Leaves aren't the only thing falling.

Since Bellingham's climate is about the same year around, that is 60 degrees and rainy, the only sign that summer is over is that the college students begin wearing socks under their sandals. I saw one stockinged set of sandal-feet today so I guess it's time to put away my pink, yellow, white, and navy blue sailor-striped summer sweaters and get out the tweeds and turtlenecks of autumn. The upside is that I never wear out shorts or sleeveless shirts. The downside is that I have a spotless pair of white pants that I bought back in the days of low slung waistbands that look totally stupid now. It is so hard to throw away clothes that I have only worn three times.
There are other signs that seasons (somewhere) are changing. Birds arrive at the feeders in mixed flocks. I saw a new tiny yellow bird in with the chickadees and nuthatches this year. I'm not positive, but I think it was a warbler. Many of the summer birds are long gone. I haven't seen a grosbeak since they chicks fledged in July.
We didn't have much of a summer. It was cold, but oddly, dry. I kept my yard watered because I have lived here long enough to know that just because the sun doesn't break through the morning fog, doesn't mean it's a rainy day. I can pretty well identify people who have moved here recently by the dried up shrubs in their yards. Also, only newcomers would plant rhododendrons in full sun, but those die off within six months anyway so I have other cues to go by.
Like carrying umbrellas. No, we don't. I don't know why. I think everyone who moves here tries to do the umbrella thing for a while, but eventually they just put their chins down and trudge through the rain, resigned to getting their socks wet.
Nancy Sherer