Displaced Autumn Night

The deer continue to nose around my flower beds every night, even though they have already consumed all the flowers. It might be optimism, I suppose.

While I was outside a few minutes ago, I heard the first acorn of the year fall on the metal roof of the garage over my back fence. With the chill in the air, it is a reminder of approaching autumn.

While I stood in the dark, looking at the thin sliver of the late rising moon, I heard meowing nearby. The cat from across the street had taken advantage of the absence of my cats and had come exploring. She is always careful to wait until I am alone to say hello to me. I think she knows that my cats are the jealous type.

It is likely that the hottest days of summer are still to come, but this cool night is like a temporal oasis in the seasonal desert. Maybe that is why my cats have chosen to spend the night sleeping indoors, and the oak tree has dropped an acorn. We are all willing to pretend for a while that the dog days are past. The dogs, I'm sure, have other ideas.

Cool and Grey

I don't know if this is San Francisco's fog or Seattle's clouds that we've got today, but, either way, it's a welcome change. The trees always look better on a grey day. Their detail is not obscured by contrasts of light and shadow. The birds seem to be pleased, as well. They are all singing and coming down to peck at the lawn. I won't have to wait until the sun goes behind the trees before I go for a walk. Ah, coolness! I'd almost forgotten what it's like.