To be looking forward to Autumn now?

[Hipflask08]

I feel like we’ve had our summer now, and a pretty good one at that.

The weather has turned here today, it’s 16 degrees, 40mph winds and pissing it down. I’m walking the dog but not in my winter coat or waterproof trousers as I’d be too hot so it’s not altogether pleasurable.

I was shopping yesterday abc picked up some joy chocolate and marshmallows, something I haven’t bought/ had since March.

We’ve just had 2 log burners installed and I’m really looking forward to being able to curl up in front of those.

It’s also the first autumn in our new house/ location as we moved in the spring and I’m looking forward to countryside walks when the leaves are falling etc. (We lived rurally before but there were no public footpaths so you weren’t allowed to walk on any of the land whereas now we can walk for miles snd miles on public footpaths and not see a soul)

I’m looking forward to Halloween, bonfire night and Christmas. After Christmas I’m done and will be longing for Spring!

Obviously all of the the above will probably be different this year due to COVID, but I’m still looking forward to it.

I said all this to my friend yesterday who looked at me like I was mad and said ‘err, no way, I’m still enjoying summer.’

@sanityisamyth I'm with you, I find it grim. I don't feel like I've had a summer, I've had no time off at all I've been nowhere, the thought of cold rainy weather kicking in just makes me want to cry. I'm really hoping for a lovely September so I can cram a few more get togethers with friends.

Some lovely writing on here. If we have some nice weather yanbu!

@Manolin
I am still waiting for the mellow fruitfulness of September, though it is almost here. The languid sunlight, rolling lazily over the dahlias from late afternoon. The musty smell of bitter-sweet fallen plums and damsons. Butterflies floating over the Salvia catching some warmth from the sun. Bees in third gear only, on the nasturtium flowers, drunk and bruised from their summer pursuits of bumbling in and out of petals collecting pollen. The fresh shoots of raspberries promising a second wave of berries which will go on until the first week of December. The onions strung on the wall to dry a little, while watching how the centuries old bricks upon which they hang now take on different hues as the sunlight picks up on all their colours. The swallows starting to gather in rows on overhead wires all facing towards the sun at 6pm, chattering, catching some warmth before turning in under the barn. Like surfers attuned, sitting on dunes watching the waves, knowing the heat is waning to other shores, making plans to head to different climes. All too soon they will be gone. Let's not wish them away.

Agree with pp. If you're not a poet, you should be. Absolutely beautiful. In fact im going to go back and read it again

There’s a tang in the air. There was condensation on our milk bottles this morning, leaves appearing on the surface of the lake where I swim, and the other night when walking my dog I got the first whiff of woodsmoke coming from someone’s chimney.

We’re on the turn.

[quote userxx]@sanityisamyth I'm with you, I find it grim. I don't feel like I've had a summer, I've had no time off at all I've been nowhere, the thought of cold rainy weather kicking in just makes me want to cry. I'm really hoping for a lovely September so I can cram a few more get togethers with friends. [/quote]

100%. Granted the weather has been ok this summer and we've had some really nice days but I don't feel ready to start getting jumpers and jeans out.

Every year we have posters eulogising about autumn and who have a romanticised view about the bright, crisp days where you can walk through crunchy leaves.

Like most mumsnetters I love a crisp, autumn day. I would like to live where autumn is like this instead of soggy, damp gloom that is the reality of autumn where I live.

I'm in South Yorkshire and last autumn and winter were the wettest I can ever remember. In October it rained EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. and it wasn't just drizzle, but pouring rain. Then in early November we had the horrific floods that threatened to inundate Meadowhall, but instead flooded out so many people in Doncaster.

I have been looking at my lovely summer clothes in my wardrobe, most of which haven't been worn this year, as we haven't had the extreme heat that the southern half of the country has. We did have a lovely early summer, July was cool and rainy, and August has has a few hot days iterspersed among the cooler wetter days.

I am moving South when I retire.

And as for "cosy", hot chocolate", "snuggled in blankets by the fire", "candles" they can f* right off. They all scream claustrophobic to me. I want light and airy, and an ambient temperature that means I don't need to wrap myself up in a blanket.

I agree with a PP that this autumn/winter is going to be miserable for thousands if not millions of people who are out of work, struggling to keep their homes warm, then with the added pressure of Christmas.

I get SAD quite badly in autumn and winter. I don't have great eyesight either and the low light levels and constant damp and gloom just make me feel so low.

On the style and beauty threads posters often talk about beautiful winter coats that I would only ever get a few days wear out of because 90% of the time I need something waterproof.

As the parent of a DC at university Halloween is a non event to me, I quite like fireworks, and I don't much care for Christmas as we live too far from family to see them.

As far as I'm concerned I would love to skip from when the clocks change back to when they change forward.

@Ginfordinner I get mild SAD and it really changed my life in winter getting a lumie bodyclock sunlight alarm clock.
It's a really long winter in Scotland, with a very short amount of sunlight but waking up to a 'sunrise' every morning really helps.
Also, I know they're really bad for your skin but you could try a 5 minute sun bed every so often. Very carefully weigh up the pros and cons. One winters day I was feeling so down, I went on a sun bed for 5 minutes and it really did give my mood a huge boost.

September and October are often warm and sunny here in the south, please don't wish summer away.
There'll be time enough to enjoy the wet and the mud, the short dark days. Not everyone can spend winter lying on a sofa in front of the fire.

I think I might just do that WhyIsItSoHardToPickAUsername

I'm in autumn mode. But I do hate summer and look forward to it being over for another year.

See, I think where abouts you live in the country may come into play as Autumn round here IS generally crisp and dry. Sure, we get the odd day of rain but we get the odd day of rain in the summer and it’s difficult to dress warmly and dryly in the summer when people expect you to be wearing summer clothes.

