I can feel the brrrr and the chill rain from your descriptions, Poco and Catbird. We've had some brrrr here as we have gone down to freezing at night. Now we've had promises of rain in the next few days too - we haven't had enough. When it comes to geographic rain distribution, seems it's either feast or famine.

The colors are muting a bit now, they must have peaked over the weekend. I had a sighting of a small toad in the yard, no bigger than one inch tall, a few days ago. The amphibian guidebook says their mating season goes to October, so it may have been an immature. I was glad to see it as we don't see so many now, probably because we don't get the rain we used to.

I saw that snow on TV.  Our long heat and drought-plagued summer is
finally over.  Everything is still very green, but there is a slight chill in
the air, it's cloudy and drizzly, and the wind is from the north.  My fav-
orite season is finally here!

What a great deer picture, Poco!

We have noticed that the deer are seen in our woods more in the fall. Almost like they realize it's a safe zone from hunters in this neighborhood full of wildlife-friendly people. They're smart animals!

Unfortunately, the coyotes are smart, too. That's very sad, Poco, about them getting the small pets in your area. Everyone here on Itchmo already knows this, but just for general information, small pets really should be supervised when outside.*

The light has changed, but there are no changes in the foliage here to report yet. Unless it's that the green looks a little more weathered and antique than it did in the spring.

* ETA: That's speaking as a US resident. Somewhere I read an article by Sarah Hartwell, who did the Messybeast Cat website, comparing the US situation with the one in UK, where it's more common for cats to go outside. In UK, there is less of a traffic problem, and they do not have coyotes.

How beautiful, Poco!  Awful about the coyotes, though.  Maybe the deer are seeking protection from them.

What is it with coyotes this year?  I live half a continent away from Poco, and I've heard coyotes howling in the hills more often this year than I ever have before.  (I've lived on this street for 30+ years.)  Usually, I hear them on one or two nights in the fall.  Lately, it's been an every-night thing.

Ah - read the comments about coyotes & keeping pets in - something I've been meaning to ask about as we've heard that US cats are mostly indoor pets & I wanted to check this out?

Over here it's thought really unusual to keep cats indoors - the only exception I know is breeders - i.e. pedigree cats are kept in due to value & not wanting them to mate outside breed.  Most household pet cats come & go as they please via a catflap. The only time they are kept in is firework nights (weeks around Nov 5th & New Years Eve).  Its not many years since most families used to 'put the cat out' last thing at night - since it was assumed they were noctural creatures & wanted to go hunt.  Hmmmph, most of mine have always preferred home comfort & the food bowl at night - with occassional sorties when younger.

I've always let mine roam pretty much freely - of course I make a point of living away from traffic.  First priority when viewing potential houses is to look at proximity to main roads. Where I am is a little residential area of old 'viccy' terraces all with long gardens. 

The last year I've been a bit more cautious and made sure they're shut in whenever I'm not about, and at night.  This was since Max was attacked by another cat when we were out one day & we ended up at the emergency vet with him - the bites had narrowly missed the main vein in his neck.

The only wild animals I really worry about are humans (teenage ones especially)..which is probably a bit paranoid of me - I'm sure stories of cats being taken/hurt are blown up in the press' desire to make dramatic stories, but I'm feeling quite vulnerable right now & not taking any chances.

So poor little Eppie gets let out once I get up or come home, and has her last jaunt as darkness falls - when she is to be found 3 gardens down staking out a pile of stuff by the fence (methinks mice nest there!).

JoMax, I've enjoyed reading your vivid anecdotes about your cats being outside - it does sound idyllic, and I so wish we could do that here.

Later I'll try to find the Sarah Hartwell article comparing UK and US ideas about indoors/oudoors for cats. It did convince me it's safe in UK.

After lots of experience, like Fizzy, I decided mine were safer indoors here in the US. We have a leash law for dogs, yet the cat of an acquaintance was attacked by dogs last week.*

OTOH, There's an indoor/oudoor cat in my mother's neighborhood who has lived safely for many years, even with some fast traffic.

Ideally I'd like to build an outdoor space that is protected by screen on the sides and top, from raptors and other predators.

For more discussion on indoor/oudoor in the US and elsewhere, there's this thread - it starts off with Temple Grandin's Animals in Translation, but moves on:
 
http://itchmoforums.com/miscother-pet-discussions/temple-grandin-animals-in-translation-t3092.0.html

*ETA, I'm happy to report that this cat is now home, and will recover.

I am so not ready for Halloween,Thanksgiving or Christmas stuff yet ! I don't even have my plants inside yet.