A morning so good I could roll in it

Our pre-breakfast morning walk usually takes us just to the end of the lane; Jake gets to sniff about and relieve himself and I get back to make a cup of coffee and decide whether it is a porridge or fruit day. Yesterday's walk started out like that but it was such a glorious morning, we kept going. The ground is crying out for some rain but I can't help enjoying these balmy temperatures where we still only need one layer of clothes, and socks are still firmly in the sock drawer.  In fact I ended up walking for an hour in my flip flops and it was only in the last 5 minutes that a vicious thorn gave me a bloody big toe.

The village vegetable gardens are almost empty with just a few red peppers and the odd watermelon hanging on, but the marigolds and zinnias, which self seed every year, are still blooming and give off that distinctive autumn scent that defies the sunshine to remind me of bonfires and misty mornings. Jake found a scent so good that he had to cover himself in it, and once I'd checked that it wasn't anything decomposed or defecated, I let him get on with it.
It was such a beautiful day that for the first time in 4 months I felt a bit of hope springing and that maybe life could be enjoyed again.  But the curse of 2016 is not going to leave us just yet - a couple of hours later my daughter rang in tears - she has been made redundant, the fate of many in Bodrum I fear. I would say roll on 2017, but I doubt it will have much good news to offer us in Turkey.