The night before...

We had our first frost of the autumn last night followed by a still, clear and sunny autumn day.  I was determined to get out for a walk before work.  It was quiet at the allotment.  Just the robins and tits singing in the hawthorn hedge which borders the site and the distant sound of children chatting in the playground before the start of school.  The vines are showing the signs of the cold.  I'm hoping some birds will pop along and eat the remaining grapes. 

Merlin visited the vet late this afternoon for his blood test to check on his liver function.  We won't get the result until tomorrow but the vet was happy him compared to the last time she saw him just before he was admitted to the specialist centre. 

There was a strange atmosphere in the village as I took a pre-dinner walk in the cold dark evening.  The hairdressers were open late and busy cutting hair before they close tonight, for a month, the pubs were mixed - some busy, others empty, the village cafe, the shoe shop and beauty salon, all shut now for a month.  As I walked lots of fireworks were lighting up the sky.  I imagine people are gathering with family and friends this evening as by this time tomorrow we'll be unable to meet anyone outside our household in our gardens (as well as our homes). On the other side of the Atlantic they are frantically counting votes and we watch on with bated breath.......