It's starting to look a lot like winter around here.

A strong and gusty south wind blew all day Wednesday preceding the arrival of a new cold front. The wind stripped away almost all our colorful leaves. Only the oaks managed to hold onto their brown leaves. Oh, well. All things must pass.

Has neither wings nor can it chirp, but jumping is the camel cricket's forte. Blog post on Nature in the Ozarks: http://tinyurl.com/5l7juh

Our polling place. Poll workers said turn out had been heavy in our precinct. When I voted at 3 PM, I was the 32nd person to cast a ballot today.

Goldenrod Soldier Beetle (Chauliognathus pensylvanicus) The Goldenrod Soldier Beetle has an irregularly shaped dot in the middle of its pronotum (the body segment between head and abdomen). The dot does not run all the way to the front or rear. This beetle is also most likely to be seen in the late summer and fall. More info on Nature in the Ozarks: http://tinyurl.com/6oqbpy

On our afternoon walk.

You can get a glimpse across the valley through a gap in the trees.

Along the road on our afternoon walk.

I'm afraid the fall colors this year are going to be below par.