It's been about 2 weeks since the sugar maples were at their peak color. Warm weather has dulled the color show and delayed leaf fall for other species. There has yet to be a frost; in fact, houseplants don't show any signs of distress. Apple season has ended but the raspberry season continues. Bees visit the garden in hopes of finding a few more blossoms. Wooly bears are somewhere between a pencil diameter and a AAA battery diameter, the smallest I've seen. Most storms headed our way seem to split while still west and/or south of us, giving us overcast skies and high humidity without much actual rain. The yellowjackets are abundant, unfailingly homing on fruit and meat scents; they seem to know their days are numbered. Milkweed pods are empty, having long ago sent their seeds and fluff into the breeze. Late afternoon sun no longer seems stifling; later dawn has become a gentler awakening.