My life is too filled when I find it's been over a week since my last Ramble with Storm.

When even readers make mention of the lack of Rambles, I pay heed: It's a sort of barometer of my life.

If I have or take the time to pull together a Ramble, my life is on an even keel, or at least sensible.

And there's plenty to notice in the past couple weeks: buckeyes on the ground, more hedge apples down, more than just Virginia creeper are showing color, walnuts are down, more leaves litter the ground and the squirrels seem to be on their fall feeding binge.

Tomorrow, I suspect Storm and I will make tracks through the first frost of the fall.

It was weird yesterday to look at radar and see lake-effect bands sweeping in off the lake. Another month or two from now and some of us would be digging out of a significant lake-effect snow instead of just being dark, dreary, wet and frigid.

At any rate, Jeff Nolan is one of those who made mention of lack of Rambles. Now, the Bridgeport guy has more than passing interest.

His Molly, a rescued Yorkie who rides everywhere on his boat trips up and down the Chicago River, is the most famous fishing dog in Chicago.

In passing, he mentioned that his vet said this has been one of the worst years for fleas.

From personal experience, I would agree. It has been more than a two-month battle with bad fleas on Storm. Once my dog has bad fleas, I just get the willies myself.

Maybe it was the weather this summer that led to a flea outbreak.

Then again, it is always tricky business to extrapolate from an instance of personal experience in the outdoors into a grand pronouncement of something more general or widespread.

One more thing to look up or find out.