Comins Coch, Ceredigion: They are gathering in the village in increasing numbers, sitting in trees and carving the tops out of the fruit
The falling leaves from the ash trees swirl and tumble in the strong breeze from the west. Rain, heavy and insistent, drives against the window as the sky darkens – then the sound of gurgling in the downpipe is replaced by the anarchic splatter of unregulated water as the gutter overflows on to the path. As the rain eases, we begin the familiar task of putting things to rights.
The moss that grows on the roof in the clean coastal air is loosened by the summer heat, then is dislodged by the first heavy rains of autumn. The moss then catches in the downpipe against other organic debris and accumulates into a plug, which thickens and grows more dense as time passes.