There were quite a few woodpeckers hammering away in the forest. I didn't see any of them, but I heard several, from different spots. Now that the underbrush has thoroughly dried, the woodlands are much noisier. Birds and other small creatures are constantly stirring there. The acorns aren't falling as rapidly as they did last year, though. I don't think the crop is as large this year, either. Last year, there were so many that the squirrels and crows just left hundreds of them lying on the ground under every tree. This year, they are being snatched up almost as soon as they fall. More effect of the dry weather, I suppose.
The weather bureau is predicting rain by Wednesday this week. Heh. I'll believe it when I feel it. So far this fall, they've been wrong every time. I hope they're right, though. It isn't really autumn, until you can smell the fallen leaves moldering from the damp.
