Now that the temperatures have moderated, I have found it the motivation to get outside and enjoy some physical activity. I’ve been riding my bicycle more, and have started walking on the days that I am not riding.
During my jaunts I have noticed a colorful side-effect from the heat and drought that we have suffered here in Colorado on many of the “wild” trees and shrubs (by wild, I mean vegetation that receives no supplemental watering) in town. Plants in the drier areas seem to be reaching their peak fall foliage splendor already, several weeks earlier than usual. I haven’t been up in the mountains to verify this, but the rumor is that many of the aspens are also already hitting their peak color, which is at least a week early.
The hot weather and lack of rainfall have so stressed these trees and shrubs that they’ve already decided to call it quits for the year.
Their more pampered cousins in parks and residential areas are still predomintly green, with only stray bits of color scattered here and there in their canopies. These trees probably won’t hit peak color for a few more weeks yet.
The city in which MrsVintage and I reside is not known for its culture, but it does have an award winning xeriscape demonstration garden by the municipal center. I swung by it on a recent bicycle ride. An oasis of tranquility right in the heart of town.
Greece against Rome by Philip Matysak: after Alexander the Great died in India, his generals divided his empire was into three smaller (yet still powerful) empires. These three Hellenistic empires: the Ptolemaic (Egypt), the Seleucid (former Persian empire) and the Macedonia (Macedon and Greece) all vied against each other to achieve dominance over the Near East Asia, all the while a new power was rising in the western Mediterranean. Greece against Rome show that the failure of the Hellenistic empires to band together to face this new threat led to their demise. 
Twilight of the Gods by Ian Toll: this one was on my summer reading list, but as it just came out, I am putting it on my autumn list as well. 
Destroyer of Worlds by Larry Correia: this one was also on my summer list, and it too just came out. ’nuff said.
Next to Last Stand (Longmire mystery #16) by Craig Johnson: the last few Longmire books have left me a bit unsatisfied, so I am sincerely hoping that with Next to Last Stand Craig Johnson brings his Longmire mysteries back to their former glory.
Battleground (Dresden #17) by Jim Butcher: after a six year hiatus, Jim Butcher has released two Dresden Novels this year (Peace Talks published back in July). Battleground is actually part 2 of Peace Talks, and continues with the story of an ancient enemy of humanity that has arisen after millennia of dormancy to start a war between humans and creatures of the supernatural.
Legend of Sleepy Hallow and other writings by Washington Irving: I haven’t read Sleepy Hallow in decades! This should be a perfect read at Halloween.
Farther Afield: A Gardener’s Excursions by Allen Lacy: this is another collection of gardening essays by the late Allen Lacy, philosophy professor and garden writer. His Home Ground was on my summer reading list, and I enjoyed it immensely. I think I will save this one for late into the autumn season, when winter begins to announce its arrival, as a way to buoy my gardener’s spirit. 
Fleet Elements (Dread Empire’s Fall #5) by Walter Jon Williams: Fleet Elements is supposed to be released in early December, so this one might bleed over into my “winter reading list”, assuming I do one. Book #4 of the Dread Empire’s Fall (The Accidental War), took quite awhile to get going. But once it finally did get going, it finished off with a bang. So I’m looking forward to this release.
