Early onset of autumn...?

A heatwave may yet sweep across central Poland, but over the past week it certainly felt as though summer has faded away. Autumnal vibes are already in the air. The sense of transience falls upon my soul, of good things slowly being put away. This time last year, there was no sense of autumn in the air, summer was still being experienced in full.

In a month's time, it will be equilux, and then we tip gently into the dark side of the year. Today, there's still 14 hours of day and ten of night. As always, make the most of it, be not complacent.

The sun must shine, unfiltered by the damp ambiguity of cloud if I am to feel a my best. I need those clear skies. That direct communion between the sun and my consciousness. Rays of sunlight – beams of photons – falling upon leaves and flowers, stirred by a gentle breeze. And falling upon my skin and retinas. Having learned to distinguish joy from fun, bliss from pleasure, I am sensitive to those momentary instances of euphoria caused by nothing more than sunlight, blue sky and a peaceful landscape. Fortunately, I have all this right here. 

I just need to step outside and experience it. Below: goldenrod (nawłoć) in bloom. However, the bright yellow buttons of tansy (wrotycz) are already turning brown, and leaves on the aspens and birches have started to turn brown. The late-flowering goldenrod, of which there is a profusion in my garden, offers much-needed nutrition for bees and other pollinators at this time of year.

There were no dog-days of summer this August, those searingly hot afternoons with no respite after darkness falls. Recent nights have been down to single digits and the days around 20°C when the sun pops out.

Below: early evening, ulica Miodowa – typical weather for the last few days. Sun for a bit, then the clouds roll in.

And now a couple of arrival-related travel photos to share with you... Below: the arrival of the Radomiak semi-fast push-pull Koleje Mazowieckie service from Warsaw. It is precisely on time. On the other platform, an all-stations Koleje Mazowieckie train to Warsaw awaits the green light.

Below: holidaymakers returning from the Adriatic, about to touch down at Warsaw's Okęcie airport. LOT Polish Airlines Boeing 737 Max 8 in Pekao S.A. livery flies over some agricultural machinery engaged in the onion harvest. 

Left: photo taken from the northern end of the platform at W-wa Dawidy station, looking towards Warsaw. A Lufthansa Airbus A321 approaching the airport. Underneath it should have been my train to Chynów – but it was a couple of minutes late.

It would be remiss of me not to finish with a cat photo. Mum's still feeding, well into the eleventh week now. Bottom row from left: Céleste, Scrapper and Czestuś, top row from left: Pacyfik and Arcturus. Note the dead leaf, blown into to the house.

The joy these cats bring me!

This time last year
Cider-making lessons as the season moves on
[Biennial bearing means no apples this year.]

This time two years ago:
Getting to Sandomierz by bus and train
[Track works done; can now go by train all the way]

This time three years ago:
Inspiration

This time 11 years ago:
Food shopping and dietary update

This time 12 years ago:
Photos from the Radom Air Show, part 1

This time 13 years ago:
Offloading PKP's risk at W-wa Jeziorki

This time 15 years ago:
Time to be stuffing yourself with fresh fruit

This time 16 years ago:
First notes of autumn in the air

This time 18 years ago:
Large spider catches fly