I can't believe it's nearly September. The swallows of summer are putting on weight in preparation for their long flights back to Africa, the Goldfinches are gathering in their flocks to brave the autumn and winter in numbers, and we've had the first of the great storms, so near the end of August that they could be said to be the first and last great blow of the season.
And now the rain is here. A permanent drizzle blankets the horizon in a grey swathe. Dampness seeps into every joint and cranny.
It is not ideal weather for decorating exteriors. Every year it is always the same: we have a mad rush of clients who require walls and windows painted and it is a job to get the work planned in a place like Malvern. In England, we only have a short window to get these tasks done, and our changeable weather, subjected to Spanish Plumes and North Atlantic Oscillations, makes that window all the narrower.
But we do have our memories of the summer. I have spent most of it working in Malvern, managing teams on towers and decorating from scaffolds, providing quotes to hospitals, nurseries, and hosts of private individuals, with only a quick break off to Cornwall, and the visit to the occasional attraction: such as the Bird of Prey Centre in Newent, (the Burrowing Owl is a charming creature), and walks from Chase End Hill all the way to West Malvern and the Brewer's Arms.
So although we haven't enjoyed the hottest weather or basked in the days' of the long shine, I personally have enjoyed it, and have actually got quite a lot done.
And as autumn beckons, with the grass damp underfoot and the relentless cold needling in amongst the joints, the internal decorating jobs are lining up. And looking at the coming week's forecast, it's not looking soon enough!