Fall

Night begins to smell damp, though the rain won't arrive for a few days. It definitely smells like autumn. It sounds like autumn, too, as more and more oak leaves are dropping. During the quiet hours, a single leaf falling can sound very loud. The frolic of raccoons can drown the sound out, but the raccoons don't hang around for long. Soon, the quiet returns and I can listen for the crinkly sound the leaves make, brushing against each other as they fall. It's like summer being wadded up and thrown away. I pity the raccoons. They make so much noise, I'm sure they don't get to hear the season change.