Guess what I found wandering around the house last evening? Yup, a tarantula…

This probably signals the start of mating season when the males leave the burrows and go a-wandering for a little spider-love – LOL. Guess I’ll have to watch out for spiders crossing the road around dusk too – usually it’s just daredevil ground squirrels and a few nervous rabbits. (Tarantulas are surprisingly easy to spot when you’re driving, luckily.)

So this, along with the yellowing leaves on the walnut trees out front, must signal the beginnings of Autumn, if not officially. Oh, wait, I forgot, the unofficial beginning of Autumn started with the school supplies sales in stores – heh. Mmmmmm…. pens and markers and notebooks, oh my!