Crickets, Tree Frogs and Clematis

On the weather cast the other night, the meteorologist announced that summer is over--as far as the weather stats are concerned. The end of summer always stirs up a sadness in me. Just in time, a cool front arrived Friday morning, and it is supposed to get down into the 50s tonight, as if to rub it in. So I'm listening to the crickets outside...they always are more numerous in late summer and early fall. There is one lone tree frog a few houses South of here...back in July their chorus was loud and late into the night. The white frost of fall-flowering wild clematis is adorning fences, another sign of the changing season. School has been in session for two weeks now. Newly hatched caterpillars of some swallowtail species are finishing off my potted parsley. There are more signs of fall than I can shake a stick at. And I still haven't re-potted all of the houseplants! Labor Day Weekend is here and there's no denying that even though warm days are still to come, fall is in the air. Guess it's time to call the people who inspect the furnace.