellow, red and brown colours.
Fir trees and other Evergreens don’t change colour or drop their leaves. Squirrels often build their nests, called a dray, in the Evergreens as, it’s warm and sheltered.
Today I saw a squirrel busily collecting acorns and nuts ready for the winter. Isn’t it clever they remember where they’ve hidden them. Mind you, I never forget where I’ve hidden my bones…then I can spot if my fiends; Buster or Max are trying to snaffle them.
Here I am guarding my stash.
I wondered how did Autumn get its name? It seems the name ‘Fall’ was used here in England in the olden days – now it’s mostly used in America. It’s short for; ‘fall of the leaf’. ‘Autumn’ comes from the French word ‘automne’.
Other words we’ve got from our French fiends include; ballet, café, mousse and omelette!
Us dogs love running and playing in a pile of scrunchy leaves and Hedgehogs are glad for the leaves too, using them to help make their den when they hibernate – the time they sleep through the coldest months of winter.
A great thing for you with colourful leaves is; make a bird picture by sticking leaves together onto paper or card or with drier leaves create some leaf prints by painting the leaf and putting it’s imprint onto paper like the ones below– Aunty Jules used do the leaf prints on spare, plain wallpaper and then use it to cover her schoolbooks. You can see how to do those and lots of other leafy craft ideas on websites including: Activity Village and Nurture Store.
In the woods today I spotted loads of different nuts and berries. Mum collected elderberries and juicy blackberries to make homemade jam and bake a yummy crumble! 
And don’t forget Conkers from the Horse Chestnut tree – they’re great for the famous conkers game and also look very good on the nature table or in an Autumn themed display.
Have fun spotting the wildlife and with your blackberry bakes!
Until next time fiends.
Rx
This year
I am also hoping that Andy Murray continues 
The Adventures of Ragamuffin Lewis 