Noticing the first signs of the season

Official seasons begin on dates. Lived seasons tend to arrive through smaller evidence: the first frost on the car, the first evening without a coat, the first blackbird singing before breakfast or tomatoes that smell like tomatoes again.

The sign may be natural, domestic or entirely urban: leaves collecting against the kerb, radiators coming on, washing drying outdoors again, a particular fruit returning to the shops. It only needs to be the moment the change becomes noticeable to you.

The ritual

When one of those first signs appears, it can alter one part of the day: a drink taken outside, something seasonal brought home, a change in what is cooked or simply a moment long enough to notice it.

Variations

The same sign can return each year, or it can change. Seasons happen in cities, kitchens and calendars as well as woods and gardens.

More for this moment

Rise

How the house wakes up

Light, fresh air and the sound of the kettle mark the start of the day.

Recharge

Afternoon tea, over ice

Turn an ordinary afternoon drink into something worth looking forward to.

Rest

As the evening darkens

The light changes, and the atmosphere with it.