The view, this morning, from the spare bedroom....
Sadly(?), this is not my garden; but that of the the farmhouse at the back.
However, it's maintained solely, as far as I'm aware, by my 80-odd-year-old next-door neighbour --
who, I think, sometimes, is as sprightly as a house elf...
(and certainly in better condition than I am...)!

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(This is what I was listening to
-- complete coincidentally --
when uploading this image...)

Urge for going
Joni Mitchell

I awoke today and found the frost perched on the town
It hovered in a frozen sky, then it gobbled summer down
When the sun turns traitor cold
And shivering trees are standing in a naked row
I get the urge for going
But I never seem to go

I get the urge for going
When the meadow grass is turning brown
Summertime is falling down and winter is closing in

I had me a man in summertime
He had summer-colored skin
And not another girl in town
My darling's heart could win
But when the leaves fell trembling down
Bully winds did rub their faces in the snow
He got the urge for going
And I had to let him go

He got the urge for going
When the meadow grass was turning brown
Summertime was falling down and winter was closing in

The warriors of winter they gave a cold triumphant shout
And all that stays is dying and all that lives is getting out
See the geese in chevron flight flapping and racing on before the snow
They've got the urge for going, they've got the wings to go

They get the urge for going
When the meadow grass is turning brown
Summertime is falling down and winter is closing in

I'll ply the fire with kindling and pull the blankets to my chin
And I'll lock the vagrant winter out and bolt my wandering in
I'd like to call back summertime and have her stay just another month or so
She's got the urge for going
And I guess she'll have to go

And she gets the urge for going when meadow grass is turning brown
All her empires are falling down
Winter's closing in

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