The last storm drizzles down, fades away, and along with it fade the hours of this last day of Summer. We’re left with almost an inch of rain in the final benediction! Bird activity at The Stockpond has dropped off startlingly since yesterday’s wild show of feathers and colors, now there is water puddled everywhere for miles. A Great Blue Heron is there, and the pik-tuk-tukk of Summer Tanagers come to the ears but no bird catches the eye. The mesquite trees around the bank are turning pale early it seems, and suddenly, as if the Monsoon’s farewell soaking was too much for their vegetal emotions to take and the tiny leaflets are dropping into the pond where they collect into little bands on the surface. A Western Wood Peewee looks it all over from side to side on a branch tip above, where it sits sullenly and must be feeling a push towards South America.

Calls out a Poorwill in the evening, “Persephone has left the building.”