Winter’s first breath tinged the roof and grass this morning. It’s time to get serious about getting the rest of the garlic and shallots in the ground. Flocks of geese are heading south. I hear them long before I see them. What do they talk about as they fly overhead? Their conversations never end. “Are we there yet?” Is that what they are saying?

The morning frost is a reminder that in less than a month, the first of the swans will be flying in from the Arctic. You can feel the excitement in the air as the whole valley waits for them to arrive.