A walk around Le Lac in Châtellerault.

We last spoke about the Le Lac in Châtellerault in August when we first became aware of it. Yesterday afternoon we had a walk around it. The site was well used in the summer and as we saw yesterday, it is just as popular at this time of year. 

There were people out, like us, for an afternoon's walk...

The walk round the lake took us about forty minutes but considering the time we spent taking photos, half an hour is probably a realistic timing.

The children's play areas were entertaining a number of little ones, whilst older children and teenagers could make use of a basket ball and tennis courts..

 And what's the point of a lake if you can't throw stones into it??

Unless, of course, you're fishing in it....

The sunshine set the autumn colours ablaze.

And after a most enjoyable walk round it was back home for a good old Lancashire Hotpot. You can't beat it on a cold day!

Falling leaves

The great Autumn leaf fall has begun in earnest. Looking back at last year's photos, it has begun a good two weeks earlier than in 2010. Whether this is due to the particularly dry spring and summer we've had or to the late spring in 2010 we don't know. Yesterday the leaves fell like snow....

So what we do know is that we've got one mammoth task ahead of us!

People have suggested using a garden vacuum or leaf blower but that would be a bit like using a tooth brush to clean the Eiffel Tower!

The joys of leaf-raking aside, at this time of year I'm always reminded of a favourite poem, written by David Kossoff, called Autumn Banquet, in which he describes:

"that one day of the year in Autumn,

With the leaves still on, when the colours take

away the breath and make the heart sing....

...The world glows and burns and round 

every corner.. a new colour miracle.."

We shouldn't really moan as we collect these little miracles ..... But, hey, we're only human!

So it will be out with the rakes on a daily basis to keep a path open through the drifts... We've 56 fully grown poplars and 3 large weeping willows for starters..... then there are the apples and pears and cherries, the hazel the walnut etc.......

Now that's an Autumn Banquet by anyone's reckoning!