Definitely fall coming my way, I had the furnace on for a little while this morning. Bright sunshine now, but the air has a nip to it.
It was a strange un-summer, abnormal cool temperatures, interspersed with a mini-heat-wave now and then. Nobody in Northern California had a decent tomato-crop, it seems.
The poison oak has turned brilliant red, it actually is a spectacular plant, climbing up the big pines.
Acorns are dropping, the madrone berries as well as the ones on the pyracantha are turning color, so the robins can't be too far behind. Juncos have arrived, ducks stop at the pond, filling up on duck-weed before continuing their journey south.
It definitely is getting "early" later and "late" earlier.
Hope to be off the walker soon, have to use a cane for a while, but that will be an improvement.

It's not here, yet, but it's coming. Yay! We've had a few cool mornings, though no furnace, yet, Lilo.

I'm not sure our lawn will recover; grass is supposed to go dormant, but ours--and all our neighbors--looks like somebody's tramped-down hayfield. Guess we'll just wait and see.

Precursor of autumn, the maximillian sunflowers have taken over from the annual ones, If you like lots of yellows and browns enjoy now. Zillions of blooms.

Fall is on it's way for sure but after that comes winter
and even though it was hotter than you know what this summer
I still love summertime best.

I love having Hummingbirds and Butterflies and I really
miss them when they leave in the fall.

The majority of the Hummingbirds left today so Fall is
upon us.

Aw Janis, sorry the hummers left.

As usual the first to show color is the Virginia Creeper. Saw a few leaves that are turning this morning. The temps were great today. Nice seventies with a good breeze going. Jessie was finally up to running around again and I could enjoy the outdoors once more. I'll enjoy the Fall as it appears and while it's here.

I would give my right arm to see the colors change. We don't get that here, but s-l-o-w-l-y the heat and humidity are going down and the breezes can be felt. I lost quite a few plants, flowers mostly, to the heat. We won't get rain for about a month yet. My tomatoes are scraggly and not a flower on them. I've sown lettuce, sweet pea, and California poppies in egg cartons. I'm still making more and more compost for a decent sized layer on a soon-to-be lasagna garden, my first. I've planted crocosmia on the slope; it will get watered by the winter rains and hopefully when they bloom in the early spring they'll help with erosion. We never (ok, very rarely) frost here, but our fall lasts about a month - much longer than our spring! I am so looking forward to decent gardening weather and the first rains. Peace and a happy new year to all who celebrate..........

Strange weather we had this year, not enough spring days,
right into summer, which was way too hot & humid for me.
Now the 90's turn into 60's which I rather like. I have
to get out and enjoy the cooler weather before it turns
to winter. Hubby closed the pool up just the other day.

Not a lot changing colors because much of it is dead from the drought. However,the march of the stinkbugs from the outside to the inside is a sure sign of fall and that old dreaded winter not far behind. Jan,our hummers are still here but I think packing their bags right now. They've been frenetically sucking up the nectar which is a sure sign.

Oh, goodness, must be Fall or at least almost. Kicked the furnace on yesterday to take the chill off. It was in the 50's and raining, so pretty chilly. I hate the shorter days and it has rained nearly every day for over a week, which is alright as the Perennials and Shrubs will be well watered going into Winter.Fall colors haven't started as yet.

The old cat is starting to stay in at night. Must be fall.

No furnace yet, but it is nice walking in the morning. The leaves are turning brown and it's raining acorns. The rain we finally got for a couple of hours on Friday night and Saturday morning won't change the bad harvest this year, especially for our farmers. The swallows have left and the hummers are getting ready, I have to refill the feeders every day.

It's like somebody just flipped a switch in S.E. Ohio, and we went from the Dog Days of summer to autumn in the course of three days. I'm like Janis...........this summer was perfect. Long, hot days and I wallowed in it. Everyone I have talked to here are rejoicing at the blanket-covered nights and chilly mornings but I'm not impressed. ;-)

I am still drowning in the season's tomato crop, as the fall apple crop is coming on. There are plenty left on the vine to harvest, and they're going out of here in brown paper pokes to anyone whom I can pawn them off on. I alternate what I can each day so that I can keep up with both of them at the same time. The pantry shelves are full and I've started stacking the jars in the kitchen in big plastic tulip crates, two dozen quart jars a crate. The big courtland apple tree I finished picking all I can reach with the pole picker this evening and there is a big bowl of baseball-sized apples on the kitchen counter and half a bushel of them outside the kitchen door. This makes two down and four to go. The Jonathans, Winesaps and Granny Smiths need picked and the McIntosh aren't far behind. Does are bringing their half-grown fawns daily to police up the drops and that's a win/win situation to keep the yellow jackets down.

It's been raining butterflies for a month now of all shapes and sizes, but the early species are already gone and their caterpillars are everywhere. A few hummers are at the flowers feeding yet.

The night sky has been particularly sharp as it does on cool evenings and we've had some foggy mornings in the dells. The lightening buds just up and disappeared as well as the songs of the tree frogs, but the crickets have taken over the chorus.

The little volunteer sugar maple near our back door has brilliant red leaves interspersed against the green, and the dogwood trees are getting purple, as is the celery in the garden. The buckeye trees are yellow and the black locust are shedding already. I had a pumpkin failure this year all but one little fellow who is now bright orange, and the peppers are turning red.

We have had no appreciable rain now for at least a month, and at least fall promises the beginning of precipitation. We are never in a hurry to clean our flower beds, as autumn usually brings a second wind to the flowers, but this year they are ratty looking from dryness and we may start dumping the urns and baskets soon.

It's soup weather and baking smells fill my kitchen daily and we seem to be attending to repair work outside early. One chimney is getting tuck-pointed and the arborists are here off and on to do tree work.

Alls we need now is the smell of wood smoke in the air and the "I's" will be dotted and the "T's" will be crossed.

Yesterday, as I stood in the crystal clear pool looking down at the shadow lattice on the bottom, not a cloud in the sky, birds sailing overhead, I can only describe my feelings as dejected; that was the shortest summer ever. I never want summer to last (mommy and I fight over it. She loves it and I hate the heat), but I guess the flood ate into the early summer we usually have. Since it got cut short, I want more. Which is completely odd, as the humidity has been unbearable! I've said no less than three times in the past week, I'd have gladly relived the 15 straight days of 100+ temps of 2007 than relive the humidity of this summer. I can finally begin to think about autumn. It's usually my favorite time of year and I can't wait for it to arrive, but not this year. I have been thinking about the soups I will make, but cannot bring myself to buy any supplies yet. The gorgeous colors have begun to blush on the leaves, but I shun my eyes from seeing. LF and I noticed the banks of the river next to my mom's house a couple of weeks ago, lined with trees... all turning golden, with Black-eyed susans covering their feet, and the bedhead Solidago shooting up. The butterflies are flitting everywhere. I've never seen so many in one place. Why are they so abundant this year? Gorgeous, don't get me wrong, gorgeous. Much better than cicada years. The days are growing shorter, much shorter. The water was so cold yesterday and Saturday, but I just dealt with it, saying what will you say in another two weeks, "Boy I wish I could swim?" Just get in girl! Summer is most assuredly over. Time to go find some gourds, squashes, drink in aroma of the decaying leaves, begrudingly for me, it's time :(