Scotland and back home

I've been away with the kids for the half term holidays.

We went to Scotland where we managed to see a couple of fruit trees, many apples trees still had fruit. This was my first time to Scotland and I was hoping to see the autumnal changes and the falling of leaves and the changing of colours. I wasn't disappointed. It was like being bombarded with colours.

The further north you get the fewer trees you see and the ones that you do seem to be small and more compact and doing well in their own peculiar way.

Near John O Groats I saw some trees that were growing at a 45 degree angle, presumable because of the weather the wind and rain forcing them to grow at strange angles.

Back at home in my orchard. Things are also changing very few trees still have green leaves. Lots of the  trees have lost most of their leafs and the rest of the  leaves have turned yellow or red and are getting ready to fall off.

Some of the quinces have very pretty red veins on bright yellow leafs.

I can also see the occasional meadow buttercup and I have included a picture of what Ispot called a meadow butter cup but does look like any others on google images. I may have to do a little more research on it.

The trees I have noted have a considerable amount of moss growing on them and the ground continues to be very dam and moist. The grass is dying back and it seems in some places that the ground is actually 2 inches further down that you think. This is because the grass is so long and has fallen down giving the impression that the ground slightly higher than it is.

I have given additional food to the bees and each hive got 6 kilos of sugar fondant, winter is kicking in. I may have to order more in.