The clocks have gone back and it’s already getting dark outside.

Not quite 5pm on a Sunday evening and the wind, rain and gloom are encroaching upon the last vestiges of light over the hills.

The darkness will take hold shortly and only the desperate or the creatures of the night will be abroad, hunting or being hunted, playing out their dance of death.

Inside, in the light, I’ll cook, drink some wine and watch a film while the doglets snuggle into me, keeping us all warm; because it’s not quite cold enough to light the fire yet.

I’ve spent the week performing minor fixes to things around the house and painting the workshop floor in sections so that I don’t have to move anything outside into the cold and wet.

The time since I gave up work has flashed by, Spring rolling into a glorious Summer and slowly into Autumn .

Until, as if a switch has been activated, we’re into cold and rain, the trees are changing colour more rapidly and shedding leaves like huge red and brown droplets as you walk through.

But the dark is definitely gathering.

We’re heading into the shortest days, the coldest days and I suspect that this winter may be brutal.

But, I’ll be as prepared as possible, there’s a huge stock of wood, I’ll get the oil tank filled in a few weeks, all the wood outside has been oiled or painted and the gates will be firmly closed against the outside world.

I’ll use the extra hours of enforced quiescence to go back into the gym, read more books and enjoy the fact that I’ve made things as safe as secure as possible.

We can’t worry about everything and for now I’ll take the time to allow myself to enjoy the peace of mind that I’m feeling.

Things will change- probably soon.

I have an ‘interview’ on Friday and it’s very, very likely that I’ll be going back to work for up to a year.

I’ve been asked by one of my best friends to help with a few issues, I’ll be paid as a contractor and that money will mostly go to a fund for things that will need replacing over the next few years – it’ll save me touching my pension too.

So.

Life is still good, the wider issues aren’t going away but for now, I’ll make my peace with the darkness.