An Indian Summer in the Gers

Just how long can this spell of warm weather continue?

It seems that since August with its usual mixed bag of bright days and showers, the Gers has been blessed with the most beautiful autumn. There have been a few days, of course, with light rain and unusually for this area, some strong gusty winds, but by and large it's been gorgeous.

If you are a keen photographer or painter, it must have just been a delight to see the countryside in all its recent glory. The low morning and evening sun casts lovely shadows over the undulating hills and brings out the soft colours of the houses dotted across the hillsides to perfection. At the start and end of the day, the snow-capped peaks of the Pyrenees stand out clearly on the southern horizon.

Work in the fields still goes on no matter what time of year, and the vineyards, now this year's harvest is over, are just getting prepared now for the winter pruning to begin ready for next year. The farmers are busy working long hours ploughing the fields, providing rich pickings for the buzzards and crows to feast on.

The flowers in the garden seem to think it's Spring and I still haven't convinced myself that I can put the mower away for the year, as the lawn just keeps on growing.

The extended warm spell has brought some unwelcome visitors, however, and those of us who are susceptible to insect bites have suffered more than usual over the last couple of months.

Still, it's all worth it to be able to draw aside the curtains in the morning and gaze out onto a landscape warmed by the glow of the rising sun at the start of another gentle day in the Gers.