Autumn has finally arrived

Leaves gone off the trees

We've had wind, lots of it. We've had rain, loads of rain. We've had extraordinarily high tides. We've had warmth for days, but now it has turned cold. The leaves have been blown off the trees, the flowers are shutting down, the bees have gone to sleep. 

A few of the supports in the vineyard have suffered and need replacing. The leaves have fallen off the vines. The must we had fermenting went bad. (Not too upset. Had expected as much.) And the days are very dark indeed as we head into the weary weeks of winter. 

I have signed up for a course on winemaking and I have 6 weeks to complete it before my final exam. My reward will be a certificate I can hang on the wall of the new shed we are building to house the equipment. That may yet get me through the darkness and into light. 

In the meantime, I am trying to find places to fit all the stuff from Alex's mom's house, the beekeeping equipment, and the winery supplies. I need to clear stuff out. It's driving me crazy. 

The road is gone. 

Dock trying to float onto the road

Tide on the driveway

Gusts of >75 knots