An Autumn Bounty...

…well, not exactly a bounty, in fact just two hazelnuts.  These are the first hazelnuts from our contorted hazel tree.   This is surprising because we have had to remove loads of branches from it throughout the year.  The previous occupants of the house planted it a little too close to the back gate (where we take the wheelie bins out) and so we’ve had to curtail its natural growth rather harshly in order not to get tangled up in it on the way through the gate. We want to try and keep it if we can, as the twisted curly branches look very sculptural in the winter and have come in handy for cutting and arranging in a vase at Christmas time to hang baubles and tinsel from, which makes a lovely centre-piece for the conservatory.
 
Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns.
George Eliot