Walking into autumn

Keeping the momentum when it’s tempting to stay indoors

Autumn leaves

Hello again. Has it been two weeks since the last edition already? It feels like this year’s flying by. I haven’t had to turn the heating on yet, but some days are so grey I have to put Big Light on. How about you?

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Walking

I’m not a huge fan of autumn. At this time of year I mourn the loss of the light and loathe the longer, damper and darker days. And as the days get shorter, I find my walks shortening too. When it’s cosy indoors and grey outdoors, it definitely takes more effort to go for a walk. This is the time of year when my hibernation instinct kicks in and I find myself reaching for my slippers rather than strapping on my boots. Perhaps you’re the same?

As a woman, I’m also less inclined to walk alone at night. So there’s a practical reason why my walks become shorter at this time of year – especially when I’m working indoors during the day and there’s not much light left when I finish. So I make these shorter walks more meaningful by making the most of the light we do have. That usually means walking to and from work and breaking up my day by going for a brisk stroll at lunchtime when the light is at its brightest.

But even though it’s a struggle to go for a walk at this time of year, if I wrap up in the right clothes and force myself out of the door, I always feel better for it. And I’m often rewarded by the loveliest walks in autumn because the sunrises and sunsets always seem better at this time of year. Like this sunrise over Regent’s Canal:

There’s always a sunrise if you get up early enough

Or this epic sunset, which I caught as I was walking home from work a couple of days before I published this post:

Sunset over Shoreditch – #nofilter

Autumn is also a fantastic time to pay attention to the changes in nature. There’s the unexpected sunshine after rain, piles of fallen leaves you can kick your feet through and auburn leaves poised on branches, ready to fall into your hands. There are conkers, seeds, berries and mushrooms to spot in the wild – and if you’re in the countryside you can even go foraging for them. Just make sure you know what you’re doing when it comes to the mushrooms though!

Tasty berries, but I’m not so sure about the mushrooms

I also love the changing colour of the leaves. And, yes, I do still kick my feet through them when no one’s watching.

Nature’s carpeting

So for your walk this time, I invite you to seek out autumn’s changing colours. Get up a little earlier to catch the sunrise, go foraging in a wood for berries, nuts or conkers, or find a pile of fallen leaves and jump in them.

Writing

For your writing this time, I invite you to write a haiku inspired by what you found on your walk. A haiku is a form of Japanese poetry that evokes nature. It’s made of three short lines, that do not rhyme, and each line has a specific number of syllables. The first line has five syllables, the second has seven and the third has five. So the pattern is 5-7-5. Here are a couple of examples:

Autumn colours burst
A golden crown of oak leaves
Encircles the tree

Woke to bright sunshine
Then crunched through sienna leaves
Welcome autumn day

As always, I hope you enjoy your walking and writing. Please feel free to share your haiku in the comments, too.

Until next time,

Sarah

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If you enjoyed this edition of The Writer’s Walk, trying pairing it with a spot of foraging:

Walking with your tastebuds