Montségur in an autumn light.

   Suddenly, overnight, it became autumn, and we went outdoors to feel a nip in the air. After weeks of coming indoors to get cool, we've now started doing the opposite.
    And we've had rain, a blessing after what seems like weeks of 30-plus temperatures. You can even get tired of blue skies (but not for long).
     The other afternoon was grey and dull as a friend and I drove to Lavelanet. Usually Montségur, the dramatic peak that was the last stronghold of the Cathars, almost fades into the background hills. Today, it stood out so spectacularly that I grabbed my camera.

     Those grey spots are rain on the windscreen.