Leaves. Not the most dramatic of openings I will confess, however as Autumn hits Moscow it's all proving quite dramatic for the locals. You see Moscow is blest with two things of relevance to this musing. Many trees and a desire for civic neatness.

Which means that with a State eager to ensure high employment there's no reason to have such pesky things littering the pavements or parks. So everywhere you look there are people equipped with rather feeble brooms frantically sweeping and tidying the never ending application of Autumns golden, leafy blanket.

It's a mission that can never be completed and one due to play out for the next few weeks, puzzling me no end.

The question I keep asking myself is this. 'Why not switch from daily to weekly sweeping ?'.

At least that way I, and al l the other children in Russia, can enjoy kicking our feet through them before they're tidied up !