These days I dictate field notes into my smart phone ... The answer is no, not a chance. Location: Autumn Leaves Road, Wayne Township, Pa. Creeping along, we spy a northern flicker on grass ...

And just as autumn exits with a note for the climate to change yet again, it leaves an open invitation for us to pause and sets the mood for introspection. It is as if the falling leaves remind us ...

We are also a bit tidier as a race, which means that the sight of an unkempt, unmown lawn is now much less ... For a start, regularly rake up any fallen leaves that land on the lawn.