Colours

It's a tawny world out there still, the hedges and trees clinging on to their bronzed foliage like grim death. Even the newly ploughed and harrowed field near us has been scattered with autumnal leaves which bring a gaity to the sombre brown. It's beautiful, as if the earth can't quite yet yield to the pull of winter though November is nearly over. The winds are trying hard to do their job of stripping the glamorous colours away but they aren't winning yet. Walking out on these bright mornings and afternoon is such a joyful experience, the air clear and chill and the sky a lucid blue. Hugo was skittish at 8am, charging ahead and then flying back to me in an exhilarated burst of spontaneity. It's impossible not to smile - laugh even - at his antics. How I wish I had his energy.

Bearing in mind that I currently have a table and chairs for sale on Ebay, I had a disturbing session with a client this morning who was taken to the cleaners by a fraudulent seller. She bought an ex-rental hot tub for £850, and at the seller's request cancelled the Paypal payment and did a direct bank transfer instead. The thing was delivered but it was useless, and the man has since moved on, changed companies, changed phone numbers. She's unlikely to ever see her money again. OK, that was a bit gullible, but I've decided that if anyone wants my goods they can hand me cash when they collect them. I'm not falling for any scams. Chatting in the office afterwards everyone had a story of a client they had seen who had innocently handed over huge sums of money for nothing in return. I suppose we all want to think the best of each other, but you can't do that these days, not online anyway. Lesson learned, my lady went away with a form for the Small Claims Court but not much hope. It was really chastening.