Wow! what wonderful weather has descended upon us where I live. As the sun has come up each morning this week, the temperatures have been in the low fifties and ,with the absence of those miserable high humidity readings, it has been very, very cool for our early walks. So we have had to don long sleeves and, in Mary Lee's case, a hooded jacket. This is a blessing, especially when we head back up the long steep hill near the end of our walk, before the last stretch back to our condo. Along the way, I've noticed that some of the persimmons are beginning to fall to the ground as they have rippened to a soft pumpkin colored skin. However, I have refrained from eating any of them, though they are unusually sweet and delicious at this stage. If only I could find enough of them, I would like to try my hand at making a persimmon pie!

I even noticed this morning that some of the maple trees are already beginning to show a tinge of orange and yellow on the outer perimeter of the foliage. Squirrels continue to show up crossing the road in front of us with chestnuts in the clutches of their extremely sharp teeth, and there are evidences under the tree itself of cracked and discarded shells following snacks which they simply could not resist during their gathering and storing process. I have even seen the crows hopping around in the grass jumping mercilessly at unwary insects and worms. This seems rather strange for the bird which usually relishes the flesh of animals. Someone told us they had observed one crow trying to attack a baby rabbit. However, the rabbit's mother fearlessly launched a counter attack, and a very unusal battle ensued with fur and feathers flying everywhere.

These are just some of the evidences of what seem to be rather early signs of fall.

It is a great time to be alive and to be able to witness both what God is doing and what God allows.

"Why are you cast down, O my soul" And why are you disquieted within me? HOPE IN GOD; For I shall yet praise Him, the help of my countenance and my God."

Psalm 42: 11