Harbingers of fall

Signs I've noticed this week that fall indeed is coming:

1. Mushy green pecan bits smashed on the sidewalks in my neighborhood. The premature ones always start dropping with the rain.

2. Rain. Actual, glorious rain! And I don't mean a summer thunderstorm the rolls through in 15 minutes. I mean the skies cloudy for days, little showers followed by big teardrops.

3. The liriope (monkey grass) starting to shoot up its little purple stalks of blooms.

4. Dawn is creeping in much later. I notice because I still have intermittent insomnia. Seems like the sun was rising at 4:45 just last week, and now it's what, an hour later?

5. Cicada skins perched on my fence and shingles, and other moribund bugs finding their way into the house.

6. All the fall events (CY Festival, Crafts Fair, Homecoming) just around the corner.

7. Did I mention it's been raining?