Country diary: Pale sunlight filters through the trees

Comins Coch, Ceredigion: Heavy rainfall and squally winds strip leaves from the beech trees and dislodge the last of the apple cropThe rain began before dawn, with heavy drops tearing at the moss on the roof and threatening to block the gutters and downpipes, which gurgled ominously. With little wind, the insistent thundery downpour dragged on until a faint line of light began to outline the eastern hills. My sleep confounded, I watched as the morning seeped into view through the mist hanging over the valley.Squally winds followed, stripping the first leaves from the beech trees and starting to dislodge the last of the apple crop. These final russets, swelling now from plentiful moisture, have been one of the beneficiaries of this wet early autumn. For some other apple varieties the rain came too late, and, added to the spring storms that damaged the setting fruit, the yields have been disappointing - with little scope for cider-making. Continue reading...