Slow Living in Anticipation for Autumn: Spooky Books, Writing & Chasing the Rain

Two weeks and three days until it's time to flip the page on the calendar to September...  Another heatwave has just ended, thank goodness, so I'm writing to you from my favourite corner at the table, French door wide open, enjoying the crisp in the air. Whatever the weather, September will bring change. The back-to-school vibes, the evenings drawing in, hopefully some rain. We've had a really long and unusually hot summer this year, but this is the UK. The land of rain and fog, of fields covered in morning mist and low-hanging clouds over barren heathlands. The rain will return, and with it, life as we know it.

📅 Saturday, August 15th, 2026
2 weeks until Autumn!

This week in our Autumn 2026 Countdown series, I thought I'd entertain you with Adriana Diary's entry. As a mum to a little girl who loves the beach and sunshine, I have built sandcastles, eaten fish and chips by the seaside, and washed sand out of Rosa's and my hair this summer. But for my rain-loving self, I bought a bunch of books, finished a writing project that turned out to be much bigger than planned, and indulged in visiting places that speak of history, nature and peace. All in all, it has been a beautiful, cosy summer, but I'm glad it's ending. Ok, so let's get into all of this, as I'm dying to share. 

Catch Up with the 9-Week Countdown to Autumn 2026
Click here to read every post in the series

If you saw last week's vlog, you know that Andrei and I enjoyed a day in Wales and a few gorgeous hours in Hay-on-Wye, a famous town known for its many bookshops. I bought 3 books you can see below, but before I dive in, I'm going to finish my current read: Dying Fall by Elly Griffiths. I have immensely enjoyed the four previous books in the series, and after a break to read other books, I'm glad to be back in Dr Ruth Galloway's world.

When deciding which candle to use for this post, my eyes fell on "Reading on a Rainy Day", and I thought that is exactly what we all need right now :D I certainly do. A peaceful, gloomy day with rain pattering on the window, candle burning, and a book in my hands!

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Discover our hand-poured candles crafted in our Somerset studio, inspired by the seasons of the English countryside

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When it comes to my own writing, I'm excited (and when I say "excited", I don't mean it in this standard marketing kind of way, when you're supposed to use emotionally charged words to strengthen the message, but I'm actually slightly giddy and can't wait) to let you know that I have finished writing my "short" Halloween Gothic Story. It will be published here, on the blog, in 4 instalments starting on the 12th of September. The title is "Hollowing", and yes, it's dark and eerie (or so I hope, lol).

The short is not shorting, though. I planned to write about 8-10K words, but ended up with 30K. A standard thriller is about 70-90K words; that's nearly half or 3rd of a whole book. I have considered whether I should just carry on and keep writing it into a book, but I wouldn't finish on time. I have promised you a story on the blog this September, and I can't break my word. With many of my dear readers saying they are looking forward to it, I decided to publish it as planned, and if you enjoy it, who knows, maybe I'll make a book out of it, in time for Halloween 2027?

In relation to my story, I asked Andrei to spend a morning in Devon. "Hollowing" is set deep in Devon countryside, and since it's not very far from where we live in Somerset, I thought a day out would be nice. We visited Robber's Bridge - a place I discovered earlier this year that now I am excited to observe as the seasons change. I will pay a visit again in early and late Autumn, as I already know that the abundance of the beech trees will make that tiny place magical. 

I'm thankful that places like this exist and that I get to experience them. I will share a lot more - including the soothing sound of water - on YouTube this Sunday

The signs of Autumn and the endless heatwaves are also visible in Devon. Ferns turning colours, golden fields, fallen leaves... Ah, Autumn, is that you?

But the question is - will we have an early Autumn this year? Actually, I'm not so sure.  My clues are the twisted oaks in the Quantock Hills. I remember more balanced summers, with the right amount of both sun and rain, when the oaks were already dropping clumps of leaves in early August. But it's now the middle of the month, and I haven't found a single oak leaf on the ground, which feels almost strange with the lack of rain and extended heat. Many trees are turning orange and dropping leaves, but not the oaks, not yet.

There's no rush; we let nature unfold in its own way.

Since I brought up the Robber's Bridge, I also have to mention my other recent discovery - St Mary's Church in Craswall, Wales. It has instantly shot to the top of my favourite places, along with the Robber's Bridge. 

I have my own internal way of rating such places, and some of the most important factors are how obscure the place is, how far it is from any main road or modern buildings, and whether we met anyone while there. It's funny how I sometimes get confused comments on YouTube asking why there are never any people on the streets in my videos, when all I'm doing is purposely visiting places where Andrei and I meet as few people as possible.

If you ever visit Hay on Wye, I highly recommend visiting Craswall church; it's only a short (and picturesque) drive from there. Please make sure to leave a small donation as well (there is a convenient cardless payment option available), as the church clearly needs funds.

Isn't it a gorgeous little place? I reserve the right to use the left image as a cover for one of my books in the future :) 

Next week we gather here; it will be only a little over a week left until September. I wish the weather would match this longing mood. Not only for the "Autumn vibes" we enjoy - the stakes are much higher this time. Both humans and the environment need water badly. For once, we are not alone in waiting for the rain.

Right (slaps my hands on my legs as I get up), I won’t keep you any longer :) Thank you for reading this post and my book, for writing the most heart-touching reviews and comments, for shopping for candles, and for being wonderful humans overall who support our small candle business and my writing. It really isn't taken for granted,

much love (and rain)
Adriana x