The days are getting shorter…

And cooler too, so I packed my summer dresses away, and now it looks as if there’s another hotter spell along in a minute. It's a trick that never fails, so maybe I should pack my summer raincoat away too because I've only worn it once this year. It won't be a heatwave, though, no matter what the news is claiming, because living with the sea a mile or so away on three sides of me means that there’s almost always a nice fresh breeze, and it feels a couple of degrees cooler than the forecast.

That’s why everywhere’s busy with holidaymakers at the moment, and I firmly and regularly remind myself that they are almost all lovely people who bring the money in to keep the Quay and Harbour going. It’s just that, selfishly, I like it so much better when it’s quiet, and so, I suspect, do the birds.

It’s not going to be that quiet for quite a while because the sluice channel that takes water from the saltwater lagoon on the other side of the railway line to the sea has been quietly collapsing for a few years, so they’re working on it before the over-wintering birds arrive. That means that the Harbourside walk is cut into two parts, and oh dear me, some people don’t like it. The cyclists are up in arms about it, and some of them don’t seem to be able to read signs like ‘cyclists dismount’, ‘pedestrians have priority’ and ‘road closure ahead.’ I suppose they’re going so fast and so busy shouting at pedestrians to get out of their way so they can carry on straight ahead, even though there are another two metres of path on the other side of the aforementioned pedestrians.

Am I cross about that? A little because I don't like being sworn at, but I will probably never go to heaven because I thoroughly enjoyed watching one of these charmers overtake in a flurry of bad language and then turn down the cycle path, carry on haring down and then come face to face with an eight-foot-high steel fence and loads of digging equipment. Isn’t it nice when the universe exacts justice?

Being fair, it’s a small minority of entitled souls, and the rest of us are watching with fascination as they bring the equipment in and make a temporary road for it that’s going to be sown with wildflowers when the work is done. Officially, that’s the middle of November, but I’m not so sure because I suspect that there’s a lot of rain due after a dry summer. That’s also why I’m washing everything I can, especially in the coming hotter weather. I inherited that trait from my mum, but it’s also because I’m gradually, gradually nesting and looking forward to autumn and winter indoors before the whole cycle begins.

Yes, it’s cold down by the Harbour in the winter, but there’s also a stillness and a sense of the world being cleaned and replenished all ready for spring. You can chart the seasons by the arrival and departure of the birds, and we get all sorts of feathered visitors when the weather’s been bad. There’ll also be the Christmas lights along the Quay to look forward to, and hot chocolate with squirty cream, flake and marshmallows to come back to after a long, cold walk.

My weight has dropped so much that I’ve had to replace my coats, and I’ve done very well on eBay, so they’re exactly right for my colouring, fit beautifully, and best of all, are warm and washable. I’ve got hats and gloves with fingers that have touch screen pads on, so I can use my camera, so that’s all to look forward to.

But right now there’ll be more hot weather so I’ll sit in the garden and watch the kestrels and peregrines flying overhead as well as the butterflies. There may well be ice cream involved because I’ve got to finish it while I clear the freezer so I can defrost it, haven’t I? And I’ll be working on the last Harbourside for now, which should be out in 2027, and I shall have fun. I hope you do the same till we meet again on Tuesday.

Today’s pictures show how much greyer it’s been. One’s of the site equipment, which is driven by some very nice and good-looking young men who are happy to explain what’s going on, without realising that I’m gathering hero material. The other is of a cormorant because it’s time for the annual battle to recommence. I want to photograph them. They’re camera shy. My collection of pictures of places where a cormorant was gets better every year but I won’t give up.