An eighth of an inch of rain last week did little to relieve our ongoing deficit. Low humidity and windy conditions resulted in more red flag fire danger warnings. The layer of fallen leaves in the forest is crisp and dry and the forest floor continues to dry out. I rode the mountain bike on the Old Adams Road to Jones Nose and back and for the first time came back with a clean bike. All the mud on the route has dried up. Chipmunks and squirrels are very active collecting food for the winter and turkeys, deer and porcupines are feeding on the copious acorn crop. The bear made a mid-day raid on my garbage can which I have now electrified. A pack of coyotes serenaded us from outside the bedroom window this morning. The water level in my pond is down a couple more inches and the flow in Basset Brook and the Hoosic River has also declined. Lawns remain green.