Change of Season Blues

Change of Season Blues
Pot of Gold at Castiglione del Lago

We are enjoying the first rain here in Central Italy for many, many months, hopefully bringing to an end an incredible period of drought. With it comes a sense of sadness though. I guess I have the change of season blues.

Change of Season Blues

Change of Season Blues
Pot of Gold at Castiglione del Lago

Waking To The Sound of Rain

We woke up to a big thunderstorm at 5.30am. It was lovely to lay in bed and listen to the sound of the rain outside. An ‘orange warning’ had been issued for today, we were to expect a lot of rain and strong winds with potential damage. Not least because after such a prolonged drought it was possible trees might come down.

I spent some time yesterday preparing for the coming storm. I cleared up the fallen leaves that might block drainage channels, and stacked plant pots that might blow over as the plants within them are long since dead.

In the event the storm was quite mild by our standards but the rain continues off and on and it is very welcome indeed.

Change of Season Blues
Umbria on Fire

Of course in other parts of the world, as reported in The Washington Post, there has been widespread flooding and loss of life. Here the severe heat, drought and wild fires have been the story of the Italian summer. As I tried to convey with my picture ‘Umbria on Fire’.

First Day Of Another Hunting Season

Change of Season Blues
A Comfy Niche

The 1 September here in Italy  always manages to set me on course for the change of season blues. It marks the beginning of the hunting season. In previous years we have been awakened by gun shots but of course the storm put a stop to that this year. The first month of the season is rabbits, hares and birds and mainly individual hunters out and about. October marks the start of the main season for wild boar and that is when groups of hunters and packs of dogs hunt the land.

As mentioned in an earlier blog post, we have had several cats killed by hunting dogs. We have high pressure water guns set up in various places to fend off the dogs if they come near the house! At least the kittens are getting older and know their way around the land now. Like little Amber show in this picture ‘A Comfy Niche’.

The Heat Will Gradually Recede

Change of Season Blues
The West Pier in Brighton

Moving away from change of season blues, on the positive side, that dreadful heat we have experienced will now gradually recede over the next few weeks. Hopefully the wild animals and birds who have survived will start to get back to normal. After a few days of rain the temperatures are due to settle down to around 26C (70F) which will be very comfortable and more than ten degrees centigrade less than we have had on average.

Actually, I have just spent a week in Brighton in the UK with my parents and on the August Bank Holiday Monday the temperature was 26C – everyone was complaining about the heat but I was just pleasantly warm. I took this picture of the West Pier in Brighton whilst I was there.

Change of Season Blues

Regular readers of my blog will know that I am a lover of Jazz and Blues music. I am going to leave you with this wonderful song by Bobby Dirninger called ‘Change of Season’. It is music only, no video, but it sounds like how I feel and it is great guitar work.

Before you go

Mid-week Reflections
Dorothy and Barnet Boy

My name is Dorothy Berry-Lound an artist and writer. You can find out more about my art and writing at https://dorothyberryloundart.com.

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Thank you for reading!

About Dorothy Berry-Lound 447 Articles
I am having fun living half way up a mountain in Central Italy with my husband Barnet Boy, Stevie Mouse and the rest of my fur family. I am enjoying creating art that people will love having on their walls. I also love storytelling through my blog and short stories.

2 Comments

  1. Dorothy, another excellent blog. Happy you have rain and cooling temperatures. I’m sure your ‘family’ will appreciate it as well. Hunting season usually begins here as well. Yesterday we met folks on the way out at our Alligator Lake, in Lake City, Florida – hunting alligators.

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