Not so much a magpie than a squirrel

This, right now, is my favourite time of year. I like the summer because I can wear fewer layers of clothing, and winter when it's snowy, but this particular stage of autumn (or 'fall' for all you foreigners) is beautiful.

I love the pinkish-grey light that overlays everything just after the sun sets...
the slight chill in the air that makes me think of snuggling up under a fleecy throw with a good book...
seeing the leaves change colour, and the way that different types of trees go different colours...
watching the fallen leaves drift on the canal and the loch, on a day when the air is almost completely still...
the smell of damp, trampled leaves and grass, and the frosty crunch underfoot in the mornings...

I always start hoarding at this time of year. Even though I know that I don't really need to stock up on supplies for the winter, I love the feeling of satisfaction that I get from filling the cupboards with tins of soup, baked beans and other comfort foods. I also get rather excited about 3-for-2 offers on other things I use, and on things I don't use, to be honest. I even spent a while this morning collecting conkers to dry and scatter round the house, as their scent repels moths, and that was the most fun I've had for ages.
I suppose it isn't really all that long since we did have to lay in supplies for the winter, so I'm going to blame all this on instinct - if I was a squirrel, I'd be behaving perfectly rationally.