November is drawing to a close in a typically soggy and windy manner. Last night, strong gusts stripped the lane-side trees of most of their beautiful autumn leaves, reducing the deciduous elements of the countryside to bony-fingered branches. And that's how they will remain now for these darker months. I miss the milder weather of Devon, from whence I came some 10 years ago. The autumn and winter always seem so long up here in southwest Scotland, and I do find it challenging sometimes. Despite the climate, I love my life here and wouldn’t ever change it.
I had a particularly tough winter last year, with a debilitating shoulder injury, followed by the loss of my dear mother in January, all of which contributed to a very bleak and difficult depression. I’m pleased to say things feel much different now, but I am mindful, as autumn turns to winter, that I must do all I can to read the signs and avoid slipping back into that dark place. How
