Another beautiful autumn day. The photos here are actually from yesterday - Fred, Woody and I were doing some outside work Sunday afternoon. When the wheelbarrow rolls, Woody is always on hand to hitch a ride. Come to think about it, it doesn't have to be the wheelbarrow. He rode in the toboggan we use to haul wood in the winter. He's adept at keeping his balance in rough going, usually ending up curled up or crouched over the front of the wheelbarrow to watch the wheel turn or the grass going under it or reaching out a paw to bat bushes going by. Who knows, maybe he's hunting, hoping a field mouse or a squirrel will cross in front of him. I've had the wheelbarrow tip over with him in it, but he leaps gracefully clear of it and doesn't hesitate a minute to hop back in once it's righted. I found out the hard way he likes when I'm weeding the flowers - he hides in the weeds and pounces on my hand as I reach for a weed. Not only does he startle me seriously, I've had a few digs from his claws. He is normally very gentle, but outside he reverts to being a "hunter" and plays rough.

The tree in the picture is a poplar at the lower edge of our lawn. The golden leaves shimmer in the breeze so it looks like it has silver sparkles all over when the sun shines on it. Most of the colors now are golds and yellows of the poplars and the tamaracks, or hackmatacks, as our friends in Maine call them. The weather is just lovely and several of our Joe's Ponders who have left told us before they went it was really difficult to leave when it's so warm and beautiful here. We're sorry they have gone, too - some of the weather in those "warmer" climes has been so dangerous with tornados, drought and fires, it makes me quite content to tuck in here waiting for our below-zero weather later on and the resulting high energy bills. We're used to it - and winters aren't as harsh as they used to be, right? (I think in a few weeks I might be sorry I said that . . . )