Iwander through a secret passageway to the canal, past ivy-wound fence panels and pebbles crunching under my feet. The pathway used to be overgrown but it’s clearer now that chilly autumn has arrived. As I walk along the path, I notice the ruby red leaves, grasp some of the last blackberries and enjoy the bitterness on my tongue. Further along I see the familiar horse chestnut trees that always reveal the signs of the seasons. There are hedgehog-like conker shells scattered under their majestic branches. I know some have been collected by my Pop – there is a myth that conkers keep spiders away, so he has bowlfuls of them on his canal boat. I don’t believe this is true though as his boat is still full of sneaky spiders that give me shivers up my spine. Our family has known this area, the Chelmer and Blackwater navigation, for a long time. Pop’s dad, my great-grandfather, worked at the sawmill where the timber transported up the canal was taken to be cut. Recently the navigation had an old working boat on it called Susan. It was built in 1953 and has returned to the waterway after restoration. While admiring the boat today I noticed a skittish moorhen scooting around the reeds rustling in the breeze. Unfortunately mink, an invasive species, have been threatening the moorhen population. I take in this memorable scene and appreciate how lucky I am to have this place as somewhere I can call home. Read today’s other YCD piece, by Noah, 9: ‘Spotted! A black squirrel outside my school kitchen’ Young Country Diary is published every fourth Saturday of the month. The submission form is currently closed, but it will reopen on Friday 29 November, when we will be asking for winter pieces