Nice

[rejectomorph]

Clouds and moonlight and cool breezes have made this my favorite kind of autumn night. For a while, the clouds grew so dense and the air smelled so damp that I thought we might get, if not rain, then at least a bit of mist, but they thinned again and the moon re-emerged, and the night remained dry. Strangely, the katydids are still about, sending their shrill cries through the no-longer summer-like air. On the occasion of stiff breezes, they were accompanied by the autumnal sound of oak leaves skittering along the street. Dry oak leaves, tough and crisp, make the best sound of any windblown leaf. Even with the sounds of the leaves, the insects and the humming pines, the night was remarkably peaceful. I did startle some deer when I went out about one o'clock, opening the door to quickly. I heard their hooves clatter as they fled down the street toward the orchard. A few minutes later, I heard the orchard sprinklers go on. Perhaps the deer got a nice bath in exchange for having their late night stroll disturbed by the clumsy human.