Flotilla in the cemetery pond when I headed out, geese spread out among the markers when I came back. Best estimate I can do, maybe 3 dozen. I *think* there may have been a merganser in with the flock when it was on the pond. I *hope* that wasn't a loon, because the pond is too small for loon takeoff runs.

Roadkill porcupine by the roadside about 9.5 miles into the ride, recent enough that traffic hadn't cleared all the quills from the impact site. Tough luck tires . . .

A few of the maples are turning in the bog, which may show stress rather than season. Water level down because of our drought.

Got out on the bike, up to the golf course and over to the bog and home. Did not die.

15.35 miles, 1:28:18

Morning walk, was on a section with a screen of pine trees between the street and a large parking lot. Red squirrel came down out of one of the trees and crossed the street away from me, but then started to pace me on the other side and eventually crossed back over in front of me to climb another tree and stop a few feet up. It then waited, watching me as I came on and passed. I think I was supposed to produce a peanut. Toll?

No new roadkill, no interesting metal birds, no new fall flowers. Both purple loosestrife and phragmites are setting seed in their war to the death for our wetlands and drainage ditches.

Ran into a detour out at the airport, down a side road that accesses the army guard helicopter base, thence to another road that skirted the perimeter wire. Hope that whoever monitors the CCTV system didn't ID me as Victor Charlie. Anyway, no blaring klaxons or claymores fired.

Got out on the bike, across town and back, did not die.

15.71 miles, 1:31:03

Ethics must be reciprocal . . .

Air temperature 51 F, wind southwest about 4 mph, airport weather station reporting fog but clear sky on our side of town. Appointment this morning, walk or bike ride afternoon. We'll see if our mowing crew shows up this week -- we don't really need them, with the dry weather.

We have geese! Maybe a couple dozen seen at the cemetery pond on my way out, more like 40-50 on my way back. Some looked like 3/4 scale models. Don't know if they recruited another flock or I just didn't see all of them the first time. Or even the second time.

Roadkill limited to one gray squirrel and the usual blood patches on the road.

Arrowhead blooming in the outfall pools at culverts through the bog. Also, lots and lots of "fall dandelions" (which are neither), more than we recall from past years. But that may reflect less mowing due to drought.

Got out on the bike, up to the golf course and over to the road through the bog and home. Did not die.

15.33 miles, 1:27:40

Air temperature 48 F, wind northwest about 4 mph, partly cloudy. Overnight lows in the 30s F in the "rooftop" of Maine. Winter is coming.

Foraging morning, walk or bike ride afternoon.

Dear mental disk-jockey -- just because I like the Sibelius violin concerto does *not* mean I want it playing on repeat all morning.

Air temperature 50 F, wind northwest gusting to 20 mph, sunny. Front passed through yesterday in two phases -- first drenching rain that mostly ran off, with wind. Later, a round of gentler rain that lasted for a couple of hours. That may have sunk in and done some good. Walk morning, errand afternoon.