The First Touch of Autumn; And, The Hawthorn Trees

I can finally tell that autumn is on its way. Some days are still pretty warm, but there have been a few that have been grey and drizzly, and overall things seem cooler....especially at night. A few of the large Maples and Elms have just begun to turn colours, and there are more than a few Poplars that are already showing orange. The apple trees are all covered in apples, and the Rowan trees are still showing their beautiful bright red fruit.

The Hawthorns near my house are just now almost ripe. I've seen some "out and about" that are clearly ready to harvest, but they are in full sun and too close to the road to be useful. I'm planning on making Hawthorn jelly and wine this year, for the first time ever, so I'm keeping a close eye on my "local" trees to determine the best time to harvest. Luckily I have one in my own yard, and the neighbours have been kind enough to tell me I could have some of their fruit as well. Most people around here seem unaware that you can eat Hawthorn. Unfortunately, there is not a single Hazelnut left on the trees; the squirrels ate them ALL. I'm quite sad about that, but at least I have a bunch of Haws to look forward to.

In magical news, I recently had a custom wand my by Gary over at the amazing OMEGA WORKS. He made my Athame for me as well, and they match. I don't usually show photos of my magical tools these days, but I might make an exception for the wand because it's truly an amazing piece. In the meantime, here are some images of the Hawthorn trees and such around my home.

Lady Hawthorn

Not QUITE Ripe Yet