coyote crazy

 I'm loving all the red berries right now.

honeysuckle

rosehips

burning bush (both)

Boneset is lining our walking path, another sign of fall.

So are shotgun shells...sigh.

Other fall beauties include goldenrod...

...and wild asters.

Pale jewelweed is blooming too.

I loved this plant as a kid.  If you squeeze their seedpods...

...they burst!

No real leaf color yet, other than a few random reds and yellows.

The problem is the rainfall.  Although we've had semi-frequent short sprinkles this late summer, we're at 50% less than normal.  September, normally a really rainy month, had only two rainy days.  Looking ahead for the next week, more temperatures near 90 degrees and no rain.  But mornings and nights are cool and we have atmospheric fog...

...and plenty of dew.

Mornings are chilly, usually in the mid-50s.  I love to open the windows and let the cool air in.  I can't open them at night...coyotes are howling all around us and would wake me up in the night if I didn't sleep with windows closed and earplugs in.

Lots of evidence of them running through our yard on a semi-regular basis...

coyote feces

...and they're showing up on our trail cams, too.

Another sure sign of fall is the return of the brown marmorated stink bugs.

Our screens are COVERED with them and they find their way inside, too, looking for a warm place to overwinter.  They're a big agricultural pest but don't harm humans (other than with their stench if you squash them).  They're always out in force right before it gets cold.

I love this transitional time...lots of cozy baking...

...and stolen moments with a good book!

(never really alone!)

We'll see what early October will bring.  I can't wait!

Have a great week!