Late end to high summer

The past week has seen settled weather over Poland, hot days with maximum temperatures over 30C, just a few wispy clouds – exactly the kind of weather you'd want to enjoy on a summer holiday. Evening after evening of gorgeous sunsets, the red sun descending cleanly over the horizon. Summer weather, to be enjoyed (even though it was too hot for a walk before the evening cooled the air outside). The leaves are just starting to turn yellow from green; it still feels a long, long time before leaves fall.

All this will come to an end overnight, as rain sweeps in from the west. Rain is expected for five of the next seven days (which farmers will welcome as August and early September have been unseasonably dry). An end to the spell of sunset walks.

Below: the new way (described in this post from last week), and on it, a roe deer (Capreolus capreolus, sarna europejska). It darted off to the right, and then a second deer emerged from the left to follow the first one. Two mistakes, the first forgivable (I didn't have time to swap my 18-55mm for my 70-300mm telephoto zoom), the second less so – I looked down the check I'd captured the image below rather than staying alert to see what happens next, and so I missed the second deer. So wonderful to share an ecosystem with these shy and elusive creatures. Hunting them for sport is for the psychopathic.

Below: fields and forest, between Chynów and Krężel. I recognise this view, though not from this life.

Below: the setting sun shines through trees at the edge of the forest between Węszelówka and Chynów. 

Below: ulica Spokojna (lit. 'Peaceful Street'), Chynów, between where the asphalt ends and the forest begins.

Below: the sun dips towards the orchard treeline; ul. Ogrodowa (lit. Garden St), Chynów.

Below: sunset the day earlier, ul. Torowa (lit. Tracks St.). I have yet to experience what the Japanese call mono no aware, the sensation of transience as the first hints of autumn arrive in the air.

Below: double-decker Koleje Mazowieckie train on its way to Warsaw, pushed by the loco from the rear. These limited-stop services link Chynów to W-wa Służewiec in a mere 22 minutes. 

Below: Robinson R44 Raven, registration SP-WWW, catching the rays of the setting sun over Chynów. A shutter speed of 1/1250 sec almost freezes the whirling rotor blades.

As I prepare to press the 'publish' button at 2pm, the clouds have obscured the sun, but my digital thermometer tells me it's still 28.7C outside. No doubt cloudless days will return, but they will become less frequent and the heat will be dialled down. Last year, I didn't have to start heating up the house until 22 October; the bricks hold the heat well. Will that record fall this autumn?

This time six years ago:
Ulica Zatorze gets civilised

This time 12 years ago:
S2/S7 junction, Hołubcowa viaduct, under construction

This time 13 years ago:
To Stara Praga, and back

This time 14 years ago:
Late summer scenes, Warsaw

This time 17 years ago:
Roadworks and detours on ul. Puławska in Mysiadło