Beauty /ˈbjuːti/ noun
A combination of qualities that pleases the senses
Summer is a wonderful time and this year has been glorious - if not a little hot at times! I always relish walking across campus in the summer and sitting for a while around campus to look upon the wildflowers and the trees in their full glory. I have had the delight of seeing all kinds of wildlife in the university gardens, from robins, dunnocks and squirrels in the trees, newts, dragonflies and toads in the pond, and so many beautiful butterflies and bumblebees on the flowers.
I particularly like being able to enjoy the warmer, lighter evenings through the summer months, and in particular heading through the University gardens at dusk. Recently we were able to sit and watch a fox family come out from their den and hunt in the undergrowth. Quite unperturbed by their human watchers, they roamed the gardens as their own. Overhead we saw bats flying between the trees, flying so fast, you would blink and miss them. Apart from the regular chiming of the university clock tower, this is such a quiet, peaceful and restful time to enjoy campus gardens and I would thoroughly recommend it to anyone to explore their campus at dusk.
Now as I write it is the final day of August and we will move tomorrow into our first of the UK autumn months. With the recent dry and hot weather the trees are already showing signs of what is to come, with many already shedding their yellow, orange and brown leaves. I see this both with some sadness that I know the summer heat is soon to change, but also with happiness that colder crisper autumnal mornings may sooner be here with all the brilliance of the autumn colours.
Interestingly, depending on how one recounts the seasons, today may not in fact be the last day of summer. Meteorologically speaking, in the UK Autumn does indeed end today (31st August), however if we consider the astrological calendar, autumn will not end this year until September 22nd. So depending on your point of view, you can hold on to that summer feeling for just a little longer should you so wish.
Take a look at some of the photos submitted to thegratefulacademic.com.
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Links to further reading:
Met Office, When does Autumn start? https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/learn-about/weather/seasons/autumn/when-does-autumn-start
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