Scotland - Winter is coming

One way to tell that cold weather will be here shortly, is the arrival of geese. I live within walking distance of a basin that is the winter home to around 50,000 geese - a mixture of greylags and pink feet.

When you stand on the foot bridge over the rail line in the morning, as the geese leave for the fields, the sound of their calls to one another is defeaning. It's an amazing sight.

Even though their arrival heralds the coming of cold weather, it brings a little smile and a small sense of well being. On some level it seems to indicate, that despite all that's going on in the world, the world goes on - at least the natural world.

With the first skein's (flock) arrival, you make a wee mental note, "ah, the geese are back, at least something still works in the world".