AUTUMN BEGINS WITH TREMBLING LEAVES...

Last day of September and I can feel the change of the seasons in my bones. The trees are only just beginning to shed their leaves, a little later than usual it seems due to the extended summer we've enjoyed this year, but bushes in our garden are showing an abundance of berries which usually points to a harsh winter ahead. Temperature has dropped tonight which, so far, hasn't stopped our beloved cat Django from venturing out into the fields surrounding our house. He likes to roam and hunt when darkness falls after an afternoon snoozing on our bed.

Took time out from my complicated schedule to go to Saltaire this afternoon, though we set off a little late. It's a long car journey, around two hours, to get there, but nice to arrive next to the familiar edifice of Salt's Mill. We had lunch there, my usual small Ceaser salad and a glass of house wine, which was very enjoyable and hopefully didn't raise my blood-sugar levels too much.

Looked attentively around the fabulous range of books that the mill carries, wanting to buy many but unable to justify the expense, especially due to the problems I now have reading with my diabetes impaired eyesight. However I bought two paperbacks, one a book written by Billy Bragg on the history of Skiffle music in Britain in the 1950's, which I'm looking forward to reading, albeit with the struggle of holding a magnifying glass to its pages.

The other book was an autobiography by 'Cosey Fani Tutti', one time member of 'Throbbing Gristle' and 'Psychic TV' and a confrontational artist in her own right. I've often had mixed feelings about those groups and the narrow division between art and deliberately salacious, purient deviancy but must admit to having a sneaking respect for their pushing of boundaries. It's a grey area that throws up a lot of questions about who we are and how we view ourselves. It will be interesting reading I suspect.

Here on the home front, the packaging art for the 'Auditoria' album is nearing completion. Just a tiny adjustment to the text font and then I think we're there with it. Quite a big project to get all three discs/albums finished, mastered and packaged in time for the manufacturing deadline. Hopefully, we're on schedule...

Still have concerns about the honarary doctorate arts degree ceremony coming up very soon...Haven't yet sorted out how to take care of Django while we're away. A serious worry for us. If it was a local thing it wouldn't be such a problem, but Winchester is a very long way away...

Another ordeal with injections into both my eyes coming up this week, (on Tuesday.) I wish they could find a better way of getting the drug into the back of my eyes other than by sticking needles into my eyeballs. But it seems this is the only way and must be endured.

Working on a new backing track for 'Orchestra Futura' which we will possibly perform at the 'Plectronica' event in December. It's a fairly straight, '50s style jazzy piece but with a couple of sonic differences. Need to continue with these backing tracks and compile them and choose which ones will fit the event best.

Have yet to begin working on original artwork for the merchandise stall at 'Plectronica.' I imagine it will be a bit of a struggle with my failing eyesight.

Now, though late, it's time to continue with the aforementioned backing track...there's no 'clocking in and out' with this job.