Mysterious disappearances and time travel

Being a country boy at heart, I've always considered myself to be in tune with nature. So it was with shock this morning that I noticed there were no swallows around. And thinking back, I don't remember seeing any for a while. I wracked my brain and I can remember seeing them grouping on the telephone wires a week or so ago, but now, nothing. In the same way that the return of the swallows in April signifies spring, their disappearance as they migrate to warmer climes in southern Africa signifies the onset of Autumn and Winter. But usually we have a couple of weeks of them gathering in larger and larger groups, fattening themselves up on insects in readiness for the long journey south. Its always a nice, if slightly noisy sight to see 10-20 swallows sitting on the wire outside our bedroom window. People often try to suggest that birds have a sixth sense that allows them to predict the future and so this sudden migration south heralds a terrible winter, especially as all the Rowan berrys are already ripe. I don't believe that. Its more likely that the strange summer weather has effected insect numbers and they've headed off early in a hope that they can fatten up on the journey.
The other shock to the system is that its September! Where has the year gone? This is our first year of business at the Beggshill Bothy and its already 2/3rds gone. Yet again, the list of things I'd achieve this year, new horse shelter, better garden, log shed by the back door has not gone down. No worries. There is always next year. But if the swallows are right and its a bad winter, I'll kick myself for not doing the log shed by the back door. The barn is a long way from the house in a snowstorm. But, I'm being silly, swallows don't predict the weather.....