Last night I really noticed how short the daylight hours are getting. My drive home from work was totally in the dark. The young moose calf in the middle of the road blended right in with the pavement and was difficult to see.

I've trained myself to watch for reflective eyes, movement or shadows and I drive with my lights on high on the rural roads. That little moose was running at top speed and I feared for it. I saw the reflection of headlights on the power poles and knew a car was coming from the other direction; right in the lane that the moose was in. I slowed to a stop and the moose ran in front of me, into the ditch, just as the other car topped the hill. It didn't slow at all. That moose calf would have been a goner.

The shorter days are signalling that autumn is near but that's not the only sign. The leaves along my route to work are turning color and the pumpkins are ripening in the garden. I've never had them ripen on the vine so look forward to seeing how much they change from day to day. 

I love autumn almost as much as I love winter. The cooler temperatures and the lack of bugs will draw me back to the hiking trails.