But then I think my view of autumn is skewed. I consider autumn to be the last week in September to Guy Fawkes night. After that it’s winter as far as I’m concerned. So Christmas is very definitely winter but at least it’s something to look forward to (and don’t get me wrong I don’t have a big family or anything so it’s never an idyllic affair but we always try to make it special and I really enjoy going to Christmas markets and going on boozy Christmas nights out!)

Because I personally only consider autumn to be in that window, I don’t really associate it with bad weather as where I am like I say, you get the odd day of grey and rain but you also get lots of nice dry, crisp days and nice sunrises/ sets. I also love walking along and smelling people’s log burners!

I LOVE Autumn! My favourite season.

@DilloDaf, I work outside so I can assure you I absolutely DONT spend my autumn/ winter days lounging around by the fire.

However I think when you work outside and have to deal with the cold, wind and rain, it makes coming home to a nice warm fire even nicer!

One of my favourite things in the winter is coming home from a long day out in the cold, getting into a hot shower, pitting my PJs on the radiator to warm then getting into them and sit by the fire with a big hot chocolate. I cannot tell you how much you appreciate the warmth when you’ve been outside all day!

Yes OP, I'm with you, for a lot of reasons. This year has been utter shit really, apart from the weather, which has been mostly lovely. But I'm ready for a change - a change of season and most of all a return to normality. I'm looking forward to my DC having a normal life again and not being on screens all day. I'm looking forward to them having purpose and sports and friends that they see every day, rather than just the four of us being at home all the time.

This past few months it's like every day is Sunday and while I love Sundays I don't need them to happen every day. So bring on the mists and mellow fruitfulness, bring on the falling leaves and conkers, bring on the cooler temperatures, I'm ready for them!

No OP not unreasonable at all! From farming and horses background so am always one season ahead at least but autumn is by far my favourite - the crops are in, mostly its turning and planting, horses are fat and happy (Thoroughbreds, autumn is the only time I'll ever be able to describe them as that!). Warm enough to enjoy long walks, sitting out in the garden but cool enough to enjoy a soak in the bath and a hot chocolate. Also the colours of autumn - those delightful burnt orange hues everywhere and planning for Halloween, Bonfire, Christmas and New Year :)

YADNBU - I love this time of year. Sunny autumn days are my absolute favourite. I don't do well in the hot weather so love the freshness that Autumn brings. The season of mellow fruitfulness in all its glory!

Suns out this morning and it's still August so yes yabu and think autumn is overrated. Darker nights, spiders, leaves clogging the gutters, back to school feeling, being constantly bothered by children at Halloween

Yes, I absolutely love Autumn. It's my favourite time of year. I love the chilly weather, the gorgeous colours of the leaves, coming in from a cold walk and putting the heating on (if only we had a fire), cosying under a blanket in the evenings, having a hot cup of tea first thing on a cold morning, cooking and eating delicious, comforting foods.

It's disappointing that this year won't be the same. Halloween and Bonfire Night won't really be happening as before. And as another poster said, we have the added worry of possible redundancy in our house so the Autumn season feels a bit unknown at the moment. But I'm still trying to looking ahead to the season and all the things I love about it.

I am! I love Autumn, the darker, cosy nights (without being dark TOO early), the smell of Autumn nights, sleeping with the window shut and cocooned in the duvet, putting the heating on, the crunchy leaves on the ground before they go mushy, tea and biscuits (not that I haven't been doing that anyway but it's much more pleasurable when I'm not sweating at the same time) and most importantly - Halloween! My favourite day of the year and now also DD's birthday! Can't wait :)

@alula same in our house.

Normally I really look forward to autumn but we have the threat of redundancy hanging over our heads so it's hard to muster up much enthusiasm!

However I am looking forward to the DC going back to school and I have a couple of weekends away booked with DH and my group of girlfriends so that is something to look forward to.

What is it with MN and hot chocolate in every autumn/winter thread?
I love the colours and scents of autumn, but not the cold,rain,dark and huge spiders.
After 5 months of working from home, am dreading autumn and winter this year. Being able to be outside has been the only thing stoppong my mental health imploding, and I think many others will feel the same. Am actually worried about getting through the next 6 months( Scotland so long, miserable winters)

Yes it's my absolute favourite season !!

What is it with MN and hot chocolate in every autumn/winter thread?

Don't forget the overuse of the word cosy.

But can you not still go outside in the winter?! Surely if you have wellies and long, warm, waterproof coat it doesn’t really matter what the weather?!

If it’s absolutely torrential rain to the point that you can’t even see in front of you then yes, granted you wouldn’t want to to go out in it but surely even in Scotland it doesn’t do that everyday?! Like I said, maybe it’s a regional thing liking autumn as here we probably get about 7 torrential days throughout the whole winter (and I work outside so know better than most what the weather does each year!) the rest is just either dry, drizzle or the odd shower. I do live in one of the driest counties though so I guess that has something to do with it.

I am always a bit when people say they hate autumn because they like going outside (and you ALWAYS get lots of people saying that on these threads) you’re not going to melt in a bit of rain or cold for God’s sake. Get some decent, weatherproof clothes and get out for walks, you’ll appreciate your warm house even more if you do. My friends all moan about the winter which makes me laugh as they all work in offices (or from home now) and historically go from their office to their home each day and only actually go out at weekends and even then they’re in the majority of the time. How can they complain about winter when they don’t have to endure it anyway?!

Like I said though, winter I hate. The 27th December each year, I really am depressed and am longing for Spring. It’s only up until Christmas I don’t mind winter, after that I’m done. So if you go by my reasoning I like Sept- Dec which is only really 3 months. I’m not one of these Jan/ Feb lovers! Now THOSE get on my wick

Arghh, doesn’t really matter what the weather does**