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I wouldn't say it's pouring out, but it's raining pretty good. It's cloudy and dreary, and warm for this time of year. When I was younger, maybe 20 years ago, we got quite a bit more snow in this region.

I am now a homeowner, and have to shovel snow when enough accumulates. When I've had to do that it's obvious I may have romanticized snow more when I was younger. I mean, I did have to help shovel back then, but I also got snow days and did things like hike and build snow forts with friends. Now I have work to drive to (although I can work from home sometimes), and other stuff I need to commute to. Snow has different implications.

Still, I actually like getting a nice layer of snow each winter. It would be nice to have it around the holidays, but if it hits come January or February that's still something.

I bought a cat perch for George years ago. It didn't appear to be the greatest quality, but it held up at first. Now, years later, it's still holding up, although it's a little shaky. He can still jump on it, hop around on the platforms, and curl up in the little cylindrical cubby hole.

On the other hand, one of the posts was wrapped with jute twine, and that's more or less come undone. There's enough there that he can still claw and shred it, but it could use a re-twining. I think you can buy it at various home improvement-type stores.

Actually, cats tend to love that kind of twine, or similar surfaces. I'm not sure what it is but scratching it must feel good. It's advisable to have something like that, so that they don't find something else in your home to scratch and shred.

Halloween is winding down. I'm just hanging out and watching the Simpsons Treehouse of Horrors episodes, and drinking a beer. I'm laying on my couch, with my cat on my legs. My orange lights are on and will stay on all night.

Not too many trick-or-treaters. Actually, just two. I've gotten more in the past. I don't know if it's the uphill climb, or if they just started earlier this year. So now I'm stuck with more candy.

It's nice to get out someplace new for a while. Maybe 24 or 36 hours. I try to now and then, for no particular reason. Or for some reason. The important thing is that it's outside of a normal routine. IE, not necessarily for work or a semi-regular trip to visit relatives.

I'm doing this now. Nowhere drastic, just a couple hours away for an event. It's fun, although I do kind of miss my own bed and certainly my cat. I had a good dinner, and my hotel room is nice. I'm messing around on the internet and listening to Bill Evans before I get ready for bed.

It's amazing to think that you can travel a hundred miles or so in a couple hours. I have mixed feelings about cars, but this is quite an amazing thing when you think about it. A trip like this could take days on horseback back in the day, although it wouldn't be bad on a train either – assuming the train goes where you need to go.

It's something to take advantage of now and then, the ability to just pick up and go somewhere not quite on a whim, but close. Or on a whim if that's what you want.

I'm traveling today. It's cool out, rainy, and cloudy. I'd hoped to catch part of the eclipse, but that was out of the question.

The leaves are still fairly green, but they're changing. Despite the gloom today fall is actually looking pretty nice. It's cool, but you can still do things outside if you want.

October is a beautiful time of year around here, and I think it's peak fall. Not that November isn't nice, but there's a little bit of summer left over, and the trees look great.