One of the advantages of taking Tess the collie out for her first dog-walk of the day is that feeling of being ‘immersed’ in the sights, smells and sounds of the seasons.

Here in Cumbria, the summer fades off abruptly and the chilly early morning air is accompanied by often beautiful mists. The dog loves this time of year – perhaps favourite doggy smells are heightened by the encroaching moisture.

At the very start of the walk, the old canal path (to which our garden has direct access) takes you past the aqueduct – the old centre of Sedgwick that used to be a key feature of the Preston-Kendal canal. Now closed and drained, it provides a haven for wildlife, and also affords great views across the village’s houses to the minor fells between us and Kendal town centre, only four miles distant.

There’s a certain ‘soft’ quality to the whole experience; a sense that this is to be savoured before the long Cumbrian winter and its icy winds blow it all away…

The elevated canal path is higher than the rest of the village and affords great views down into the few streets. The summer – with its abundant foliage – obscures this, but the autumn thinning leaves begin to reveal it in its faded green and gold glory – especially when caught by the rays of the rising sun.

As we walk, the mist begins to thin out) This is the upper structure of the aqueduct – look at the steepness of those massive stone steps none of which are uniform. Not to be risked if there is any chance of ice. The village council built the more softly sloping path in the previous photo to provide an alternative and prevent accidents. I once fell down four of those steps and it hurt…

Arriving later in Morecambe to meet up with Bernie’s sister, we are faced with the most beautiful sky. Autumn offers such a mixture of colours, but its glory is brief and to be seized…

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©Stephen Tanham 2024

All photos taken and processed on an iPhone 12 ProMax.

Stephen Tanham is a writer-photographer and mystical teacher. He is the founding Director of the Silent Eye, which offers a monthly Zoom-based gathering of companions, each one sharing their own, unique journey to deeper states of self-realisation.