After a refreshing cool spell, it's hot again, like the middle of summer, but there are telltale signs that autumn is just around the corner. Hummingbird activity has slowed considerably, most of the birds already winging their way on the long trip to the Yucatan. We wish them well. The first poison ivy leaves have turned red, bright against the green forest, and dogwood leaves are showing tinges of color, their bright berries lighting up the trees and sprinkling the ground. Acorns are falling, too, the largest from the White Oaks, a rich shiny brown, as if polished by a Marine. Tarantellas have been seen crossing the roads on their annual migration, and at the archery target, Don, my hunter husband, is tightening up his groups.
And then there are the butterflies. We've seen lots of them this summer, but never in as many numbers as now. The Sulfurs and Swallowtails have moved on, for the most part, and Buckeyes have taken their place, dancing gracefully among the flowers. In the forest clearings, fireworks of wild onion explode in purple and white and attract butterflies by the score.
So what if the thermometer says 90? Fall is on its way.
