It takes a while to adjust to early nightfall. This evening I was surprised to see that it was fully dark at only six o'clock. I had been busy in the house and missed the dusk altogether. The water in the feral cats' bowls hadn't even been changed, so, with the back porch light still burned out, I had to do it in the dark. The still un-raked leaves crunched under my feet as I crossed the lawn. They have dried nicely, and although the evenings have been cloudy there has been no rain, so maybe they will stay dry until I finally get around to putting them in the bins.
The cold nights have improved the color of the leaves. There are many red and yellow trees now, and the streets are covered in reddish brown pine needles. The mulberry tree is finally beginning to drop some leaves, so the front yard as well as the back will soon need raking. The rain gutters will need to be cleared out again before the next storm arrives, but none is expected this week. The last cicadas have fallen silent, but so far I've found none in the sink on the back porch. It must be because the light is burned out, so there's nothing to attract them. Or perhaps the cats are eating them before I get a chance to see them. I'm not displeased either way.
Tonight the still air feels as though it is waiting to be stirred up, but wind is not predicted. This, too, is satisfying. In a week or so I won't mind a bit of wind to hasten the leaves down, but for now I'm enjoying the autumn color and the placid nights. Stormy winter will come soon enough.
( Sunday Verse )![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
