Looking out our bedroom window we can see a distant Rowan tree covered in little red baubles heralding the beginning of autumn and the hedgerow harvest.
Autumn. The end of a strange summer season that has brought mists of low level stratus that have shielded our sun here in West Cork. We are reluctantly glad to see the shift in the season, hoping it might bring back some order to our climate and our routine.
But despite our grumpiness about the weather we know we are divinely lucky to have our seasons. Imagine a world without being able to look forward to snowdrops, without being able to anticipate bouquets of elderflower and the first pink shoots of rhubarb, followed later by sun-washed tomatoes and strawberries, then later again by haws and sloes and apples.
It's funny to think that our seasons come about only because of a slight – 23.5ยบ tilt in our axis. If our planet wasn't tilted away and towards our sun, things would be considerably less interesting in terms of what food we could grow.
If the axis our planet travelled around the sun was set at a north south line, then the Ecliptic – the apparent path of the sun in our skies (apparent, because we are moving a path around the sun, not the other way around) would have the sun travel directly over the equator and the seasons would never change.
As it is, however, our world is tilted. This directs the sun's path to the north during our summer, and south in our winter.
The northern visit of the sun still warms us, despite these beastly weather lows, and where earlier we gathered leaves and flowers, now we are looking to harvest seeds and berries.
We shall have to investigate bringing a ladder up to the Rowan, but in closer reach the nettle heads – once we have brushed away the insects that love them too – give one of the healthiest late summer treats. Pick them and rub lightly between your fingers and use the tiny green berries to season your dishes. As well as tasting good, they bring a pack of nutrients to your plate, blessing you with extra energy and vitality.
Lovely! Summer has been too hot and dry here this year, the berries are less juicy, however hot and dry increases flavour! Ciao and Grazie
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