Well it is, for me at least, a time of great energy. I think I never got over the excitement in September of was going back to school, meeting new people and just getting going again after the summer.

Today is a slightly sunny, slightly cool day in Wales and the trees are beginning to shed their leaves – the good news will be more acorn and conkers to collect and plant. I'm off shortly to work on some ground we are recovering around the edges of our local park – removing old privet roots and ivy to create extra grass, planted with small raised borders for herbs. Hopefully these will be left to grow rather than be kicked to death or stolen, and the community will have some herbs to smell and pick a little of as they walk through the park next year.

It's not all joy – I have a nice bump on my face where a Hawthorn stump we were removing yesterday fought back and whacked me in the jaw. Tree 1, me 0 !

Just loading the ipod with the Stephen Fry Podgram for company until Ruth comes out to join in. It's mattock time.