I needed the longer ramble this morning.

My night had been restless. Winds off the backside of Sandy rattled our old house all night.

The meathead and I set off in the dark. A veneer of hazy cloud cover diffused the full moon, teasing the darkness with faint hope.

I had layered up good, so the meathead and I stretched it out for the two-miler. The winds howling out of the north-northwest made a mockery of my layers, knifing the winds and chill through easily.

I debated calling off the longer ramble, but I needed it to work off the remnants of a friend's birthday party Sunday night in Oak Park, too. And the return trip would be with the winds at our backs.

The feed for the party had a fall theme--pork roll stuffed with a garlic mix, squash soup, rutabagas with horseradish, mashed pumpkin with raisins and cloves, apples baked with the pork--and was different enough that we all pigged out in proper celebratory mood.

It's the time of the year for a fall theme.

With the intense winds and darkness, I didn't expect much in the way of wildlife. And I was right.

Something crashed off in the brush near the foxhole. My guess was a rabbit, but it could have been a fox.

We found the foxhole this spring on another extended ramble. We also found out that the foxes also use a hole under some storage units in town.

Townhouse and getaway cabin?

Ah, I amuse myself.

A lone dove fluttered off by the town pond. It was still dark enough that I couldn't see it, only hear that distinctive sound.

Back in town, dawn dialed in slowly as the meathead and I walked up the porch steps.