[turttle]

It is still awhile before fall color appears, but I have been noticing things around my yard that tell me, without a calendar, that summer days are coming to a close. I thought it might make a good thread. My list, so far:

1. I saw the first sulphur butterfly of the year this week.
2. There are red berries on my native honeysuckle and spice bush.
3. My beauty berries have some purple color starting.
4. This week, the number of eastern tiger swallowtails in my yard went from hundreds to dozens.
5. My milkweed seed pods are opening.
6. The only frogs still calling are the bullfrogs in my pond.
7. I have the first few acorns hitting my deck.
8. My neighbor's goldenrod is blooming. Mine isn't yet. I think it is amount of sunlight
. 9. My elderberry is rustling with birds eating the berries.
10. My bidens is up and beginning to bloom.

I find it hopeful to think that we may soon be done with temps in the 90s and major humidity. Actually, this weeks forecast is mostly high eighties, for the first time in many weeks. Fall here is beautiful, even if it portends cold temps to come.

What are your late summer events?