Autumn...here and gone

This was the last glimpse of our autumn color, which didn't last nearly long enough. We've had FREEZING weather for almost a week straight now. There are still leaves on many of the trees, but mostly they are brown and wilted. Snow in the forecast. The brave squirrel below had the audacity to knock on our back door two days in a row. I think he wanted to sit by the fire, but we'll never know. We ignored him (except for taking the usual daily ration of peanuts to him and his buddies at their trees).
And this one did some ice skating on the bird bath the first morning it froze.