It's Beginning to Feel Like Fall Around Here!

 I'll set aside the issue of climate change and whether fall is actually arriving earlier than it used to, but there are definitely a lot of signs in the air that Fall will soon be here.  And since the title of this blog refers to changing seasons, I think it's useful to make note of these changes.

Among wildflowers I always associate Golden\mrod with the coming of fall.  It's not a popular 'weed', but it's bright yellow plumes brighten up every piece of 'waste' ground around town, and many ditches or fields outside of town.  I found this plant in a narrow strip of ignored soil between two parking lots downtown, blooming freshly among the fading Queen Anne's Lace and the Chicory.

But that's just the most obvious sign of fall in my books.  

The Blue Jays are screaming in the morning and the other day we saw some Canada Geese flying over in their typical 'V' formation.  Some birds have already left for warmer climes, and of course some will be with us all winter.  Birds like Chickadees and Juncos are moving south out of the boreal forest to join us during the winter months.

The mornings are noticeably cooler, with dew of the grass.  The harvest is well underway, as here we're picking tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers.  On the farms the wheat harvest is already finished, and sweet corn is for sale at the farm gate.  We are past Lammas Day, the ancient celebration of the coming harvest.  

Just last night we were remarking on how the darkness was arriving earlier.  My own care-giving schedule means I get up and go to bed in the light all summer, but I get up and go to bed in the dark all winter.  It's quite the obivous change!  Here's to a nice sunny warm fall!